The Football Association Prioritizes Our Clubs

Nida al-Watan, Lebanon, October 26

The Executive Committee of the Lebanese Football Association recently announced the distribution of a new financial assistance package to its clubs operating at various levels for the second year in a row. It was truly remarkable to discover that the value of the aid distributed totaled some $800,000, which is a considerable amount. Undoubtedly, this money is being spent in the midst of a financial and economic crisis in Lebanon, which has been going on for nearly two years. It will certainly provide much-needed support to football clubs across the country, which have enabled people across the country to maintain some degree of normalcy in their lives. Perhaps the most important thing to note is that the aid approved for the current season is all sourced from the Lebanese Football Association. While the funding for last year’s aid package came from a million-dollar grant provided to the association by FIFA, the funding for this year’s package came from internal funds. This is a huge accomplishment considering the fact that the association’s biggest source of revenue – ticket sales – came to a near standstill. Nonetheless, the association is keen on ensuring that football activity in Lebanon continues to take place, despite the difficult financial, political and public health circumstances we are situated in today. – George Al-Hani (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)