‘Thanks to the volunteers’: Professional football recognises charitable work in Germany

4 November 2022 – This year, German professional football will say ‘thanks to the volunteers’ again and pay tribute to the commitment of voluntary helpers throughout Germany.

In addition to around 80,000 football matches that are played nationwide every weekend, amateur football accomplishes many things away from the matches themselves that are not immediately visible. That is why professional football uses International Volunteer Day on 5 December every year as an opportunity to thank the estimated 1.6 million people in Germany who do a great deal for football and charitable projects in their local area – for example with activities in the course of the DFB initiative ‘Thanks to the volunteers’ taking place around the respective home games of the clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.

Due to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the days of action will be taking place early. This year, activations will take place on Matchdays 13 and 14 in the Bundesliga, and Matchdays 15 and 16 in Bundesliga 2 (4–6 November and 8–9 November).

About ‘Thanks to the Volunteers’

The German Football Association (DFB) has run the initiative Danke ans Ehrenamt (‘Thanks to the Volunteers’) every year since 1997 with support from German professional football. Further information (in German): www.dfb.de/ehrenamt