Two football teams — one based in the UK and the other in the US — will send a joint delegation to the March of the Living.
In a joint statement, Chelsea FC and New England Revolution announced 30 of their members will attend the 2nd May event in Poland, when approximately 10,000 people will march silently from Auschwitz to Birkenau concentration camp to commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust.
The joint delegation includes Chelsea Director Eugene Tenenbaum, CEO Guy Laurence, former manager Avram Grant, club ambassador Steve Redgrave and six players from its under-18 academy. From the Revolution, President Brian Bilello and former player Charlie Davies, now a club ambassador, will attend.
Last year, Chelsea was the first member of the Premier League to send a delegation to the March. The Revolution of Major League Soccer will be the first US team to dispatch a group.
US Ambassador David Friedman to Head Delegation Joining 31st March of the Living — https://t.co/QQz4d97fGO @JewishPress pic.twitter.com/6pgtqDup9Z
— JewishPress.com (@JewishPress) April 7, 2019
On 15th May, the teams will compete in a charity match in Boston to raise funds for four organizations: the World Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, Holocaust Educational Trust and Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, the site of a deadly shooting last year.
The teams' attendance is a joint initiative by Chelsea, owned by Russian Jewish businessman Roman Abramovich, and the Revolution, owned by American Jewish businessman Robert Kraft, to fight anti-Semitism in sports.
Chelsea first engaged in the project in 2018 in response to its fans on multiple occasions using anti-Semitic slurs and singing anti-Jewish cheers.
