MILAN – Youri holds an important institutional position in the world of football: after a long career playing at stadiums throughout the planet, he’s now the CEO of the FIFA Foundation. It’s a new and different role, but the impression at this early stage is that he’s the most suitable person for the job.

Youri’s voice is soft and it seems like he’s speaking in a thoughtful manner. The days of him leaving thousands of fans watching on in suspense with sudden plays are long gone. However, his character hasn’t changed: he has a desire to work hard, a sense of responsibility, and a profound awareness.

“The first thing to do is listen to the needs of the people — a pause — then, you need to think before doing anything. Too many people want to act immediately, but you need to understand first.”

After so many years of worldwide activities in communities and cultures that differ greatly from ours, these are words that we fully agree with. He tells us how, in 2012, the Inter Campus project came to New York, following a long walk with our President through the city streets. He was a world champion and Inter Campus had just made one of its first appearances at the United Nations. There would be many more.

All of these experiences have helped him develop on a personal level and create an innovative strategy that will serve as a basis for the FIFA Foundation for years to come. The aim is to help those in need, to collaborate, to support the social initiatives undertaken by clubs and to involve players more regularly, all the while focusing on future generations in particular.

We’re ready, and happy to have in Youri — as we have for a long time — as well as in the FIFA Foundation, an extra friend with whom to build the future for many children throughout the world.