Allianz Philippines recently brought football legend Giovane Elber for its football clinic in Tuloy Sa Don Bosco in Manila.
The Bayern Munich star player joined the children during their possession drills and led in the awarding of honors to the clinic’s top participants.
“Sports can change lives and sports can bring joy to kids,” Elber said during the media forum that followed the game and awarding ceremony.
He shared that he enjoyed meeting the children from Tuloy Sa Don Bosco as it reminded him of the time when he was still dreaming of becoming a professional football player in Brazil. Elber grew up in Londrina and took up the sport, which he calls his country’s “true love”, at a very young age.
“Everybody wants to be a footballer,” he said of the kids from his country.
Elber spent most of his career playing for FC Bayern Munich, the team that Allianz has partnered with since 2000. He made 150 goals in the 266 games he played for the team. After his retirement, he worked as the team’s scout.
“Allianz has always been a staunch supporter of football. We believe that it’s a sport that unites everyone, no matter what their background is. It also promotes sportsmanship and perseverance. Like Giovane said, football greats like Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo did not achieve their dreams overnight. They worked hard and learned to trust their teammates, and these are the values that we also want our Filipino children to learn,” said Allianz Philippines Chief Marketing Officer Gae Martinez.
Apart from the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco football clinic, Allianz Philippines has supported the development of football in the country. It is the title sponsor of the National Youth Futsal Invitational, which sends young Filipino football players to train in the prestigious Allianz Explorer Camp Football Edition ran by FC Bayern Munich.