Fantastic Brazilian weather, beaming children’s eyes and countless intriguing questions – just some of the delights that awaited VfB brand ambassador Cacau on his latest visit to the ‘Instituto Sementinha’ in Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo. The project, which aims to strengthen the personal rights of young people in need by offering them a safe space to study and play as well as access to sport and culture, has been supported by the VfB Foundation for some time. Cacau visits the Instituto several times a year to see the initiative’s work first hand.
On his latest trip, the former long-serving VfB striker had a special surprise for the 60 or so children at the Instituto. The 44-year-old was joined by former Borussia Dortmund player Ewerthon and ex-Brazil women’s international Nildinha, who helped him answer numerous questions from the curious kids. An eventful afternoon on the Instituto’s grounds was rounded off by a range of sporting
DFL Common Ground in Rio
Cacau then travelled from his home state of Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro – just one of the cities where the Bundesliga has set up a freely accessible ‘DFL Common Ground Pop-Up Pitch’. The VfB brand ambassador was joined on the playing field by numerous children, who took part in a joint training session as well as several matches. Cacau himself also showed off a few tricks – proving he has lost none of his skills with the ball since hanging up his boots – before giving interviews to local media.
The aim of the DFL’s Common Ground project is to offer children and young people from difficult backgrounds a new perspective on how to shape their leisure time, while giving them the opportunity to improve their chances in life, develop their personalities and become more open to new leisure activities. As Brazil is one of the Bundesliga’s most important target markets, the DFL’s involvement in South America’s biggest country stretches far beyond football.
