Brussels, 26 September 2025 – The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) marked the 10th anniversary of the European Week of Sport, celebrated across Europe from 23 to 30 September 2025, by joining forces with Younited Belgium for an event at the Académie de l’Union Saint-Gilloise in Anderlecht (Brussels). The initiative conveyed a strong message of inclusion, solidarity and empowerment, reaffirming FESI’s commitment to making sport and physical activity accessible to all.
As part of this collaboration, FESI actively took part in the “Be Active / Toernooi European Week of Sport”, organised by Younited Belgium on 25 September 2025 at the Académie de l’Union Saint-Gilloise in Anderlecht. The event brought together Younited and the FESI teams for several friendly matches, designed to highlight participation, fun, team spirit, and inclusion. By joining on the field and sharing these moments, FESI and Younited demonstrated in practice their joint commitment to making sport accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. FESI was among the founding partners of the European Week of Sport in 2015, making this 10th anniversary celebration especially meaningful. On this occasion, FESI also coordinated the collection of sporting goods generously donated by its members adidas and Puma, further supporting the event’s inclusive spirit.
This collaboration echoes FESI’s recent contribution to the European Parliament Report on the European Sport Model and to the European Commission’s consultation “A strategic vision for sport in Europe: reinforcing the European Sport Model”, where the Federation reaffirmed the need to strengthen the social dimension of sport. By standing side by side with vulnerable people and participating directly on the field as a united team, FESI demonstrated that inclusion is not just a principle, it is a practice.
Jérôme Pero, Secretary General of FESI, commented: “Today’s matches showed the true power of sport: bringing people together, breaking barriers, and creating community. With colleagues from Decathlon and VF joining our team on the pitch, we proved that inclusion is not just a principle, but a value we live and share.”
“At Younited Belgium, football is more than a sport: it is a powerful tool for inclusion and social reintegration, helping our players build strength, confidence, and dignity. During the European Week of Sport, we are proud to team up with FESI to highlight the barriers to sport for vulnerable groups and to celebrate the talent of our players. We are also grateful for the equipment collected through their members. A special thanks as well to our partner, Union Saint-Gilloise, for hosting this tournament in their facilities.” said Marine Poliart, Coordinator Wallonie at Younited Belgium.
“At adidas we believe that through sport we have the power to change lives. By empowering socially vulnerable people to become stronger on and off the pitch through football, Younited Belgium lives our core belief. We are therefore happy to support their work with most needed equipment.” commented Christian Baertels, Sr. Director Sports Marketing
Marking this 10th anniversary, FESI looked not just at the past ten years, but at the future of sport in Europe: inclusive, accessible, and open to all.
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About FESI: Founded in 1960 FESI – the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry represents the interests of approximately 1.800 sporting goods manufacturers (85% of the European market) through its National Sporting Goods Industry Federations and its directly affiliated member companies. 70-75% of FESI’s membership is made up of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. In total, the European Sporting Goods Industry employs over 700.000 EU citizens and has an annual turnover of some 81 billion euro.
About Younited Belgium: Younited Belgium empowers socially vulnerable adults through sport, forming mixed football teams coached by social workers to build confidence, community, and structure in life. Their activities include weekly training, public tournaments, and awareness campaigns, all aimed at using sport as a tool for inclusion, resilience, and social reintegration.
Contact: Ariane Gatti, FESI Senior Communication & Policy Manager / [email protected] / +32 274 08 94
