The Roma striker Eldor Shomurodov said it was “hard to explain the happiness” he felt after a missing Polish woman was found just days after her picture was included in his transfer announcement video.
In 2019, Roma began using their transfer announcement videos on social media to highlight missing children around the world. The Serie A club campaign has now helped find 12 missing children since its inception.
“It is difficult to explain how happy it is to have contributed in any way to finding one of these children and thus relieving their families,” said Shomurodov, who came to Roma from Genoa on August 2nd. “I am proud to be part of a club that uses the popularity of football in this way.”
In recent years, social media announcement videos have become a battleground for clubs bragging about their latest signings and trying to outdo each other creatively – with some efforts reminiscent of blockbuster movie trailers.
Two years ago, Roma, under their former Chief Strategy Officer Paul Rogers, decided to use their social media presence to pursue another cause. Pictures of missing children have been included in transfer announcement videos to raise awareness and increase the chances of finding them.
“It is a campaign that we all here at AS Roma are passionate about and the club is proud to have helped find 12 children so far,” said Max Van Den Doel, Roma Chief Marketing Officer. “Of course, the real credit goes to all the associations with which we work and which fill our hearts with joy when they tell us that another child has been found.”
The club has partnered with a number of missing person charities around the world and children from the UK, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Kenya and now Poland have been found after appearing in transfer videos posted by the club.
“The campaign brought visibility to over 100 children who are vulnerable to exploitation and, in many cases, have been forgotten by society,” said Caroline Humer of the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“Every day children around the world are missing and any person can help bring them home by looking at the pictures to see if they recognize anyone.”
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