Udinese to stage first league match following UEFA sustainability guidelines
Udinese host a league match under UEFA's sustainability guidelines
Serie A side Udinese Calcio became the first club to apply UEFA’s new Football Event Sustainability Manual for a dedicated league fixture when they hosted Cagliari on 19th September.
The Italian club, who had already taken substantial efforts to tackle environmental and sustainability issues through their Bluenergy stadium, looked to carry that same mentality to the matchday experience that defines football.
Launched in June of this year alongside European Leagues, the Football Event Sustainability Manual serves as a structured guide aimed at helping hosts of football games reduce their impact on the environment.
UEFA says it serves as a “tailored, flexible resource” that covers the full event lifecycle of a football match and can be directly applied to day-to-day operations.
Udinese became the first club to implement this framework, under the banner of “Play for Sustainability – Everyone on the pitch for the planet”.
The club’s prior sustainable initiatives include installing over 2,400 solar panels to the roof of their stadium, which generates an estimated 1.1 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year.
Fans attending the match were able to enjoy free and increased bus services, additional bicycle parking alongside a group bike ride to the stadium where participants received free tickets.
Bluenergy stadium also offered sustainable food options, donations of uneaten food that were given to food banks, as well as audio descriptions of the match and accessibility volunteers for fans with specific needs.
Upon the announcement, Udinese’s chief commercial officer, Magda Pozzo, stressed that the matchday was part of an ongoing process regarding sustainability in football, rather than an immediate fix.
She said: “Play for Sustainability reflects how we believe a football club can create impact beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch.
“This is not about presenting one match as the solution, but about creating an annual commitment where we can test concrete actions, measure what works and continue to improve year after year.
“Working with UEFA and applying the Football Event Sustainability Manual gives us an important framework to turn that ambition into practical action.”