Milan are ready to make their Europa League debut against Benfica, a fixture with a rich history and its own particular sense of occasion. The meeting with the Lisbon side will also mark a historic first for the Rossoneri: for the first time, the back of the shirt will carry the logo of The Madhappy Foundation, an organisation dedicated to promoting mental wellbeing.
The initiative will continue throughout Milan’s Europa League campaign, bringing attention to an issue of growing importance for younger generations: awareness around self-confidence, positive relationships and a sense of belonging. Football, and everything it represents, can in this sense have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing. The aim is to make clear that asking for help should never be seen as an act of surrender, or as a defeat, and that psychological difficulties need to be addressed before they become a crisis.
The choice of The Madhappy Foundation reflects its ability to speak authentically to younger generations while bringing an international perspective to the subject. Founded in Los Angeles, Madhappy is a clothing brand built around an optimistic philosophy, with mental wellbeing at the centre of its identity. Through The Madhappy Foundation, the brand allocates 1% of its net revenue to mental health initiatives, supporting research and organisations including The JED Foundation, Child Mind Institute and the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with UEFA through Take Care, its educational programme promoting awareness of health and wellbeing among children and young people while encouraging responsible habits and behaviours through the power of football, also fits naturally with the work of Fondazione Milan, which since 2003 has committed more than €13 million to projects in Italy and around the world, reaching more than 200,000 beneficiaries.
This is another chapter built around Milan’s international reach and a message that extends beyond the pitch: a logo on the back of a shirt can say a great deal, drawing attention to the importance of mental wellbeing and to the need to address these issues in the right way. Before it is too late.