– I am very concerned about the climate and nature, and am impressed by the work Morten and “We Play Green” are doing to save us and the planet, says football legend Marcelo (34) to news. He is the all-time winningest player for the giant club Real Madrid, with six league championships and five Champions League titles. He is considered one of the best left-backs in football history and has 58 caps for Brazil. This summer he signed for Greek Olympiakos. – It is incredibly funny that he wants to join as an ambassador. It is of course the biggest profile we have received so far, with a fantastic platform, Thorsby tells news. Marcelo Kan communicates his climate commitment to his nearly 60 million followers on Instagram. That’s three times as many followers as Norway’s biggest star, Erling Braut Haaland. Players on “We Play Green” Morten Thorsby (Union Berlin) Marcelo (Olympiakos) Sofie Junge Pedersen (Juventus) Emilie Bøviken (Lyn) Christian Borchgrevink (Vålerenga) Elin Landström (Roma) Emil Bohinen (Salernitana) Bart Vriends (Sparta Rotterdam) Siem de Jong (De Graaschap) Mats Møller Dæhli (Nürnberg) Sondre Rossbach (Odd) Zach Banzon (Kaya FC-Iloilo) Thorsby has long been involved in the climate fight and started the climate organization “We Play Green” in 2020. They want to use football to raise awareness people on the challenges facing the planet. – When I was asked to join as an ambassador to help, I didn’t need a long reflection period, says Marcelo. CELEBRATION: Marcelo has won 25 trophies as a Real Madrid player. Photo: MARCELO DEL POZO / Reuters Climate victory in Brazil In his native Brazil, Lula da Silva recently won the presidential election ahead of Jair Bolsonaro. The election victory has also been described as a victory for the climate, while a Bolsonaro victory would be a “complete tragedy for the environment”, according to the Climate Observatory in Brazil. It is estimated that the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest will be dramatically reduced after the left-wing politician’s victory. Football profiles such as Neymar and Ronaldinho have previously expressed their support for Bolsonaro, while it is not known whether Marcelo voted or who he voted for. Thorsby and the Brazilian are scheduled to talk next week, and the Norwegian national team player says that one of the topics for the conversation will be the protection of the rainforest in Brazil. – If there is one place where football and politics go together, it is in Brazil. We have seen this through the fact that several players have been active in the election campaign. We in “We Play Green” are politically neutral, but are concerned about the climate issue, and will increase support for carrying out the green shift, says Thorsby. For him, it is important that all the ambassadors feel a personal ownership of the organisation. “We Play Green” will help Marcelo reach out with the causes he is passionate about. – I’m looking forward to getting started and getting to know Morten and his gang better, says Marcelo. CLIMATE CHOICE: Voters in Brazil went for Lula da Silva (right) over Jair Bolsonaro (left) in the presidential election. Thorsby to the UN meeting Thorsby caused a stir when he changed to suit number 2, as a symbol of the goal in the Paris Agreement to limit the temperature rise on the globe to two degrees. The next stop for the Union Berlin player is the climate summit in Egypt 6-18. November, organized by the United Nations. – The UN is impatient and says that there has been enough talk. Now we must act. I completely agree with that, says Thorsby in the P2 program Arena. He believes that the big problem beyond the 2020s will be getting people to accept changes in their everyday lives to help the climate. Thorsby believes that the right information and influence is the key, and fears that people will vote for politicians who do not want changes if they are not well informed. – Our message is that there is a lack of global support to carry out the green shift, and there is a lack of support in the people. We will create that support through football. New figures from the UN show that football reaches over five billion people globally. It is a unique platform to raise awareness of the climate issue, concludes Thorsby.
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