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Press Release
Nyon/Neckarsulm, March 17th, 2026
From left to right: Michele Uva, Executive director of Social and Environmental Sustainability; Jens Thiemer, Chief Customer Officer Lidl International; Marcus Sagitz, Managing Director Marketing & Corporate Affairs PreZero International; Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director of UEFA. Photo by: Kristian Skeie – UEFA.
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The companies of Schwarz Group are expanding their involvement in European football and entering a long-term strategic corporate partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The common goal is to shape the future of sports and nutrition in a sustainable, responsible and competitive way while jointly developing football in Europe. As UEFA’s first strategic corporate partner, the companies of Schwarz Group leverage their unique ecosystem to promote conscious nutrition within society, foster circular economy in European football and support the association in meeting current and future regulatory requirements regarding the use of resources.
Lidl is thus further expanding its successful partnership with UEFA, which has been in place since 2024. Already an official UEFA Women’s National Team Football Partner, Lidl will now also become an official UEFA Men’s National Team Football Partner. By 2030, Lidl will support numerous high-level competitions* in European women’s and men’s football. A particular focus is on UEFA EURO 2028 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland as well as UEFA Women’s EURO 2029 in Germany.
Lidl also becomes a Take Care Nutrition partner of UEFA. As part of the strategic corporate partnership, the food retailer is specifically developing its cooperation with UEFA: in addition to traditional sponsorship of UEFA tournaments, towards effective programs where Lidl contributes its expertise in healthy and conscious nutrition to UEFA’s educational and grassroots programs, in order to generate a positive impact on European grassroots sports. As the exclusive partner of the UEFA Football in Schools programme, Lidl helps schools and clubs to integrate conscious nutrition, sports, and exercise into the everyday lives of children across Europe.
To this end, UEFA and Lidl are working together to create a pan-European digital platform that supports national football associations in offering high-quality and inclusive football in schools and clubs. The platform provides practical guidance and brings together football, education and healthy eating. It includes online courses for teachers and coaches to teach an active lifestyle through football with age-appropriate content. Lidl and UEFA also want to build on the success of the Lidl Youth Camp 2025 in the future to inspire and promote young football talent in the long term.
As a partner of the Grassroots Awards, Lidl also strengthens grassroots sport. Each year, the awards recognize outstanding projects, initiatives or clubs from grassroots sport. With UEFA Grassroots Week in September, Lidl as presenting partner and UEFA jointly celebrate grassroots football throughout Europe for a week.
Jens Thiemer, Chief Customer Officer Lidl International: “We are further developing our collaboration with UEFA in such a targeted manner and are creating sustainable added value for society with the first strategic corporate partnership of UEFA. With the help of UEFA and the power of football, we bring our expertise in conscious nutrition to exactly where it makes a difference: to coaches, parents, and children in grassroots sports. After all, social change is not only decided in the stadium, but above all in the schoolyard and in local clubs.”
PreZero will support UEFA in its transformation from linear waste management to a circular economy. The focus will be on major national team tournaments and club competitions. PreZero will primarily provide operational and strategic support to UEFA, alongside the European football ecosystem of associations, leagues and clubs, drawing on its many years of expertise gained from working with top international clubs and stadiums. A key component is the use of data-driven insights: standardized procedures make circular performance measurable. PreZero develops scalable concepts for stadiums and empowers the association through training to take advantage of the economic opportunities of the circular economy and comply with current and future regulations. In addition, UEFA itself serves as a role model: PreZero supports the association in aligning its headquarters in Nyon with certified circular standards.
The goal is a scalable waste and recyclables management that turns European professional football into a blueprint for entire industries. Together, both partners are working on optimized cycles and minimizing non-recyclable residual waste. This strengthens resource sovereignty and uses the enormous reach of the competitions to raise the awareness of fans across Europe to the responsible use of valuable and raw materials.
Marcus Sagitz, Managing Director Marketing & Corporate Affairs PreZero International: “As a pioneer of the circular economy, we are sending a strong signal: if the transition from linear waste management to a functioning circular economy in European professional sports is successful, it will serve as a model for many parts of the economy. Today, the circular economy is an economic necessity. That is why we empower associations and clubs to combine sustainability with economic efficiency and prove on the main football stage that the preservation of valuable resources and top-class sports are inseparable.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA executive director of marketing, said: “We are delighted to welcome the companies of Schwarz Group as our first strategic corporate partner. Together, we are combining our strengths to shape the future of European football in a sustainable, responsible, and competitive way. Alongside Lidl, we will leverage the power of football to bring the passion for exercise and conscious nutrition beyond professional sports into grassroots sports. PreZero is the ideal partner to drive the transformation from a linear to a circular economy. Together, we will achieve a measurable impact in stadiums and enable football organisations to make waste management and resource conservation economical, sustainable, and future-proof.”
* Women: UEFA Women’s EURO 2029, Women’s European Qualifiers 2026 and 2028, and UEFA Women’s Nations League 2027 and 2029.
* Men: UEFA EURO 2028, UEFA Nations League Finals 2027 and 2029, the European Qualifiers 2027 and 2029, the UEFA Under-21 European Football Championship 2027 & 2029, and UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 and 2030.
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