Stormzy has launched the Merky FC initiative after a recent survey showed that just 6.7 percent of senior roles are held by black or people of mixed heritage. Merky FC, a program dedicated to promoting and protecting diverse representation in the football industry, is a multi-year project in that Stormzy, and Adidas has established a partnership with 10 top brands, including Sky Sports. Merky FC is a new movement that will bring about change throughout the industry by addressing the lack of diversity off the field in football and offering access to a variety of multi-year, paid professional placements and opportunities across the business.
All ten partners—including Manchester United, Fulham, and LADBible—will support the careers program beginning in January 2023 with chances in operations, community, creativity, and marketing within their companies, in an effort to change the game. The campaign was started after the Football Association’s second annual report on the Football Leadership Diversity Code indicated that six out of eight stated targets had not been met by English clubs.
“The figures are astonishing. In my perspective, visibility is really crucial. We never witnessed any black supervisors, black people in the media,” Stormzy said about his Merky FC initiative. “Even if Ian Wright and Thierry Henry have shown us time and time again that we can kick a ball, representation in jobs and other areas of the industry, which is essential, is still lacking, in my opinion. Being able to believe something when you can’t see it is not always easy.”
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