Sir Steve to Walk with Chelsea to Tackle Antisemitism

Chelsea Football Club representatives will this week take part in the annual March of the Living in Poland as part of the club’s ongoing Say No to Antisemitism campaign.

The campaign, launched earlier this year with the support of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, aims to raise awareness of antisemitism and promote unity and tolerance both within football and wider society.

The March of the Living is an international educational event held each year on Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Thousands of participants from around the world walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex established during the Second World War, in memory of the millions murdered during the Holocaust.

Representing Chelsea at this year’s 30th anniversary event will be club directors Bruce Buck and Eugene Tenenbaum, former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, Academy players and under-18 manager Jody Morris. Olympic rowing legend and Chelsea supporter Sir Steve Redgrave will also attend in an ambassadorial role.

Speaking ahead of the event, Sir Steve Redgrave said:

“Sports can play an important role in bringing people together and Chelsea’s efforts to tackle antisemitism is a good example of how clubs can contribute in promoting unity and tolerance. I am honoured to participate in this year’s March of the Living to stand up to antisemitism and honour the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust.”

The March of the Living serves as a stark contrast to the death marches carried out by the Nazis towards the end of the war. As Allied forces advanced, prisoners from concentration camps, many already starving and exhausted from forced labour, were marched westward in brutal winter conditions. Thousands died during these marches after being shot, freezing to death, or collapsing from exhaustion.

Among those who endured one of the death marches was Holocaust survivor Harry Spiro, who shared his experiences with Chelsea’s first-team players and staff at the club’s Cobham training ground earlier this year.

Roman Abramovich, whose support helped launch Chelsea’s Say No to Antisemitism initiative, said:

“The Holocaust was a crime without parallel in history. We must never forget such atrocities and must do our utmost to prevent them from ever happening again. We can all do something to challenge discrimination at our club as well as within the world around us.”

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck highlighted the importance of the initiative amid rising concerns over antisemitism globally.

“Antisemitism has been on the rise around the world for some time now and it is in this context, and with the full support of the club’s owner Roman Abramovich, we recently launched an initiative to raise awareness of and tackle antisemitism in all its forms,” he said.

“We are honoured to participate in this year’s March of the Living and pay our respects to the millions of Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust.”

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, whose father survived the Holocaust and whose relatives died in Auschwitz, described the event as deeply personal.

“Being the child of a Holocaust survivor and having relatives who died in Auschwitz, it is very special for me to join this March,” Grant said.

“Auschwitz stands for indescribable sadness and evil, but my father taught me to always remain hopeful. Despite all his struggles, he was the most optimistic man in the world and believed that always, in every situation, there is hope. I am very humbled to come back here today with my former team Chelsea, to honour the lives lost and unite together for a brighter future.”

Chelsea Football Club will provide coverage of the club’s participation in this year’s March of the Living across its official channels throughout the week.