AC Milan will again use a European night to place mental wellbeing at the centre of its public message, with The Madhappy Foundation set to appear on the back of the players’ shirts alongside their names and squad numbers. The initiative gives the club’s Europa League platform a purpose beyond the result, inviting a wide international audience to engage with psychological wellbeing, particularly among younger people.
A message carried through Europe
The Rossoneri first wore the Foundation’s name for the match against Benfica and will repeat the gesture in their next European fixture. The project has been developed with Fondazione Milan, UEFA Take Care and Puma, Milan’s technical partner.
Milan intends for the shirt to act as a visible reminder that mental health should not be discussed only after problems have become acute. The club’s stated aim is to encourage awareness, self-confidence, positive relationships and a sense of belonging from an early age.
- The Madhappy Foundation branding will feature on Milan shirts in every Europa League match this season.
- The decision to use European fixtures reflects the club’s international reach and the worldwide television audience attached to those games.
- The campaign focuses on creating safer environments in which young people can build and strengthen personal skills.
- Milan sees football and elite athletes as potential agents of social change, capable of helping conversations reach younger supporters.
In the club’s view, sport can offer practical support by providing spaces where those qualities can be developed. The message is intended to travel with the team throughout the European campaign rather than remain a one-off gesture.
Fondazione Milan’s long-running social role
The campaign fits into work carried out by Fondazione Milan since 2003. For 23 years, the foundation has used football and sport in projects designed to support people and communities, with particular attention given to young people and those in vulnerable circumstances.
- More than €13 million has been allocated to projects in Italy and elsewhere in the world.
- Those programmes have reached over 200,000 beneficiaries.
- The current Europa League initiative places mental wellbeing within that wider social programme.
Madhappy, founded in Los Angeles, is a clothing brand built around an optimistic outlook and has made mental wellbeing a central part of its identity. Through The Madhappy Foundation, it directs 1% of net revenue towards mental-health initiatives, including research and support for organisations working in the same field.
Modric opens a new conversation
Milan also marked World Mental Health Day on 10 October with the launch of The Chamber, a new series using athletes’ experiences to open discussion around wellbeing and emotional pressure.
The first episode features Luka Modric and is available through the club’s official channels. It addresses the demands placed on athletes, the expectations surrounding them and the difficult periods they must navigate. The underlying point is simple: pressure and uncertainty are not absent even from the careers of the game’s most accomplished players.
