Football
ESPN staff 9y

Porto, St. Pauli planning measures to aid migrants entering Europe

Porto and St. Pauli are rushing to the aid of the thousands of migrants currently trying to enter Europe.

Porto are asking clubs in the group stage of the lucrative Champions League to donate money from ticket sales to help, while German second-division side St. Pauli have given their club friendly against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday the motto "Refugees Welcome."

The Portuguese giants sent a letter on Friday to European soccer's governing body UEFA, proposing each of the 32 clubs give €1 ($1.1) per ticket sold for the first two match days.

Porto said it will donate €1 from its home match against Chelsea on Sept. 29 in Group G, even if their proposal is not accepted.

Football "can't close [its] eyes to the drama of the migrants and refugees," Porto said in the letter posted on its website.

Meanwhile, Hamburg-based St. Pauli say their match with Dortmund will "set a sign and play its part in establishing a welcoming culture for those who have fled to Germany."

Around 1,000 migrants in various accommodations around Hamburg are to be invited, as well as "many dedicated volunteers," the club says.

St. Pauli are also inviting their fans and residents living near the stadium "to meet these people to get to know them and thus experience a culture of welcome."

The club says it is especially looking forward to welcoming the children living in the reception area of Hamburg's exhibition hall.

Some 21,000 tickets have been sold by Friday for the game.

The Associated Press was used in the report.

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