Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has made a powerful personal statement on the Italian football pitch, wearing his wife's nickname as part of Serie A's long-standing campaign against domestic violence.
A Personal Tribute on the Pitch
During Cremonese's match against AS Roma on Sunday, the 38-year-old Englishman stepped onto the Stadio Giovanni Zini wearing a special shirt with 'Becky' - the nickname of his wife Rebekah - emblazoned above his number 10. The touching gesture was part of the league's #UnRossoAllaViolenza (A Red to Violence) initiative, which aims to raise awareness ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Tuesday.
Vardy, who made the surprise move to northern Italy this summer after 13 glittering years with Leicester City, also wore a dash of red paint on his left cheek as a symbolic mark of solidarity. The veteran striker relocated with Rebekah and their children to a reported £2million luxurious villa in Salo following months of speculation about his next career move.
Serie A's Commitment to Combatting Violence
This marks the ninth consecutive season that Serie A has backed the movement against physical and psychological abuse towards women. The campaign's reach extended throughout the stadium, with captains wearing symbolic armbands and substitution boards featuring #UnRossoAllaViolenza stickers.
The statistics underpinning the campaign reveal a harrowing reality in Italy. According to data sourced from ISTAT, WeWorld, and the Ministry of the Interior for Italy, approximately seven million women - one in three - have suffered harassment or violence at some point in their lives. The most serious forms of violence were predominantly committed by partners, ex-partners, or close family and friends.
A Unified Stand Against Abuse
Serie A President Ezio Simonelli emphasised the significance of the campaign, stating: 'The Lega Calcio Serie A resolutely renews its commitment to supporting women victims of violence and stands, once again, alongside them to combat all forms of abuse and injustice towards women.'
He added that the red mark seen on players' and referees' faces 'is not just a symbol, but testifies to the desire of Serie A football to keep attention high on a dramatic and unacceptable phenomenon in a civil society.' Simonelli thanked teams and match officials for their conviction in joining the initiative, which unites clubs, players, referees and fans in strong condemnation of violence against women.
For Vardy, the gesture represents another step in his acclimatisation to Italian culture since joining Serie A new boys Cremonese, embracing both the league's sporting challenges and its social conscience.
