Pic: Barcelona wear jerseys with lettering designed by local girl with Down Syndrome; all jerseys auctioned for charity afterwards

During their clash with Santos last night, Barcelona wore special edition jerseys with letters and numbers that were designed by a local girl with Down Syndrome. The jerseys were auctioned for charity afterwards.

Football is arguably the sport most tainted by negative regarding the deeds of the players, fans or officials involved, but what is often overlooked is that those associated with the game regularly perform admirable charitable gestures that are worthy of high praise. An example of that came during Barcelona’s clash with Santos in the Nou Camp last night, where the Barcelona players took to the field wearing jerseys with letters and numbers that had been designed by Anna Vives, a local graphic designer and Barcelona fan who has Down Syndrome. Anna, pictured with Andres Iniesta above, got in contact with the club and suggested designing the letters and numbers on the famous Barcelona shirts on a once-off basis and that the shirts could be auctioned on eBay afterwards to raise money for charity. The money raised from the sale of the shirts will go to the FCB Foundation and the Fundacio Itinerarium, a charity based in Catalonia that aims to help teenagers affected by learning difficulties get into sport. Better yet, Barcelona went and hammered Santos 8-0 - see the pick of the goals by Adriano here – and with plenty of people tuning in to the highlights to see what Gerardo Martino’s side will be like in the new season, Anna’s shirts got plenty of exposure worldwide, a fitting reward for a brilliant gesture. Fair play to everyone involved. Hat-tip: Who Ate All the Pies