The COE, CEOE and the CEOE Foundation sign a collaboration agreement

The Spanish Olympic Committee, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations and the CEOE Foundation signed a collaboration agreement on Tuesday to form an alliance between business and sport.

The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Olympic institution by the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco; the president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi; and the president of the CEOE Foundation, Fátima Báñez. With this agreement, the three entities pledge to work towards common progress for athletes and companies.  

During his speech, the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee highlighted the role of the clubs. “We usually talk about the quality of the athletes and coaches, but we have to talk about the quality of the clubs. In Spain there are more than 60,000 clubs and more than 80% of them are companies created by 2-3 self-employed individuals. Today is a great day for all of them,” he said.  

“This agreement has many layers because it encompasses exchange, investment and training. Companies are interested in trained athletes. And from the COE, together with the UCAM, we work so that when they conclude their sporting career, they will also be well prepared for the business world. The sports and business worlds not only share values, but they are also united by their DNA. This collaboration will benefit athletes, companies, and Spain,” he concluded.  

In turn, Antonio Garamendi acknowledged that “we must have access to sports, not just in a physical sense, but to help sportspeople because we have many shared values that they can bring to the business world, such as experience, sacrifice and teamwork”. 

Finally, Fátima Ibáñez stated that the signing of this agreement is a winning alliance. “We are in the home of excellence, of talent. We are going to build a winning alliance for society because the sports and business worlds share the same values. It is an alliance for the present, but above all for the future. An alliance of leadership, talent, and commitment to the SDGs”, she assured.  

Before the event came to a close, the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, presented an award to the President of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, for the contribution that companies makes to the sports world.