Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has urged football players to use the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to help the most vulnerable communities in society.

Mata, 31, donates one per cent of his wages to football-based charities under the Common Goal initiative. Now the organisation has created a coronavirus response fund amid the ongoing pandemic, with Mata a driving force.

Charitable movement Common Goal possesses a network of community organisations across 90 countries and serves more than two million vulnerable children. It is inviting figures in football to help make a positive impact by contributing to the fund, which is designed to help people in deprived communities to deal with the immediate effects of the crisis – making sure support lasts after the initial response.

Common Goal has implemented a ‘Live Match’ platform for players to “commit the 90 minutes they are no longer spending on the pitch to create positive outcomes”.

Mata will engage with Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry on Instagram in the first Live Match on Thursday night before hosting another match later in April.

“It’s been heartening to see many positive responses from players and other football leaders to the current crisis, but it can be also hard to know what to do to help effectively those who need it most,” ​Mata said.

“We are suffering a stark reminder of how interdependent we all are. To overcome the coronavirus and the other challenges facing humanity, we need to coordinate individual efforts and work together as a team.

“I’m urging not only my Common Goal team-mates, but also all other players and football leaders from around the world to unite and help tackle this crisis, and at the same time use this as a catalyst to play a key role in tackling the other challenges humanity faces. Together we can beat this.”

Mata, who was Common Goal’s first member after its inception in 2017, will kick-off the first Live Match on Thursday at 6pm GMT. Anyone can contribute to the Common Goal response fund here.

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