The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has officially announced the first strategic corporate partnership in its history, signed with the Schwarz Group—the parent company of Lidl and PreZero. Announced on March 17, 2026, this long-term collaboration aims to eliminate linear waste management models and establish a scalable, data-driven circular economy within European professional football. The agreement covers the most significant international football tournaments up to 2030, including the 2028 European Championship.
From Linear Waste Management to a Circular Economy
To reduce the massive ecological footprint of the sports industry, UEFA has called upon PreZero, the environmental and waste management division of the Schwarz Group, to lead the sustainability transition. According to Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA’s Marketing Director, the corporate group is the ideal partner to make the waste management and resource conservation of football organizations economical, sustainable, and future-proof.
PreZero’s task is to implement UEFA’s environmental strategy in practice across stadiums, during matches, and within organizational operations. This professional work relies on three main pillars:
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Drastically reducing the volume of waste generated.
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Developing advanced selective waste collection and recycling systems within the stadiums.
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Applying data-driven processes to continuously monitor and measure environmental performance.
Marcus Sagitz, Managing Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at PreZero International, highlighted the significance of the announcement: “As pioneers, we are sending a strong signal: if the transition from linear waste management to a functioning circular economy is successful in European professional sports, it can serve as a blueprint for many other areas of the economy.”
Affected Tournaments and Quantitative Data
The strategic partnership is not merely a theoretical guideline; it includes measurable commitments tied to specific events throughout the cycle leading up to 2030. According to the official list, the sustainability and educational programs of PreZero and Lidl will be integrated into the following UEFA tournaments:
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UEFA EURO 2028 (Men’s European Championship)
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UEFA Nations League Finals: 2027 and 2029
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European Qualifiers: 2027 and 2029
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UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2027 and 2029
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UEFA Futsal EURO: 2026 and 2030
The industrial backing and weight of the agreement are well illustrated by the officially published financial and structural data of the Schwarz Group. As the fourth-largest retail group in the world, the company operates in 32 countries, manages 14,200 stores, employs 595,000 people, and generates a total revenue exceeding €175.4 billion. This immense logistical and economic foundation guarantees the industrial scalability of the solutions to be introduced in the stadiums.
Education: From Grassroots Sports to Professional Leagues
In addition to physical waste management, the agreement places a strong emphasis on education. Under the partnership, PreZero will launch specialized training programs for football organizations and stakeholders to help them meet current and future, increasingly stringent regulatory requirements regarding resource utilization.
Simultaneously, Lidl—the other pillar of the collaboration—will be responsible for promoting healthy nutrition and physical exercise. The goal is to harness the power of football beyond professional sports to reach youth and grassroots sports. These educational campaigns directly target coaches, parents, and children in local clubs and schoolyards, recognizing that meaningful social changes are driven not only in large stadiums but within everyday communities.
Official Sources and References:
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Original Referenced Article: UEFA announces first strategic corporate partnership with companies of Schwarz Group
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Schwarz Group Official Press Release: The companies of Schwarz Group become UEFA’s first strategic corporate partner