“Football is one of the best means of communication. It is impartial, apolitical and universal. Football unites people around the world everyday. Young or old, players or fans, rich or poor. The game makes everyone equal, stirs the imagination, makes people happy and makes people sad.”
– the words of Franz Beckenbauer, the great former German football player, national coach and manager.
Jane Velkovski is a 10 year old child from Skopje. He goes to school, hangs out and plays with his friends. Most of all, he loves to play football.
Nothing unusual, you'd say, about any child his age.
But the fact that Jane suffers from spinal muscular atrophy gives the story a different twist.
Football brings Jane many joyful moments in his life. Though tied to a wheelchair, he commits every free moment to playing football with his friends. He is the first to get to the football field to be goalkeeper and captain of his team.
"Football is everything in my life. When I play football, I forget everything. I even think I'm not sick," says Jane.
At the qualification match for a place in the World Cup when Macedonia played against Spain in Skopje in June last year, Jane entered the stadium with Macedonian captain Goran Pandev.
It was here the public learned more about Jane, his passion and desire to play football, despite the obstacles to his physical development. He immediately became a favourite of the Macedonian public.
His passion for football and the desire to see stars in person, and, for at least a few moments, forget about his illness, drove Jane to the football stadium in Skopje last August for the UEFA Super Cup.
He posed for a snapshot by a poster of his favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I had my photograph taken with both teams, but then I saw the poster of Ronaldo celebrating after scoring a goal and I said to myself that I should copy him. I asked my grandfather to take a photo of me in Ronaldo’s pose. It’s a brilliant photo.” says Jane.
The photo became a real hit on social and local media says Jane's mother Denica Velkovska and adds:
"We were asked by UEFA if they could publish the photo on their official website and include him in the EQUALGAME campaign."
As part of the program, UEFA recorded a short promotional video with Jane.
As part of Jane's EQUALGAME campaign, his dream of meeting some of football's stars is being fulfilled.
Jane was surprised when he received a signed shirt from Frenchman and Manchester United player Paul Pogba.
Jane has thanked Paul Pogba via a video message.
A new friendship was born. Paul Pogba once again shows his generosity. Through a video message he urges him to fight the disease and invites him to watch one of Manchester United's Champions League matches.
Together with his parents and younger brother Ognen, Jane travelled to Manchester to watch the Champions League revenge match at the Old Trafford Stadium between Manchester United and Seville.
It was also a chance for Jane to meet the rest of the players of the famous club.
Jane describes his meeting with Pogba:
"When I saw him, from all the excitement, I became confused, I was left speechless, I talked about football, I comforted him after losing, but I told him that coach Mourinho was wrong with the tactics. Pogba is good and above all humane. "
In May, the little Macedonian hero was part of the final match of the Europa League between Olympique Marseille and Atletico Madrid. As part of the EQUALGAME campaign, Jane met with Erik Abidal the ambassador of the final, as well as with the Portuguese legend Luis Figo with whom he has been exchanging messages since last year. He also met with the legends of women's football Ada Hegeberg and Shanice van de Sanden.
Jane, who shows incredible maturity for someone so young, launched a spontaneous campaign to help people with rare diseases along with parents Denica and Georgi, local media and the general public in Macedonia. There's almost no sporting event or humanitarian cause which Jane has not participated in. Тhe eight remaining children who suffer from spinal muscular atrophy in Macedonia have received their much needed treatment "Spinarza".
Jane says he's looking forward to the World Cup and will watch all matches.
However, there is one other wish:
"I want to be able to walk and play football for real one day."
Until that day, which the world's sporting public hopes will come soon, football will play a positive role in Jane's life and help him to, for at least a few moments, forget about the disease.
"When I watch and play football, it awakens feelings of happiness. I can't walk because I have a spinal muscle disease. But everyone in the world can play football. How you play and who you are doesn't matter. All that matters is that everyone should be treated the same and should be respected. That's the most important thing" says Jane.
