Changing Room Chat: Giving blood will put club in the red

BRAZILIAN football club Vitoria has removed its trademark red hoops from its shirt and told supporters it will add the colour back gradually as fans donate blood.

The campaign, entitled “My Blood is Red and Black”, is named after the club’s traditional colours and comes amid a nationwide drive to get more Brazilians to give blood for transfusions.

“We wanted to do more than just ask fans to give blood,” said Vitoria’s president Alexi Portela Junior. “With this initiative, fans of the red and black can participate more actively in the campaign and they will see the importance of a gesture like this that can help save countless lives.”

The club normally plays in a red-and-black hooped shirt, with white shorts and red-and-black socks. At its most recent game, players wearing black-and-white hooped shirts carried a banner onto the field reading: “Vitoria has always given its blood for you. It’s time for you to give yours.” Portela Junior said the club plans to add a red hoop back after each game.

The campaign comes just a few weeks after Sao Paulo, one of Brazil’s biggest clubs, put the slogan “Give Blood” on its shirts for a game.