European clubs doing extraordinary things to help refugees

Soccer derives much of its magic and mystique from its tribalism. Because its clubs and national teams represent more than their successes or failures on the field. They are extensions of societies – cultures and geopolitics writ small.

As such, the soccer world has a social responsibility. It has sometimes taken the lead. Aiding in a people's self-determination, for instance, like Barcelona's role in Catalonia's ongoing quest for independence. Or FIFA's sanctioning of aspiring nations like Palestine, Taiwan and Kosovo before the international community recognized them. At other times, soccer has lagged behind, still wallowing in racism and homophobia.

At present, Europe is being overrun by refugees from the Middle East. The ongoing civil war in Syria has driven half the country's population out of its homes, whether internally or towards safer nations. Iraq has yet to find stability. Refugees have flocked to the European Union, whose border states are struggling to cope with the influx – or simply unwilling to accommodate it. This has created a vast humanitarian problem in one of the world's richest regions.

But soccer's biggest clubs and community are stepping up.

On the initiative of FC Porto, the 80 clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League this year have agreed to donate $1.20 per ticket sold in those competitions throughout the season to help alleviate the crisis. European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said he hopes $2 million to $3 million will be raised this way.

Bayern Munich had already announced that it would donate $1.2 million, set up a training camp for local refugee children and give away meals and German lessons. The club will also play a friendly with the first $1.2 million in revenue going to the refugee cause as well.

Other Bundesliga clubs have undertaken similar initiatives and invited refugees to their games. St. Pauli, a club with a well-known social conscience, and Borussia Dortmund played a friendly and gave a thousand tickets to refugees while displaying signs welcoming them, as chronicled in the New York Times.

In England, Arsenal has been helping Syrian children since 2011 and will donate another $1.54 for every ticket sold for its home game against Stoke City this weekend. In a sign of solidarity, English fans have united to send their scarves over to the refugees in camps outside the Eurostar tunnel across the channel in France. Meanwhile, T-shirts saying "Refugees are my football family" are being sold by fan groups to raise money.

AS Roma and its American owners have donated $644,000 and set up an auction and donation website, with the support of other Italian clubs, that will give fans a chance to bid on signed player jerseys. U.S. soccer legend Mia Hamm, an AS Roma board member, will serve as the spokesperson for the initiative called Football Cares.

Paris Saint-Germain is also donating $1.12 million, as is Real Madrid. Celtic will give a share from the proceeds of an upcoming event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the death of club legend Jock Stein.

Around European stadiums, meanwhile, long banners held aloft by fans have declared the "refugees welcome" in an unequivocal rebuttal to the many politicians resisting sheltering them.

Because the point of competitive soccer may be rivalry, but it is also a venue for community and inclusion. And whatever the internal divisions, there's plenty of room in the soccer society for a few more.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.