Trophy tour makes dazzling Munich debut

The 2010 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, presented by UniCredit, opened in style in Munich at the start of an adventure that is taking continental club football's most prestigious prize through five European countries – Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Austria – during September and October.

The Bavarian city, home to FC Bayern München who have won the trophy on four occasions, witnessed a grand entrance of the silverware into the Marienhof Square, featuring a symphony of drums and the official UEFA Champions League theme. Cafu and ex-Bayern striker Giovane Elber, the Trophy Tour Ambassadors for this leg, carried the trophy along a red carpet into the Trophy Tour Village for a press conference which attracted a large gathering of media representatives.

The two former European champions followed up their media duties by joining forces with the official UniCredit ambassador for the UEFA Champions League, Luís Figo, to open the Trophy Tour Village to the public – who were already queueing to get close to the silverware. All activities inside the village were transmitted on a giant screen for people walking around the Marienhof. Some 7,800 people visited the trophy tour in Munich over the first two days, with thousands more expected to follow before the tour moves on Monday morning.

Elber and Cafu expressed their pride at being part of the event – and recalled how special it was to lift the trophy. "If you hold this trophy in your hands, you know you have made it," said Elber, a winner in 2001. "The Champions League is the place that unites the best teams in European football," added Cafu, who triumphed with AC Milan in 2007. "That says it all."

The two ambassadors happily signed autographs and had pictures taken with the public. Some 2,200 fans have had their photo taken with the trophy already – proof of the magnetism of the UEFA Champions League and its prize.

In addition to the trophy itself, original memorabilia, photography and videos from previous finals and matches were displayed in Munich, showing the competition's development since it began as the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1955/56. UniCredit is able to promote its own activities during the tour, and UEFA uses the platform to highlight key values such as Respect and fair play.

The coming legs take the trophy to Prague, Czech Republic (24-26 September), Warsaw, Poland (1-3 October), Bratislava, Slovakia (8-10 October) and Vienna, Austria (14-17 October). In these four countries, the tour will also do stopovers in various cities en route to the capital, allowing supporters throughout to view the celebrated silverware.