Trophy tour hits Prague peak

The Czech Republic has greeted the latest UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, presented by UniCredit, with open arms – as fans flocked in their thousands to see European club football's most prestigious prize.

Following a successful debut leg in Munich, Germany, where over 30,000 supporters came to visit the trophy, the tour travelled through the Czech countryside, stopping over in Pilsen, Ceske Budejovice, Brno, Pardubice and Liberec for local people to see the cup, before ending the latest stage of its journey in Prague.

More than 27,000 visitors viewed the trophy throughout the country, and 5,728 official pictures were taken with the silverware in Prague.

Former Czech international Vladimír Šmicer acted as UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador. Šmicer, who scored for Liverpool FC in the unforgettable 2005 final in Istanbul, attended all the stopovers – meeting fans and sharing special moments with his compatriots. UniCredit's UEFA Champions League Ambassador Luís Figo was also a popular attraction for the Czech public.

After the trophy's arrival in Prague, the Trophy Tour Village was set up on Staromestske Namesti – the old town square, one of the most idyllic locations ever for the tour, and a popular tourist spot right in the centre of town.

The Prague leg kicked off with an opening ceremony as the trophy was brought on to the square, accompanied by a police escort and marching band. Figo and Šmicer collected the silverware in front of the fans and carried it into the village.

This was followed by a press conference attended by local media. The two former players answered questions about the tour and the UEFA Champions League, as well as about winning the competition and brandishing the trophy – both agreeing it was one of the peaks of their respective careers.

"I'm very glad I had the possibility to win this trophy," said Šmicer. "Showing this trophy here is very precious. It is here for the first time, and I am happy I can be part of this occasion."

The Trophy Tour Village then opened to the public as supporters thronged to have their picture taken with the cup and admire the impressive collection of UEFA Champions League memorabilia on display. FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi's signed blue boot from the 2009 final proved to be a considerable draw for the amateur photographers.

Šmicer and Figo each spent a couple hours signing autographs and taking pictures with fans who queued to meet them. Many brought their own posters and photos to have signed. In addition, the mini-pitch set up outside the trophy tour tent was a popular attraction, as supporters took spontaneously to playing football on the famous square.

The village remained open until Sunday night – and now the tour moves on to Poland this week.

Trophy tour dates:

Poland: 28 September-3 October
press conference – 1 October, Warsaw
Slovakia: 4-10 October
press conference – 8 October, Bratislava
Austria: 11-17 October
press conference – 14 October, Vienna

A detailed schedule is available at http://be-part-of-it.unicredit.eu/en/tour/2010.