Trophy tour kicks off in Berlin

The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, presented by UniCredit, kicked off in style in Dorothea-Schlegel-Platz, Berlin on Friday as fans braved the elements in their numbers to have photos taken with the biggest prize in club football and attend an autograph session with Fabio Capello and Karl-Heinz Riedle.

With the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage no more than a few days old, the famous trophy began its European journey in the country of holders FC Bayern München, albeit with a three-day event in the German capital rather than Munich. Sizeable crowds seized the opportunity to get close to 'Old Big Ears' before meeting UniCredit ambassador Capello and UEFA ambassador for the city of Berlin, Riedle, at an autograph session.

Former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC forward Riedle also took fans' questions in a Google+ hangout streamed live on the new UEFA Champions League Google+ page and the official UEFA.com YouTube channel. "It's been great," said Riedle, who won the 1990 FIFA World Cup with Germany and the UEFA Champions League in 1997 during his time at Dortmund. "The fans have had a chance to see the trophy and it is a very exciting time. It's one of the most important trophies in my life. I won the World Cup in 1990 but I didn't play in the final so the UEFA Champions League is definitely the most valuable trophy to me."

Capello added: "UniCredit has created an amazing event around the spirit of the UEFA Champions League and it is a pleasure for me to be part of this year's Trophy Tour. Lifting the trophy up into the air was stirring. Sharing this feeling of excitement and joy with fans from all over Europe during this tour is a wonderful experience and a great possibility to thank the fans for their support and dedication."

The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour stops in Hungarian capital Budapest next for three days from Friday, where it will be greeted by former Real Madrid CF midfielders Steve McManaman and Christian Karembeu. Following Budapest the trophy will move on to Bucharest and Sarajevo before concluding in Sofia, Bulgaria.