Squads named for Ultimate Champions game
Thursday, May 26, 2016
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Cafu delivered the European Cup to Milan's Piazza Duomo as the UEFA Champions Festival, the highlight of which will be the Ultimate Champions match, opened today.
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The highlight of the UEFA Champions Festival, which opened under blue skies in Milan's Piazza del Duomo this afternoon, will undoubtedly be the Ultimate Champions match.
The lineups for the game, to be played inside the walls of the beautiful Castello Sforzesco at 16.00CET on Friday, are:
AC Milan & Inter Legends
Francesco Toldo (GK), Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mark van Bommel, Dejan Stanković, Luís Figo, Marcel Desailly, Patrizia Panico, Lothar Matthäus, Clarence Seedorf, Juan Sebastián Verón, Fabio Cannavaro, Esteban Cambiasso.
Coaches: Ruud Gullit and Italian NBA star Danilo Gallinari
World All-Stars
Vítor Baía (GK), Míchel Salgado, Stephanie Houghton, Claude Makélélé, Gaizka Mendieta, Robert Pirès, Predrag Mijatović, Verónica Boquete, Davor Šuker, Raí, Christian Karembeu, David Trezeguet, Deco, Éric Abidal.
Coaches: Emilio Butragueño, Antonio López
A group of supremely talented former players who won the European Champion Clubs' Cup more than 30 times between them will be joined by some stellar names from the women's game, including Patrizia Panico, Verónica Boquete and fellow UEFA women's football development ambassador Steph Houghton.
The AC Milan & Inter Legends will be coached by Ruud Gullit and Italian NBA star Danilo Gallinari, with Real Madrid great Emilio Butragueño and former Atlético Madrid full-back Antonio López looking after the World All-Stars.
Meanwhile, the Italian Gospel Choir – accompanied orchestrally and performing the world-famous UEFA Champions League anthem – today offered a soaring backdrop in the 14th-century square housing Milan's stunning Duomo cathedral.
For the gathered crowd, it was a moment of surging anticipation towards Saturday's final between Real Madrid and Atlético – encountering such vocal beauty in one of the world's most historic and uplifting locations. Perfect.
Open from today until Sunday and packed with superb sponsor activities, world-class music, colour and memories of past finals, the Festival flows down the magnificent, elegant streets of Via Dante between Piazza Castello and the Duomo.
For the first time, Facebook and Twitter are present to help amplify the digital reach of the Festival. Follow Facebook.com/UEFAChampionsLeague for the best live content from Milan, and @ChampionsLeague for the latest updates.