Fan invited to join Ultimate Champions
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
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The Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid CF favourites who line up for Friday's Ultimate Champions Match will need no introduction but the lucky goalkeeper might. It could be you.
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Paulo Futre's Selecção are gearing up to meet Emilio Butragueño's UEFA All-Stars in the eighth annual Ultimate Champions Match, to be staged at Lisbon's Praça do Comércio from 17.00 local time on Friday – with a member of the public having the chance to get in on the action.
The UEFA All-Stars are without a goalkeeper, and the search is on in Portugal for a member of the public to fill in between the posts, taking their place among some of the most notable figures in world football. Hopefuls are asked to send a 30-second promotional video to eujogo@uefa.ch highlighting why they should be chosen by judges Vítor Baía and Peter Schmeichel. The winner will travel on the team bus and enjoy the big-match experience.
A highlight of the UEFA Champions Festival, the five-a-side game brings together some of the top players in UEFA Champions League history. Ahead of Saturday's final between Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid CF, plenty of players who enjoyed their best years in the Spanish capital will be involved. Paulo Futre has included fellow Rojiblancos old boy Maniche in his team of Portuguese-speaking talents, and will be hoping that one-time Madrid man Luís Figo will be able to provide an inside line on the opposition.
The UEFA All-Stars are dominated by Santiago Bernabéu legends: coach Butragueño has selected a raft of fellow one-time Merengues. Fernando Hierro, Predrag Mijatović, Michael Laudrup, Fabio Cannavaro, Christian Karembeu and Steve McManaman have not played professional football for a while, but expect the years to pour off them against the Selecçao.
But the big question is: Who will be the goalkeeper the Selecção are trying to beat?
Team lineups
Selecção: Vítor Baía, Cafu, Fernando Couto, Paulo Sousa, Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Luís Boa Morte, Maniche, Deco, Nuno Gomes.
Coach: Paulo Futre
UEFA All-Stars: TBC, Fernando Hierro, Youri Djorkaeff, Robert Pirès, Predrag Mijatović, Michael Laudrup, Paolo Cannavaro, Christian Karembeu, Fabio Cannavaro, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Steve McManaman.
Coach: Emilio Butragueño