For the first time in Asia, European football giants FC Barcelona of Spain and Juventus FC of Italy will play on Asian soil on April 27 at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
It is not the current superstars of these clubs but the legends who have thrilled the global audience in their heydays.
Yesteryear greats like 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Cup winner David Trezeguet of France, 1994 Champions League winner Edgar Davids of the Netherlands, 2006 World Cup winner Mauro Camoranesi of Italy and his team-mate from that quadrennial event, Gianluca Zambrotta are among the Juventus legends who will be seen in action.
World Cup star Andoni Goicoetxea of Spain, Frank de Boer, Gudjohnsen, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Julio Salinas and Jose Edmilson will turn out for FC Barcelona Legends under lights at the Nerul stadium.
The man instrumental in bringing the two European teams, Kaushik Moulik of Football Next Foundation, said here on Wednesday that the legends matches that the European clubs play are not like exhibition matches but played with all seriousness and pace akin to the younger lot.
He added that the teams will each send 20 legends and apart from playing the match, will participate in coaching clinics to promote the sport among the children and other activities that popularises the game and encourage children to take up the sport during their four-day visit to Mumbai from April 24.
“The European clubs look at not just football but also develop it as a sport. India as a nation should transform from viewers nation to playing nation,” Moulik said. Moulik, who brought German club Bayern Munich legends to Kolkata in 2010 to play against East Bengal, called the month end match a “celebration of football” at DY Patil Stadium.
Moulik, who last week was in Barcelona, to finalise the match with the club president, brought a Barca jersey signed by Lionel Messi for the Mumbai District Football Association president Aaditya Thackeray and presented it to Vijay Patil, president of DY Patil Sports Academy.
Moulik said: “Messi said he loves India, he loves Mumbai. He is super excited to hear that his club’s legends will play Juventus legends on April 27 in Mumbai.” Patil considered it an honour to host the European giants and hoped that these “rare lifetime opportunities are cherished by the sports fans of the country”.
The tickets for the 7.30pm kickoff (timing subject to change) will go on sale on the digital platform from Thursday and are priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500, said Moulik.