UEFA Celebration Match
Encyclopedia
The UEFA
Celebration Match, held on 13 March 2007, celebrated both the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome
, which set the backbone for a united Europe
, and the 50th year of Manchester United
's participation in European competitions. Representatives felt it would be most appropriate to celebrate the landmark in England
using a football match rather than other celebrations like musical concerts. A Europe XI managed by World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi
played against Manchester United at Old Trafford
, Manchester
. The match was televised live on BBC Three
in the United Kingdom
and also streamed live via the BBC website. The £1.2 million raised went towards the Manchester United Foundation. The match was officiated by German
referee Marcus Merk.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
EUROPE XI:
|
GK
1
Santiago Cañizares
(Valencia
)
RB
11
Gianluca Zambrotta
(Barcelona
)
CB
4
Roberto Ayala
(Valencia
)
CB
23
Marco Materazzi
(Internazionale
)
LB
20
Éric Abidal
(Lyon
)
RM
30
Mancini (Roma
)
CM
21
Andrea Pirlo
(Milan
)
CM
18
Gennaro Gattuso
(Milan
)
LM
14
Florent Malouda
(Lyon
)
CF
10
Zlatan Ibrahimović
(Internazionale
)
CF
17
Henrik Larsson
(c) (Helsingborg
)
Substitutes:
GK
Grégory Coupet
(Lyon
)
DF
2
Iván Campo
(Bolton Wanderers
)
DF
3
Dejan Stefanović
(Portsmouth
)
DF
5
Philippe Christanval
(Fulham
)
DF
15
Jamie Carragher
(Liverpool
)
MF
6
Kim Källström
(Lyon
)
MF
7
Stelios Giannakopoulos
(Bolton Wanderers
)
MF
8
Steven Gerrard
(Liverpool
)
MF
32
Boudewijn Zenden (Liverpool
)
FW
9
Robbie Fowler
(Liverpool
)
FW
19
El Hadji Diouf
(Bolton Wanderers
)
Manager:
Marcello Lippi
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Celebration Match, held on 13 March 2007, celebrated both the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome
Treaty of Rome
The Treaty of Rome, officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, was an international agreement that led to the founding of the European Economic Community on 1 January 1958. It was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany...
, which set the backbone for a united Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and the 50th year of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's participation in European competitions. Representatives felt it would be most appropriate to celebrate the landmark in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
using a football match rather than other celebrations like musical concerts. A Europe XI managed by World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
played against Manchester United at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The match was televised live on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and also streamed live via the BBC website. The £1.2 million raised went towards the Manchester United Foundation. The match was officiated by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
referee Marcus Merk.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER UNITED: | |||
| GK | 29 |  Tomasz KuszczakTomasz Kuszczak Tomasz Mirosław Kuszczak is a Polish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United and the Polish national team.Born in Krosno Odrzańskie, Kuszczak has previously played for Śląsk Wrocław in Poland, as well as for the German clubs KFC Uerdingen 05 and Hertha BSC, before... |
||
| RB | 2 | Gary Neville Gary Neville Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years.... (c) |
||
| CB | 6 | Wes Brown Wes Brown Wesley Michael "Wes" Brown is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Sunderland. Before joining Sunderland, Brown had spent his entire career at Old Trafford, having joined the Manchester United youth team in 1996... |
||
| CB | 4 | Gabriel Heinze Gabriel Heinze Gabriel Iván Heinze is an Argentine footballer who plays for A.S. Roma in Italy. Mainly a left back, he can also operate as a central defender.... |
||
| LB | 23 | Kieran Richardson Kieran Richardson Kieran Edward Richardson is an English footballer currently playing for Sunderland. He is naturally a left winger, but has proven to a extremely versatile; having also played as a left back, right winger, central midfielder and recently as a support striker... |
||
| RM | 7 |  Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team... |
||
| CM | 18 | Paul Scholes Paul Scholes Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being... |
||
| CM | 11 |  Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season... |
||
| LM | 13 |  Park Ji-SungPark Ji-Sung Park Ji-Sung is a South Korean footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Manchester United. He was also the captain of the South Korean national team until his retirement from international football... |
||
| CF | 8 | Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team... |
||
| CF | 14 | Alan Smith |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 38 | Tom Heaton |
||
| DF | 22 |  John O'SheaJohn O'Shea John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea... |
||
| MF | 16 | Michael Carrick Michael Carrick Michael Carrick is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the England national team. He has made more than 300 Premier League appearances and played in 50 UEFA Champions League games as of April 2011... |
||
| MF | 33 | Chris Eagles Chris Eagles Christopher Mark "Chris" Eagles is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers... |
||
| FW | 9 | Andrew Cole (guest) |
||
| FW | 21 |  Dong FangzhuoDong Fangzhuo Dong Fangzhuo is a Chinese footballer who plays as a forward for Mika in the Armenian Premier League.- China :Dong first came to prominence in 2000 when he was named Player of the Tournament in an U-17 football competition. He signed for Dalian Saidelong and helped them to finish as runners-up in... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
 Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986... Assistant referees: Alessandro Griselli Mark SimonsFourth official: Howard WebbHoward Webb Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005.... |
||||
Santiago CañizaresSantiago Cañizares
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After playing with Real Madrid, mostly as a backup, he finished his career at Valencia CF, where he appeared in more than 400 official games since 1998.In his prime, he was regarded as one of the best...
(Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
)
Gianluca ZambrottaGianluca Zambrotta
Gianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his...
(Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
)
Roberto AyalaRoberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
(Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
)
Marco MaterazziMarco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi , is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender, and is currently a free agent.At the beginning of his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Premier League side Everton. He spent two periods with Perugia and signed for...
(Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
)
Éric AbidalÉric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
(Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
)
Mancini (RomaA.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
)
Andrea PirloAndrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
(Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
)
Gennaro GattusoGennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
(Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
)
Florent MaloudaFlorent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
(Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
)
Zlatan IbrahimovićZlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
(Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
)
Henrik LarssonHenrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
(c) (Helsingborg
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
)
Grégory CoupetGrégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team....
(Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
)
Iván CampoIván Campo
Iván Campo Ramos is a retired Spanish footballer.Originally a central defender, Campo featured in a defensive midfield role in his later years...
(Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
)
Dejan Stefanovic
Dejan Stefanović , Dejan Stefanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Стефановић), Dejan Stefanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Стефановић), (born October 28, 1974 in Vranjein Serbia, is a Serbian football player who plays for Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville He is a central defender who can also...
(Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
)
Philippe ChristanvalPhilippe Christanval
Philippe Charles Lucien Christanval is a retired French footballer of Guadeloupian origin who most recently played for Fulham as a centre back.-Club career:...
(Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
)
Jamie CarragherJamie Carragher
James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
)
Kim KällströmKim Källström
Kim Källström is a left-footed Swedish midfielder playing for the Swedish national team and Olympique Lyonnais.-Early career:Källström's first professional club in Sweden was BK Häcken from Gothenburg but his big breakthrough in Sweden came when he moved to Djurgårdens IF in 2002, where he won the...
(Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
)
Stelios GiannakopoulosStelios Giannakopoulos
Stylianos "Stelios" Giannakopoulos , popularly known as Stelios, is a retired Greek footballer who is currently president of the Greek Professional Footballers Association...
(Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
)
Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
)
Boudewijn Zenden (LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
)
Robbie FowlerRobbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
)
El Hadji DioufEl Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.-Early career:Diouf started his career in France with...
(Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
)
Marcello LippiMarcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
Injuries and withdrawals
After the initial squad was announced, some players were forced to withdraw from the Europe XI squad through injury:- Goalkeepers: Oliver KahnOliver KahnOliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
, Iker CasillasÍker CasillasIker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both... - Defenders: Paolo MaldiniPaolo MaldiniPaolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
, Lilian ThuramLilian ThuramLilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both...
, Carles PuyolCarles PuyolCarles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
, Fabio GrossoFabio GrossoFabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...
, MiguelMiguel MonteiroLuís Miguel Brito Garcia Monteiro, simply Miguel , OIH , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Valencia CF in Spain, mainly as a right defender.-Early years / Benfica:... - Midfielders: Juninho PernambucanoJuninho PernambucanoAntônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...
, David BeckhamDavid BeckhamDavid Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, RonaldinhoRonaldinhoRonaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year... - Strikers: RonaldoRonaldoRonaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
- The entire ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
teams due to their commitments to the Carling CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.