Marta, Gattuso and Vieri among the nine new players joining the 11th annual Match Against Poverty
Brazilian female football striker Marta Vieira da Silva joins the Match for the second time -- Proceeds to support recovery efforts in the Philippines-
Geneva - Switzerland, 28 January 2014 – Marta Vieira da Silva, Genaro Gattuso Christian Vieri, and Phillip Cocu are among the players that have recently confirmed they will join Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane at the 11th Annual Match Against Poverty. Proceeds from the Match will support recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record.
UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Marta Vieira da Silva of Brazil will participate for the second time in the Match. In 2007, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane invited her to play at the 7th edition in Fez, Morocco, where she became the first woman in the history of football to play in an internationally- sanctioned men’s football match.
“I am honoured to participate again in this important match and to have the opportunity to join the players, the coaches, the referee, the technical teams and the public to mobilize for the Philippines”, said Marta who recently launched a video appeal to assist the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Marta has won the FIFA World Player of the Year five consecutive times, and was one of the three finalists of the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013.
The list of players confirmed up to now in the Ronaldo, Zidane & Friends team is: Ronald de Boer and Phillip Cocu (Netherlands), Steve McManaman (England), Robert Pires, Makélélé and Youri Djorkaeff (France), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Gaizka Mendieta , Fernando Hierro and Michel Salgado (Spain), Paulo Sousa and Deco (Portugal), Marta, Elber, Juliano Belletti, Roberto Carlos (Brasil), Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic), Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, ChristianVieri (Italy), Hakan Sukur (Turkey) and Freddie Ljunberg (Sweden).
Former and actual BSC Young Boys players will comprise the Young Boys & Friends team. The team will be led by former Swiss international players Stéphane Chapuisat and Hakan Yakin. More top international names are expected to confirm in the coming days. Italian Pierluigi Collina will be the referee of the match.
The 11th Annual Match Against Poverty in Bern will start at 20:00 local time on 4 March 2014. Ticket prices range from CHF 20.00 up to CHF 60.00 and are available at www.stadedesuisse.ch/tickets or www.ticketcorner.ch
Palais des Nations, CH – 1211 Genève 10 Tel: (41 22) 917 8541 Fax: (41 22) 917 8001 www.undp.org
***
For more information contact:
Aziyadé Poltier-Mutal; Mobile: + 41 79 349 16 10 -Tel: + 41 22 917 83 68 [email protected];
Stade de Suisse, Albert Staudenmann ; Mobile : +41 79 301 85 11 - Tel : +41 31 344 80 07, [email protected]
Online: undp.org/povertymatch | @undp | #PovertyMatch YouTube: http://youtu.be/adeKnCVuqMw
To donate: http://donate.undp.org/
UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
Palais des Nations, CH – 1211 Genève 10 Tel: (41 22) 917 8541 Fax: (41 22) 917 8001 www.undp.org