Biggest club football trophy comes to Seoul

The UEFA Champions League trophy, the biggest prize in club football, is coming to Korea to be displayed in Seoul next week as a part of its tour in Asia.

The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in the world, featuring the best football players in the world. The trophy is coveted by many of Europe’s top players.

Football stars including Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Lionel Messi won it before. And former Korean captain Park Ji-sung also lifted the trophy in 2008 with the Manchester United.

Presented by UEFA Champions League partner Heineken, the trophy will be displayed on April 7-8 at the Times Square, a multiplex shopping center in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.

Dutch international Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, who won the Champions League title in 2006 with FC Barcelona and is now one of the tour ambassadors, will bring it here.

As well as seeing the trophy and meeting with the ambassador, fans will also have a chance to win a ticket for the 2011 Champions League finals, which is scheduled on May 28 at the Wembley Stadium in London. The official sponsor Heineken will provide two VIP tickets, which includes a flight ticket and a hotel voucher. It will also provide two “back stadium pass” cards that allow one to see warming-up of players and a match for the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the 2011 UEFA Champions League tournament is now down to eight teams. In the quarter finals, Park Ji-sung’s Man United face the Premier League defending champions Chelsea, while another English side Tottenham Hotspur meet Real Madrid of Spain. And Spanish champions Barcelona are set to play Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine. The first-leg matches are scheduled on April 5-6 and the second-leg on April 12-13.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)