- The second UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by UniCredit kicked-off today in Munich.
- For five days the trophy will be exhibited in the city centre of Munich at Marienhof square, offering the public the unique opportunity to experience the excitement of UEFA Champions League atmosphere.
- After Munich, the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by UniCredit will continue its journey to four other European countries.
Today the second Trophy Tour started in Munich and until the 19th of September football fans and the general public can experience the world of UEFA Champions League up close.
On a huge show truck in the colours of the UEFA Champions League sponsor UniCredit, the most sought-after European club trophy arrived today in the Bavarian capital. Protected inside a glass safe and visible to all, the UEFA Champions League trophy was taken through Munich to its ultimate destination, the Trophy Tour Village on Marienhof square.
Passing through the "Players' Tunnel", visitors will enter a stimulating exhibition space comprised of photos, videos and multi-media effects, bringing to life the most celebrated contests with all the goals and remarkable moments of the tournament. Historic memorabilia recalls the greatest ever champions of the European Cup and its successor, the UEFA Champions League, while big screens let you relive magic moments of the prestigious tournament. Fans will have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the UEFA Champions League trophy and on each of the five days top football celebrities are set to attend for chat and autograph sessions.
Representatives of UniCredit, HypoVereinsbank, UEFA and the city of Munich, as well as Luís Figo, the Official UniCredit Ambassador for the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassadors, Cafu and Giovane Elber, attended a press conference to launch the event this morning at Marienhof square, the venue that will host the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour.
Paolo Fiorentino, Deputy CEO of UniCredit, said: "The first season of the UEFA Champions League sponsorship has been very successful for us in terms of visibility, brand awareness and people engagement. We now look forward to another exciting season, with the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour visiting five new countries and with, in our sight, the Final in London in May 2011. Moreover, we are delighted to have with us Luís Figo as Official UniCredit Ambassador for the UEFA Champions League, who will play an important role in all our initiatives".
Dr. Theodor Weimer, Country Chairman Germany, UniCredit Group, and Speaker of the Management Board of HypoVereinsbank: "The first year of sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League by UniCredit also turned out to be a major success story for HypoVereinsbank. In the process, the UniCredit brand became a great deal more visible, and we also benefited from our Group's media presence here in Germany. Within the scope of the Trophy Tour, we are now bringing the original UEFA Champions League trophy to Munich and look forward to presenting it to the public in Munich again for the first time after the victory of FC Bayern Munich in 2001. After they unfortunately did not succeed in winning the final during the last season, we hope this year's start to the Trophy Tour in Munich will be a good omen for the forthcoming season: Last year the Tour was launched in Milan, and a Milan-based club won the trophy in the end. Maybe this example will additionally motivate our long-standing partner FC Bayern Munich to bring the trophy back to Munich at the end of the season next May following the start of the season in this city today."
Commenting on the rationale behind the Trophy Tour, David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events S.A.'s, said: "The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football. The trophy itself represents the ultimate prize of the UEFA Champions League. We are happy that by taking the trophy to this part of Europe with UniCredit, many passionate football fans will have the chance to spend an unforgettable moment with the trophy. The Trophy Tour with UniCredit is a chance for us to give something back to all these fans."
Hep Monatzeder, deputy mayor of the City of Munich: "We are very pleased that we are the only German city to host the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour and as a result can again demonstrate the enthusiasm for sports of our state capital. This also supports our image as a city of sport against the backdrop of our bid for the 2018 Olympic Games. In addition Munich will experience - irrespective of the appearances and successes of FC Bayern Munich - a further high point of the UEFA Champions League in 2012, when the Final will take place here and the trophy will then again return to the city, if not before."
After his presence last year at the Trophy Tour as the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, the European football legend Luís Figo will now support UniCredit's sponsorship. As Official UniCredit Ambassador for the UEFA Champions League, Luís Figo will join the Trophy Tour in all five major cities. He will be at each press conference, available for one on one interviews and additionally will do signature hours for fans. "It is a great honor for me to participate in the Trophy Tour as the Official UniCredit Ambassador for the UEFA Champions League. The initiative by UniCredit to bring the trophy to various countries is a special gift for football fans and I am happy to accompany the promotion of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by UniCredit", said Luís Figo.
The first UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by UniCredit in autumn 2009 started with a big kick-off event in Milan, Italy and after that continued to visit Croatia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. It was a huge success with more than 90,000 football fans coming to see the famous trophy across the five countries. The show truck transported the trophy, covering a distance of over 4.000 kilometers. It stopped in 15 cities, including the five main tour cities Milan, Zagreb, Bucharest, Budapest and Sofia.
This year's Trophy Tour will continue after Munich to visit Prague (Czech Republic) from 24th to 26th of September, Warsaw (Poland) from 1st to 3rd of October, Bratislava (Slovakia) from 8th to 10th of October, before concluding in Vienna (Austria) from 14th to 17th of October. A third group of Central Eastern European countries will be visited in 2011.
The Trophy Tour represents one of the main initiatives of UniCredit's three year sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, a strategic undertaking which will enable UniCredit to increase its visibility as a European banking group with strong and deep roots in 22 countries.
Find out more about the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour at www.unicredit.eu/champions.
Enquires:
HypoVereinsbank Media Relations
Ralf Horak, T +49 89 378-26714,
e-mail Ralf.Horak@UniCreditGroup.de
Media Relations Tel. +39 02 88628236;
e-mail: MediaRelations@unicreditgroup.eu
UEFA Media Relations
Rob Faulkner, e-mail Robert.Faulkner@uefa.ch