Football for fires charity match: Drogba, Trezeguet, Yorke to play
International legends Didier Drogba, David Trezeguet and Dwight Yorke are set to headline a bushfire football charity match – with hopes a former Sydney FC favourite could return to Australia. SEE THE BIG NAMES HERE.
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Between them they have won World Cups and Champions Leagues, and now some major stars of world football have a date in Sydney to help the rebuilding of communities ravaged by bushfires.
Former Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, France striker David Trezuget and Juventus favourite Claudio Marchisio will all make the trip for a one-off fundraising game in May – and there are hopes that Alessandro Del Piero might answer the call too, nearly six years after the end of his stint as Sydney FC’s marquee.
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The Football for Fires charity match at ANZ Stadium on May 23 will also see Dwight Yorke return to Sydney, along with Tore Andre Flo, Dario Simic and Ji-Sung Park.
With 19 players announced so far and more than a dozen more expected to be added to the roster, Del Piero’s return would prove a significant drawcard for a crowd that organisers hope will raise some $2m to help rebuild football facilities lost in the bushfires.
The game is being organised at high speed by agent Lou Sticca, one of the key figures behind Del Piero’s deal with Sydney FC and who has brought several international teams to Australia.
“A raft of invitations have gone out to a lot of players, and I’d say another 14 will be added to the list, the majority of them internationally,” Sticca said when asked if Del Piero was likely to figure.
All of the players are appearing for free, and the game will garner all proceeds from ticket sales, corporate support and merchandise sales for a fund dedicated to rebuilding grassroots facilities lost or damaged in the states affected by the bushfires.
Clubs including Celtic and New York Cosmos have already donated thousands of dollars to a parallel campaign raising funds for the Red Cross, which Sticca hopes will raise a further $1m to aid the wider community in its rebuilding from the bushfires.
Though the majority of players will be from overseas, a smattering of well-known local names will appear including Mark Bosnich, John Aloisi and Mark Milligan who retired recently from international football.
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“It’s a good opportunity for Socceroos fans to farewell their former captain, but we haven’t gone hard on Aussie players as it’s the international football community helping Australia,” said Sticca. “We really want the international market represented as that gives us a real opportunity for the widest audience.”
Sticca hopes to strike a free-to-air domestic TV deal in the coming days, allowing him to activate an international broadcast contract to give the game as wide an audience as possible – with viewers encouraged to donate from round the world.
The inclusion of names such as the decorated former Vietnam striker Le Cong Vinh and ex-Manchester United star Park should spark interest across Asia, while Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario and American Alecko Eskandarian will represent north American football.
“The Football For Fires match will harness the world game and its star players to draw attention to the Australian bushfire crisis and the crucial rebuilding of communities that will be required long after the fires have eventually burnt out,” said Sticca.
Football for Fires fundraiser
May 23 at ANZ Stadium
Tickets: On sale Wednesday at Ticketek.
Players confirmed so far
Dwight Yorke – Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sydney FC
Claudio Marchisio – Juventus
Dario Simic – Inter Milan, AC Milan, Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco
Didier Drogba – Chelsea, Galatasaray, Montreal Impact
John Aloisi – Coventry City, Cremonese, Osasuna, Sydney FC
Dwayne De Rosario – Toronto, San Jose, New York Red Bull
Ji-Sung Park – Manchester United, PSV Eindhoven
Simon Colosimo – Carlton, Manchester City, Perth Glory, Sydney FC
Tore Andre Flo – Chelsea, Rangers, Sunderland, Leeds United
David Trezeguet – Monaco, Juventus, Riverplate
Alecko Eskandarian – DC United, Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, Chivas
Mark Bosnich – Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea
Con Boutsianis – South Melbourne, Heidelberg, Perth Glory
Pedro Mendes – Porto, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Rangers
Le Cong Vinh – Song Lam Nghe An, Consadole Sapporo
Stephen Appiah – Juventus, Fenerbache, Udinese, Vojvodina
Emile Heskey – Leicester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa
Michael Bridges – Sunderland, Leeds United, Newcastle Jets
Geremi – Real Madrid, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United