World-famous Brazilian footballers Cafu and Roberto Carlos will bring samba soccer to Holland next month after confirming they will play in the inaugural Laureus #KickOffForGood charity match between a Laureus All Stars side and a team of Real Madrid Legends.
Other giants of the game who have announced in the last few days that that they will play in the match at the AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar, on September 5, are Frances Thierry Henry, Spains Fernando Hierro and Dutch super star and Laureus Ambassador Ruud Gullit.
An initiative of the Laureus Foundation The Netherlands, the match will see some of the greatest and most loved footballers in recent history putting on their boots again, with their goal to raise funds to help young people in various Laureus Sport for Good projects around the Netherlands.
Renowned for his ferocious free kicks, Roberto Carlos played 125 times for Brazil, including three World Cups, helping the team reach the final in 1998 and win in 2002. He spent 11 highly successful seasons with Real Madrid, playing 584 matches, scoring 71 goals and winning the UEFA Champions League three times. He is now manager of Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League.
Cafu played more times for Brazil than any other player. Over 16 years, he played a record 142 games. He is also the only player from any country to appear in three World Cup Finals winning in 1994 and 2002 and losing in 1998.
One of Frances greatest players, Thierry Henry was a star in the teams which won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 2000 UEFA European Championship and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. In October 2007, he overtook Michel Platini as France's leading goalscorer. When he retired, he had scored 51 goals in 123 games. He also had a highly successful club career with Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona.
Defender Fernando Hierro played more than 500 games for Real Madrid, winning three UEFA Champions League titles over 15 years. He also played 89 times for Spain, appearing in four World Cups and two European Championships.
Ruud Gullit personified the concept of Total Football played by the Netherlands team in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the star of the European Championships in 1988 where he captained the Dutch team to their first international victory. He played in the AC Milan team which won two successive European Cups in 1989 and 1990.
The names of more legendary players will be announced over the coming weeks for what promises to be one of the football occasions of the year. Edwin Moses, Chairman of the global Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, said: We are going to have some of the most famous players in the world in Alkmaar on September 5, supporting Laureus. This is going to be a terrific occasion and a great match. I would like to thank all these legends of the game for the commitment they are making to the work of Laureus.
The Laureus Foundation The Netherlands is part of the global Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which has raised 85 million since its inception to support projects which have helped to improve the lives of millions of young people. Currently Laureus supports more than 150 projects in 35 countries, including three in the Netherlands.
The Dutch projects in Almere, Amsterdam and Gouda provide coaching and education to young people in some of the most challenging and deprived environments, using sport to encourage social inclusion.
Laureus World Sports Academy Members and Ambassadors volunteer their time to support the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. The Dutch foundations Ambassadors include household names like Edwin van der Sar, Pieter van den Hoogenband, Yvonne van Gennip and Teun de Nooijer.
All income from ticket sales for the #KickOffForGood match will be used to build sports facilities around the Netherlands and to expand the existing number of young people Laureus is able to help.
To purchase tickets visit: www.laureus.nl/kickoffforgood
For more information, contact:
Virginie Bernon
Senior International Media & PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 207 514 2841
Email: publicrelations@laureus.com
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