Emerton Invited To Play In Tsunami Fundraising Mat

Qantas Socceroo and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton has been invited alongside some of the biggest names in the game, to participate in the “Football for Hope” match at Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium on February 15.

Qantas Socceroo and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton (pictured right) has been invited alongside some of the biggest names in the game, to participate in the “Football for Hope” match at Barcelona-s Nou Camp Stadium on February 15.   Organised by FIFA and UEFA in consultation with the Spanish football association, and with support from FC Barcelona who are providing their stadium and staff free of charge, this benefit match for the victims of the tsunami will see an XI led by Ronaldinho, the FIFA World Player 2004, play a team captained by Andriy Shevchenko, the European Footballer of the Year 2004.   Emerton has been invited to play in the Ronaldinho XI, which is made up of players from the rest of the world, with Shevchenko-s XI, a squad made of players from Europe.   FIFA has said that tickets for the match will go on sale shortly and ticketing details will be confirmed as soon as possible.   All of the proceeds of the "Football for Hope" match will be donated to the FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund, which has been set up jointly by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). UEFA has also pledged donations to this fund.   World football's solidarity efforts are still underway in South, Southeast Asia and the parts of Africa that were affected by the tsunami (click here for more information) 

FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund USD current account UBS AG, Zurich No.: 325.519.60Q Clearing number: 230 IBAN: CH210023023032551960Q Swift address: UBSW CH ZH 80A   The two squads are as follows: Shevchenko XI   Coaches: LIPPI Marcello - ITA - National Team WENGER Arsène - FRA - Arsenal FC   Goalkeepers: BUFFON Gianluigi - ITA - Juventus CASILLAS Iker - ESP - Real Madrid   Defenders: KALADZE Kakhaber - GEO - AC Milan KAREMBEU Christian - FRA - FC Servette KOMPANY Vincent - BEL - Anderlecht MALDINI Paolo - ITA - AC Milan PUYOL Carles - ESP - FC Barcelona STAM Jaap - NED - AC Milan THURAM Lilian - FRA - Juventus

Midfielders/ Attackers: BAGGIO Roberto - ITA BALLACK Michael - GER - Bayern Munich BECKHAM David - ENG - Real Madrid DECO - POR - FC Barcelona DEL PIERO Alessandro - ITA Juventus GERRARD Steven - ENG - Liverpool FC HENRY Thierry - FRA - Arsenal FC NEDVED Pavel - CZE - Juventus RAÚL González - ESP - Real Madrid SEMAK Sergei - RUS -  CSKA Moscow SHEVCHENKO Andriy - UKR - AC Milan TOTTI Francesco - ITA - AS Roma VIEIRA Patrick - FRA - Arsenal FC VOGEL Johann - SUI - PSV Eindhoven ZIDANE Zinedine - FRA - Real Madrid

Ronaldinho XI   Coaches: PARREIRA Carlos Alberto - BRA - National Team RIJKAARD Frank - NED - FC Barcelona   Goalkeepers: DIDA - BRA - AC Milan KAMENI Idriss - CMR - RCD Espanyol   Defenders: CAFÚ - BRA - AC Milan CÓRDOBA Iván - COL - Inter Milan CRIS - BRA - Ol. Lyonnais HEINZE Gabriel - ARG - Manchester United FC JAIDI Radhi - TUN - Bolton Wanderers FC KUFFOUR Samuel - GHA - Bayern Munich LUCIO - BRA - Bayern Munich MÁRQUEZ ÁLVAREZ Rafael - MEX  - FC Barcelona RADEBE Lucas - RSA - Leeds United FC ZANETTI Javier - ARG - Inter Milan   Midfielders/ Attackers: ADRIANO - BRA - Inter Milan BUCKLEY Delron - RSA - Arminia Bielefeld CAMBIASSO Esteban - ARG - Inter Milan CHA Doo-Ri - KOR - Eintracht Frankfurt DROGBA Didier - CIV - Chelsea FC EMERTON Brett - AUS - Blackburn Rovers FC ESSIEN Michael - GHA - Ol. Lyonnais ETO'O Samuel - CMR - FC Barcelona JUNINHO - BRA - Ol. Lyonnais KAKÁ - BRA - AC Milan LI Tie - CHN - Everton FC MAHDAVIKIA Mehdi - IRN - Hamburger SV MARTINS Obafemi - NIG - Inter Milan NAKATA Hidetoshi - JPN - AC Fiorentina RONALDO - BRA - Real Madrid RONALDINHO - BRA - FC Barcelona   Meanwhile, German-based Australian goalkeeper Frank Juric has been selected to represent a Bundesliga Foreigner All Star XI as voted by the fans, in another fundraising effort for the tsunami victims in Asia.   The match against the Germany National Team will be held on January 25 in Gelsenkirchen. Juric, who is second choice keeper at Hannover 96, is one of two keepers chosen with Frenchman Guillaume Warmuz the other.    The Foreigner All-Star XI is:   Goalkeepers: Guillaume Warmuz (Borussia Dortmund/France), Frank Juric (Hannover 96/Australia)

Defenders: Marcelo Bordon (Schalke 04/Brasil), Valerien Ismael (Werder Bremen/France), Juan (Bayer Leverkusen/Brasil), Lucio (Bayern Münich/Brasil), Paul Stalteri (Werder Bremen/Canada), Lewan Kobiaschwili (Schalke 04/Georgia)

Midfielders: Andres D'Alessandro (VfL Wolfsburg/Argentina), Dede (Borussia Dortmund/Brasil), Aliaksandr Hleb (VfB Stuttgart/Russia), Niko Kovac (Hertha BSC Berlin/Croatia), Marcelinho (Hertha BSC Berlin/Brasil), Lincoln (Schalke 04/Brasil), Fernando Meira (VfB Stuttgart/Portugal), Martin Petrov (VfL Wolfsburg/Bulgaria), Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund/Czech Republic), Hasan Salihamidzic (Bayern München/Bosnia-Herzegovina), Zé Roberto (Bayern Munich/Brasil)

Strikers: Ailton (Schalke 04/Brasil), Roy Makaay (Bayern Münich/Nrtherlands), Marek Mintal (1. FC Nürnberg/Slovakia)