Retired football greats coming to Slovenia for charity match
Bilje, 1 August - Several retired football celebrities, including Luis Figo and Frank de Boer, will come to Slovenia to play a traditional charity match in Bilje near the border with Italy on 1 September. The proceeds of the star-studded spectacle will go to two charities, one local and one international.
Ljubljana
Football.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
File photo.
According to the organisers, the Bilje football club, the match has traditionally attracted top Slovenian athletes and has recently gained an international note.
In addition to Figo and de Boer, it will feature football heavyweights such as Dejan Stanković, Gilberto Silva, Nuno Gomes, Gaizka Mendieta and Christian Karembeu, Matjaž Nemec, the vice-president of the Bilje club, has announced.
The proceeds from the match will go to Slovenian Zavod Vozim institute, which aids those disabled in car accidents, and to Common Goal, a pledge-based charitable movement that encourages professional football players and coaches to pledge at least 1% of their salaries to charity.
The head of Zavod Vozim, David Razboršek, hopes the event will help the charity "raise awareness among young people" and attribute to their "dreams not ending with a single careless act".
Sebastjan Komel, the lead organiser, said the funds would be raised through various channels, including tickets, SMS donations, and an auction of football jerseys at the event itself.
The Slovenian Football Association, a partner in the project, expects that the event will reach beyond the borders of Slovenia.