Pushing New Boundaries: UEFA Champions League trophy heads to Asia

The power of the UEFA Champions League is unequivocal. “It is the ultimate competition in Europe,” says FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. “A competition that puts you to the test at the highest level with the best teams. A very tough competition, lovely to play. Long live the UEFA Champions League.”

Using television viewing figures and global interest as a yardstick it seems many agree with the Catalan tactician. Global live match reach from the 2009/10 season estimated 1.1billion viewers of UEFA’s flagship competition, with regional breakdown as follows:

-551 million in Europe
-233 million in the Americas
-188 million in Africa
-119 million in Asia

Long live the Champions League indeed.

Sponsorship of what is statistically the grandest tournament in club football is big business. The Champions League has six official sponsors, and marketing a brand around such a prestigious event requires both innovation and vision. This week, Just Football was at UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland to take a look at one sponsor’s unique approach to sponsoring Europe’s premier club competition.

To Asia

Ever wanted to get your hands on the Champions League trophy? Who hasn’t? The dream of lifting ol’ big ears is a dream that drives kids in parks all around the world from Austria to Zambia. And while only a select few get the opportunity to lift the trophy as a player (even the percentage of professional footballers who can look back and say they lifted the Champions League is minute), one sponsor’s innovative idea has been to take the trophy to the fans.

Heineken, one of the official six, this week launched its fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, giving football fans in Asia the memorable opportunity to experience the unique UEFA Champions League Trophy first hand. The Trophy Tour, launched by double UEFA Champions League winner Marcel Desailly at UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland, marks the start of an exciting line up of Heineken events for fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in May.

Heineken are offering people in Asia a second chance to see the famous UEFA Champions League Trophy this year by taking it back to Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong four years after its first tour of the continent in 2007, when more than 50,000 fans turned up to see the trophy up close. Fans in South Korea will also get their first glimpse of the prize on this year’s Tour.

The Trophy Tour was launched with an official handover of the cup by UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, and former England international, Graeme Le Saux to Heineken Ambassador Marcel Desailly. From Switzerland, the trophy will travel to Kuala Lumpur in February, then pass through the cities of Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kon Kaen and Seoul in March, before ending in Hong Kong in mid-April.

During the tour, UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassadors including internationally renowned legends such as Christian Karembeu, Steve McManaman, Gianfranco Zola, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jay-Jay Okocha will be present at events and meet with the media and fans. Accompanying the Trophy as it tours Asia will be three lucky fans who won the opportunity to travel with the cup through a global digital competition run by Heineken.

Football fans in each country will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous trophy, see UEFA Champions League historical memorabilia and win tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 in London.

Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken’s Brand Activation Manager commented: “This is the sixth consecutive year that Heineken has sponsored the prestigious UEFA Champions League. For Heineken to be able to bring the excitement and inspiration of the UEFA Champions League Trophy directly to the fingertips of fans in Asia is extremely rewarding. Heineken provides football fans with extraordinary experiences, which will continue to entertain and amaze as we get closer to the UEFA Champions League Final in London.”

So if you’re in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong or South Korea between now and May and fancy the chance to fulfil the dream of lifting the Champions League trophy, keep an eye out for the following tour dates:

The Trophy Tour

The schedule of the 2011 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken is:

February 17 – 27: Kuala Lumpur
March 5 – 6: Penang
March 11 – 12: Kuala Lumpur
March 16 – 17: Bangkok
March 19 – 20: Chiang Mai
March 25 – 27: Kon Kaen
April 6 – 9: Seoul
April 15 – 17: Hong Kong

The Trophy Tour presented by Heineken visited North America in 2010, Africa in 2009, South America in 2008 and Asia in 2007.

Asian Football, Champions League, Football and Finance, Football Business