Tbilisi UEFA Super Cup game united for peace

On August 11 Tbilisi will host a historic football match – the UEFA Super Cup final where two of the world leading teams, FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, will face each other in a long-awaited duel.

Tbilisi is the easternmost European city to host the UEFA Super Cup final since 2012. The Georgian Football Federation, with the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children, decided to seize this opportunity to send a strong message of global unity by giving the spotlight to children from world conflict zones before the highly anticipated match.

The Federation’s president Zviad Sichinava said the children would convey the idea of peace and unity and show how football can bring people together.

"Everyone is going to receive a message of peace and unity from the children – a message that is important for society. It shows how important these core values are to UEFA – values which led to the inauguration of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

"I would like to thank all the participating associations for their support in working together to use football’s vast popularity as a platform to promote these vital values to a global audience,” he said, quoted by the UEFA Foundation for Children. 

Young football fans are full of excitement while waiting to see their heroes. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

The national football associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine will take part in the opening festivities.

UEFA president Michel Platini added: "Football gives us a great opportunity to be united as a society and to empower children.”

Childhood is a time when we exhibit the most extraordinary potential and we hope that the presence of these children at this great event in Tbilisi can be inspirational for their futures. We would like to thank the Georgian Football Federation and its president, Zviad Sichinava, for the work undertaken with the UEFA Foundation for Children in order to make a difference to vulnerable children through this project.”

Tomorrow night’s match is expected to be opened with a grandiose ceremony at Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. The first part of the ceremony will be presented by Erisioni, Georgia’s leading folk dance ensemble. The group founded in 1885 and is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year.

The roads near the arena have been decorated with the teams' logos. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

About 200 dancers will participate in the opening spectacular, including professional, teenagers and children. After this both teams will make their appearance on the field to perform the UEFA Super Cup anthem.

The main feature of the ceremony will come next where 1,000 disadvantaged children, the players and the referee team will form a human chain as a symbol of peace and unity.

The UEFA Foundation for Children was established earlier this year by the initiative of the UEFA president, reflecting UEFA’s desire to use football as a force for good in society.

The UEFA Super Cup match will start at 10:45pm tomorrow at Dinamo Arena.