December 20 – The 11th Match Against Poverty will take place on 4 March 2014 at the Stade de Suisse in Berne, announced United Nations Development Project (UNDP) ambassadors Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane yesterday.
This is the first time the match has been back in Switzerland since the inaugural event in in 2003 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.
In a change to the format, Ronaldo and Zidane will be on the same side rather than picking two teams of greats to play each other. Their squad will take on BSC Young Boys and Friends, a mix of current and former players from the Stade de Suisse’s occupants.
“Last year we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the match in Brazil and I am still very proud of its success. I am honoured that clubs such as BSC Young Boys have offered to host the event,” said Ronaldo. “This year we are concerned about the situation in the Philippines and would like to help through the match.”
“Our goal is to dedicate the proceeds of this 11th Match Against Poverty to help survivors rebuild their lives and help the Philippines on a path to recovery. As the Philippines works to recover from this terrible tragedy, UNDP is there in support and to help strengthen the nation’s resilience to future shocks,” said UNDP administrator Helen Clark.
Two-thirds of the funds raised by the match will go to helping about 13 million people who have been displaced or otherwise affected by Typhoon Haiyanwhich struck the Philippines in November.
The remainder will be donated by Young Boys to Laureus Foundation Switzerland, part of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a charity that gives practical and financial assistance to almost 150 national-level sport-based projects in 34 countries worldwide.
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