Celebrating the start of 2016’s Euro Championships, Hublot (the Championship’s partner and timekeeper) threw a friendly five-a-side football match in the host nation’s capital city, Paris.
Called the “Match Of Friendship”, a temporary football pitch was erected in the courtyard of the Palais Royal. The two competing teams comprised footballing legends past and present with the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Fabio Cannavaro. However, the brightest stars were the teams’ respective coaches and friends of Hublot: Diego Maradona and Pelé.
Of particular note was the Match’s second half, in which Maradona took to the pitch and joined his team as a player — proceeding to soon score, much to the delight of all those in attendance.
As this was a ‘match of friendship and peace’ the game was called to an end with a draw; facilitated by a few free kicks and an own goal from Maradona. Twenty thousand Euros was also donated by the Swiss watch brand to the UEFA Foundation for Children at half-time by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe.
The Euro 2016 Championship’s first formal match will be tomorrow. The match will see France and Romania’s national teams face off in Paris, with kick off at 8pm local time – as told, of course, by Hublot.
