Barca legends to take on Man United
AFTER making their bow last April in Mexico, the greats of the Catalan side will turn out against a group of former Red Devils stars in the summer
Barcelona have announced that their Legends team will make their home debut in a charity match against Manchester United on June 30, 2017.
The Catalans had hoped for the encounter to take place last summer, but because of a clash with Euro 2016 the event was postponed as so many players had professional duties to undertake in France.
However, with the summer footballing calendar clear, the event will take place at Camp Nou with a 19:00 kick off, while a return fixture will be played at Old Trafford on September 2.
The proceeds of the Spain leg will go to the FC Barcelona Foundation, which helps primarily children take part in social, cultural and sporting activities.
This encounter will be the second that the Barcelona Legends side have played. On April 1, they made their debut against a team of ex-Mexico stars in Queretaro. They were managed by Jose Mari Bakero and their XI contained luminaries such as Ronald de Boer, Edmilson, Vitor Baia and Hristo Stoichkov.
Barca hope that the Legends team can “honour the many footballers that have worn the club jersey over the years” and “globalise the Barca name and values through former players”.
The club also indicated that they hope to announce more fixtures soon.
Meanwhile, Manchester United owe Zlatan Ibrahimovic a debt of gratitude for bringing a winning mentality back to Old Trafford, Marouane Fellaini has told Belgian media.
Ibrahimovic’s arrival at United on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer was questioned by some given he turned 35 in October.
The Swedish striker, however, has impressed, netting 15 times in 24 Premier League games, five times in seven Uefa Europa League outings and twice in last weekend’s EFL Cup final to earn himself the 32nd major title of his career.
It also helped United pick up their third trophy in the last nine months, and second of the season after the Community Shield, and Fellaini told La Derniere Heure that Ibrahimovic’s attitude has been a key factor in their success.
“We can thank Zlatan because he’s there at the right moment, he scores goals. He’s a very important player, but everyone has been in important in all the games. I have a good relationship with him,” the Belgium international said.— Goal.com.