Trophy Tour reaches Malaysia

The football-loving people of Malaysia will get to see the UEFA Champions League trophy at close quarters this week as the hallowed silverware goes on display in Kuala Lumpur between today and Sunday.

Malaysian interest

The European Champion Clubs' Cup is on the penultimate stage of its six-week Asian tour. As locals flock to have their pictures taken with the coveted prize as it is displayed in city centres from Tokyo to Jakarta, nowhere will it have attracted more attention than in Malaysia. The UEFA Champions League is regularly followed by 3.4 million Malaysians, who have already enjoyed over 200 hours of Europe's most prestigious football competition on free to air television channels and a further 200 hours on pay TV this season.

Widespread appeal

"The popularity of the UEFA Champions League in Malaysia is underlined by the fact that over half the population is interested in the UEFA Champions League," revealed Michele Centenaro, UEFA's head of club competitions. "This is testament to the substantial amount of UEFA Champions League football screened on TV here in Malaysia."

Increasing awareness

Commenting on the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, Philippe Le Floc'h, UEFA's marketing and media rights director, added: "Awareness levels for the UEFA Champions League in Europe have now reached record highs of 90 per cent, but although awareness for the tournament outside Europe is strong at 76 per cent, our challenge is to expand the competition's profile to the same level beyond Europe's borders."

According to recent research, interest in football is actually higher on average in Asia (62 per cent) than Europe (55 per cent), while in Malaysia football is the most popular sport with interest levels in the UEFA Champions League having attained 59 per cent.

'Holy Grail' a hit in Asia

The UEFA Champions League is seen as the holy grail by the world's leading footballers - and Asian fans are currently being given the chance to view the trophy at close range.

Six-week tour

The European Champion Clubs' Cup, which has been contested for 52 years by this continent's finest teams and players, was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend as part of a six-week Asian tour, presented by sponsors Heineken. The silverware has previously thrilled fans in Japan and Indonesia, and will end its tour in Thailand with visits to Bangkok (30 March-1 April) and Pattaya (6-8 April) next month.

Malaysian interest

The UEFA Champions League is regularly followed by 3.4 million Malaysians, who have viewed more than 200 hours of Europe's most prestigious club tournament on free-to-air television and a further 200 hours on pay TV this season. This reflects the fervour for football in Asia, where the game is attracting even more interest than its traditional hotbed of Europe, according to recent polls.

'Recognised by everybody'

'UEFA's marketing and media rights director Philippe Le Floc'h reflected on the aura of the UEFA Champions League trophy. "I grew up with the trophy," he said. "It is one of the oldest trophies in football, and is recognised by everybody. It is such an important trophy for the players - it symbolises the ultimate peak for all great footballers. They see the trophy as something sacred, as the holy grail. And that is exactly why we have brought it to Asia - to allow fans to come close to this ultimate football prize."