Markus Babbel will momentarily halt his post-season planning at the helm of Western Sydney Wanderers to take on the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer in a rematch of the dramatic 1999 UEFA Champions League Final.
Western Sydney Wanderers boss Babbel, 46, has been named in a Bayern Munich Legends facing Manchester United in a charity match at Old Trafford in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEST).
The match takes place 20 years on from one of the most memorable Champions League Finals of all-time, which culminated in United players Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scoring stoppage-time goals to win the English giants the trophy.
Babbel featured at right-back during that night at Barcelona’s Camp Nou, and will be reunited with the likes of Stefan Effenberg, Lothar Matthäus, Torsten Fink and Luca Toni during Sunday morning’s charity match at the Theatre of Dreams.
Meanwhile, Beckham, Scholes, Peter Schmeichel and former Sydney FC star Dwight Yorke are some of the Manchester United players who have confirmed their involvement.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my colleagues. Those with whom I played and my opponents, and those whom I’ve seen from time to time over the last 20 years,” said FC Bayern Legends captain Lothar Matthäus.
“It’s just nice to stage these matches. And there’s a reason why we play on this day. The reason is more beautiful for Man United than it is for us of course, but we just have to respect we didn’t do what we should have done back then.”
All proceeds from the match at Old Trafford will be donated to the Manchester United Foundation.
