Sofia so good for Trophy Tour finale

The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour European leg, presented by UniCredit, ended as it began – successfully – with football fans in the Bulgarian capital Sofia relishing the opportunity to get close to the trophy that is coveted by the world's top clubs and players.

Massive attendance
Some 19,000 fans visited the tour venue in Sofia's Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square on Saturday and Sunday, while enthusiasts also turned up in large numbers at stopovers in Russe and Pleven. Some 250 people attended the special VIP event in Sofia, while the press conference saw the presence of 50 children from a local foster home alongside the Bulgarian media.

Photos and autographs
The fans eagerly took advantage of photo opportunities with the trophy, autograph sessions and posed photos with the Trophy Tour ambassadors for the Bulgaria leg - former Manchester United FC goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and the former Bulgarian international Krassimir Balakov, now coach of Bulgarian club PFC Chernomorets Burgas.

United comeback
During the press conference, footage was shown of the memorable last three minutes when Manchester United staged their remarkable two-goal comeback to beat FC Bayern München in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final in Barcelona. Schmeichel, United's goalkeeper for the game, went forward for the corner that led to United's equaliser.

Final risk
"That was with the blessing of my coach Sir Alex Ferguson," Schmeichel told uefa.com in Sofia. "I had done this several times in my career. I scored goals for United in the UEFA Cup. I had even been a regular penalty-taker in my early years in football in my native Denmark. Against Bayern, we did not have any other choice but to take a risk in the last minute. It didn't matter whether we lost 1-0 or 2-0.

Favourite memory
"The Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld had read us very well," he added. "His team was so well organised for our set-pieces, at which we were very strong. My presence in the penalty area confused the opposition. They began to wonder who would mark me. This was a well-calculated risk and it paid off. Teddy Sheringham managed to equalize, and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær grabbed the winner. Everyone was delighted."

Fantastic idea
Seeing the trophy again brought back happy memories for the Dane. "It is fantastic idea," he said of the Trophy Tour. "The feeling of lifting this trophy is unbelievable. That great final in Barcelona in 1999 always evokes memories for me. I was lucky enough to be captain that night and to lift the trophy first. That was also my last game for Manchester United. This trophy is what the UEFA Champions League is all about. This is the greatest competition in the world."

Popular attraction
Schmeichel had his photo taken with each of the 50 foster-home children, and signed each image. Balakov came the day after his team's move into second place in the Bulgarian table, and signed autographs and had his photo taken with the fans for nearly two hours. Another popular attraction was the Trophy Tour village, featuring displays of memorabilia, pictures and films, all conveying the rich tradition of the European Champion Clubs' Cup and UEFA Champions League.

Memorable football experience
As well as Sofia, the Trophy Tour has visited Milan (Italy), Zagreb (Croatia), Budapest (Hungary) and Bucharest (Romania) over the past month, bringing fans closer to the magic of the European club game's most illustrious tournament. This Trophy Tour also marked the start of a three-year partnership between UEFA and UniCredit Group as a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League.