Twenty-four hour football people

Manchester setting
The event, which builds on the success of the first Starball Match in Glasgow last year, takes place in Manchester's Albert Square and heralds the return of the Champions League trophy to UEFA by Real Madrid CF officials at the city's Town Hall on Thursday afternoon. Manchester is due to host the Champions League final at Manchester United FC's Old Trafford stadium on 28 May.

Football feast
The Starball Match kicks off at midday on Wednesday and concludes at noon the next day in time for the presentation of the trophy, which begins at 12.10pm local time. The competition will involve over 1,500 players of various ages and backgrounds - including schools, amateur clubs and local media. However, the preponderance of school-age matches in the daylight hours, and the tournament's location at the heart of Manchester, will give the event a strong community feel.

'Ordinary people'
In the Starball Match programme, UEFA president Lennart Johansson said: "I like the idea very much. It reminds us that the game of football is not just about the high-profiles at the peak of the footballing pyramid. It is also about ordinary people grabbing a ball and enjoying a game of football. The idea of bringing street football right into the heart of the city, in Albert Square, is a brilliant one."

Real v Inter
The Starball Match will entail more than 30 five-a-side matches, lasting 30 minutes or an hour depending on the time of day. Each team will play in the colours of either Real Mancunian or Internazionale Manchester, and the scores of the individual contests will be accumulated to produce a final result between Real and Inter. In addition, there will be ten hours of football on the Albert Square pitch, mostly involving school teams, between 10am and 10pm on Tuesday. Then, after the Handover Ceremony, the action will resume at 1pm on Thursday for a further five hours.

'Enjoy your football'
On this occasion, at least, it will be the competing, not the winning, that counts. "Whereas you could argue that the Champions League final is a case of the winner takes it all, those of you who are taking part in the Starball Match can relax and enjoy your football without worrying about the scoreboard," Mr Johansson said.

Pioneering project
"I can't imagine what the final result will be after 24 hours," he added. "All I hope is that each and every participant will have relished the chance to be a pioneer in a project which, I think, will develop into one of the Champions League traditions. For your sake, I just hope the Starball Match doesn't go to extra time and penalties."