Gullit and Maldini join Match Against Poverty

Superstars Ruud Gullit and Paolo Maldini are the latest stellar names to confirm their participation in the 11th UEFA-backed Match Against Poverty, which takes place at the Stade de Suisse in Berne, Switzerland on Tuesday 4 March (20.00CET).

The duo join an array of football's greats who are taking part in the match, which features United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ambassadors Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane. The game pits Ronaldo, Zidane & Friends against Young Boys & Friends, a mix of current and former players from BSC Young Boys, who are based at the Stade de Suisse.

Two-thirds of the funds raised from the event are destined to help the millions of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines last November. The remainder of the proceeds will be donated by Young Boys to Laureus Foundation Switzerland – part of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a charity that gives practical and financial assistance to almost 150 national-level sport-based projects in 34 countries worldwide.

Gullit – Ballon d'Or winner in 1987, whose brilliant playing career reached its zenith at AC Milan – has accepted the challenge to guide the team of Ronaldo and Zidane. "It is a privilege and a challenge to steer a team with such great world football names," he said. "We would like to count on a massive public presence to see us playing and help us support the people of the Philippines."

Maldini was also a member of that great Milan side of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The former Italy defender won the European Cup on five occasions in a glittering career. "I was very pleased with the invitation I received," he said. "I played as a defender throughout my career, and now I'm ready to defend the people of the Philippines in the fight against poverty."

Together with Gullit and Maldini, a star-studded list of other luminaries is already confirmed for the Ronaldo, Zidane & Friends team:

Juliano Belletti (Brazil)
Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
Jamie Carragher (England)
Fernando Couto (Portugal)
Ronald de Boer (Netherlands)
Deco (Portugal)
Giovane Elber (Brazil)
Paulo Ferreira (Portugal)
Luís Figo (Portugal)
Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)
Hakan Şükür (Turkey)
Fernando Hierro (Spain)
Christian Karembeu (France)
Jens Lehmann (Germany)
Fredrik Ljungberg (Sweden)
Claude Makelele (France)
Marta (Brazil)
Steve McManaman (England)
Gaizka Mendieta (Spain)
Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)
Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic)
Robert Pirès (France)
Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
Míchel Salgado (Spain)
Paulo Sousa (Portugal)
Patrick Vieira (France)
Christian Vieri (Italy)
Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy)

Past and present Young Boys players will comprise the Young Boys & Friends team led by former Swiss internationals Stéphane Chapuisat and Hakan Yakin.

Ticket prices range from CHF 20 to CHF 60 and are available at https://ticket.stadedesuisse.ch/ or http://www.ticketcorner.ch/.

UNDP administrator Helen Clark's video message  advertising the Match Against Poverty.