Trophy tour to make Marseille stop

On the road
With Liverpool FC keeping the trophy having secured their fifth success last season, the latest version of the prestigious silverware was first unveiled in Paris on 10 March before the draw for the quarter-finals. Since then it has been displayed at Stade de Reims Champagne, AS Monaco FC and AS Saint-Etienne as part of a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the European Champion Clubs' Cup.

First final
On 3 April, Reims, who lost 4-3 to Real Madrid CF in the inaugural final in Paris in 1956 and were runners-up again three years later, staged the first celebration with guest appearances from former greats including Raymond Kopa, Francisco Gento and Emilio Butragueño. Five days later, the trophy was presented at the home of another beaten finalist, Monaco. Defender Gaël Givet and goalkeeper Flavio Roma are among the survivors from the side beaten 3-0 by FC Porto two years ago, and they were delighted to be within touching distance of the coveted prize again. "The cup looks as glamorous as ever," Givet said. "It's the trophy that every player wants and I hope one day I will get another opportunity to win it."

Huge interest
The third stop of the tour took in Saint-Etienne, another French team with bittersweet memories of Europe's premier club competition. Les Verts, who went down 1-0 to FC Bayern München in the 1976 final, dedicated the weekend of 22/23 April to their supporters, organising stadium tours and photograph sessions with the trophy. Queues formed outside the gates of the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard from the early hours, and the tours, departing at ten-minute intervals, continued relentlessly throughout the weekend. An estimated 10,000 fans are believed to have attended.

Marseille honour
France's sole European champion, Olympique de Marseille, who defeated AC Milan in their second final in 1993, have the honour of receiving the trophy last. It will be displayed at La Commanderie, Marseille's training ground, on Friday morning, with players from the UEFA Champions League-winning side making guest appearances alongside potential future stars from the youth academy. Basile Boli, scorer of the winning goal in Munich 13 years ago, will feature in a special programme on the club's television channel OMTV at the Stade Vélodrome before Saturday's Ligue 1 match against RC Strasbourg.