Mahdavikia to play in “Match against poverty” [VIDEO]

PFDC – HAMBURG, Former Iranian national team player and former Hamburger SV star Mehdi Mahdavikia (34) will return to Hamburg’s Imtech Arena to participate in Zinedine Zidane’s “Match against Poverty”.

Mahdavikia who is currently under contract with the Persian Gulf side Damash Gilan, will play alongside active stars and former top players like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Cannavaro, Makélélé, Fernando Hierro, Didier Droga and many more.

The referee of today’s friendly match under the sponsorship of the United Nations will be the famous Italian Pierluigi Collina. Both teams will be coached by Marcelo Lippi, Bora Milutinovic and former tennis superstar Boris Becker.

According to the organisers, all earnings will be donated to UN programs as well as local sports and environmental projects.

The friendly match will be held at Hamburg’s Imtech Arena (7:05 p.m. CET)

Team Zidane, Ronaldo, Droga & Friends:
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Ronaldo Nazário, Dida, Paulo André and Serginho (Brazil), Jens Lehmann (Germany), Lucas Radebe (South Africa), Fernando Hierro, Joan Capdevilla and Michel Salgado (Spain), Gheorghe Popescu and Georghe Hagi (Rumania), Luís Figo, Maniche and Fernando Couto (Portugal), Zinédine Zidane, Christian Karembeu, Claude Makélélé and Robert Pirès (France), Steve McManaman (England), Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Rabah Madjer (Algeria), Sami Al-Jaber (Saudi-Arabia) and Dwight Yorke (Trinidad & Tobago).

Team HSV ALLSTARS:
Zé Roberto (Brazil), Jörg Albertz, Stefan Beinlich and Stefan Schnoor (Germany), Sergej Barbarez (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Collin Benjamin (Namibia), Rodolfo Cardoso (Argentina), Nico-Jan Hoogma (Netherlands), Mehdi Mahdavikia (Iran) and Anthony Yeboah (Ghana).

Breaking News: Mahdavikia assisted in the game: