Arsene Wenger and Emma Hayes go head to head at Stamford Bridge for Game4Ukraine on August 5, live on Sky Max from 5pm; they'll be coaching a host of footballing stars alongside world-class musical talent
Monday 10 July 2023 17:42, UK
Arsene Wenger and Emma Hayes will go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge for Game4Ukraine on August 5, live on Sky Max from 5pm.
The game - which will be free-to-stream for everyone based in Ukraine - was conceptualised by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who wanted to bring communities together in the face of continued adversity by promoting optimism.
All three have expressed their pleasure for the spotlight this event is receiving, with Shevchenko saying: "Football has always had an incredible ability to bring people together and we really hope this will be a day to remember for everyone, united in looking towards a better future."
Collectively, they picked Wenger and Hayes as the managers to help cultivate that.
Hayes, who will manage Team Blue, said: "What a privilege and a wonderful opportunity to coach. I simply couldn't turn this down.
"I feel very honoured to lead the team with Andriy Shevchenko as our captain and across the technical area from Arsene Wenger who I have looked up to for many years.
"I can't remember the last time that I saw this volume of talent on show all at once, so please do come out and support such a brilliant cause."
Wenger, who will lead Team Yellow, said: "We have an incredible line-up of talent involved in Game4Ukraine and I'm honoured to be leading them out, alongside Emma Hayes.
"It's going to be a great day with lots of entertainment, and hopefully we can raise enough money to begin the vital rebuild of schools in Ukraine."
Both will have an array of Premier League, World Cup and European Cup winners at their disposal, including Gerard Piqué, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Vieira, Fabio Cannavaro, Samuel Eto'o, Gianfranco Zola and Michael Essien.
Other stars include:
Antonio Valencia, Bacary Sagna, Carlo Cudicini, Charlie Adam, Chelcee Grimes, Christian Panucci, Claude Makélélé, Danny Drinkwater, David James, Dida, Gael Clichy Glen Johnson, Jack Wilshere, James Arthur, Jens Lehmann, Jermain Defoe, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, John Arne Riise, Joleon Lescott, Luca Toni, Mark Nobel, Martin Skrtel, Massimo Oddo, Mikaël Silvestre, Patrik Berger, Per Mertesacker, Petr Cech, Phil Dunster, Ricardo Carvalho, Robert Pires, Russell Howard, Serginho, Shota Arveladze, Toheeb Jimoh, Wes Morgan, and William Gallas.
Chelsea and Ukrainian international Mykhailo Mudryk will also be appearing and Arsenal and Ukraine defender Zinchenko will participate in a non-playing captain capacity, as he continues his preparation for the upcoming Community Shield fixture.
Fans will also be entertained throughout the event with Super Bowl-style performances where the stadium will transform into a concert venue with world class entertainers including Alesha Dixon, Melanie C (DJ), Pete Doherty, The Pretenders, Tom Grennan, and Tom Walker, as well as Ukrainian artist Vakarchuk of Ocean Elzy Band and Boombox.
Game4Ukraine will broadcast live on Sky Max on Saturday August 5 at 5-9pm. Fans can book their tickets now and donate to the fundraiser at www.game4ukraine.com.
