The earnings of the ticket selling of the match will be dedicated to MS patients. In a press conference of the match held on Sunday, Hossein Yaryar, the Head of Artists Football Players for Charity, a group of artists regularly appearing in matches for charity, told reporters about the latest news of the coming of world stars to Tehran and other stories.
The match will be played reportedly in Azadi Stadium on Friday, August 28. The first group of world stars including famous names as Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, and Joaquin Romeo will arrive in Tehran by Thursday August 27, 1 AM. The rest of the team will arrive in Tehran by early hours of Friday, August 28, so that they hold a preparatory session around the noon of the same day.
“The idea was triggered in a group of three people and the ensuing correspondences with World Stars Football Team coordinated within a year to the present match,” Yaryar told reporters. “I would have come to pursue Michel Salgado, former FC Real Madrid defender and World Stars captain for this match; all attempts focused on persuading the team to come to Iran for a charity match in an amount almost half the amount they receive for example to go to China or Singapore,” he added.
“The prestige and fame of the players coming to Iran would be an indication that sanctions targeting Iran’s sports had unraveled and we should expect new global horizons in sports; with 62 years of age, I have invested all my energy and motivation to promote Iran’s place in the world, and especially canvassing support for MS patients,” Yaryar emphasized.
“Adel Ferdowsipour’s popular Monday late night TV program ‘90’ has agreed to cover the world stars coming live from the airport, with Salgado and Carlos appearing in program venue in live airing; I spoke to Ali Parvin to accept the organizing Iranian Stars team; by Friday, Parvin’s team will come together in 3 sessions with a preparatory match to be played on Wednesday; 18-20 players will be picked for the match; the artists however will appear only on reserve benches,” Yaryar told reporters. “Tickets will be offered for sale in prices for Premier League tickets; I would encourage the young cohort to come to stadium to find the sublime objective of the match and the whole concept of charity sports could bring to humanity,” he added.
Yaryar criticized the government organizations for their ‘stark inaction’ and the ‘sheer lack of responsibility;’ “this match is an unofficial; however, the impact is great; the match could be played only every 50 years,” he said, quoting from Iran’s former striker and national phenomenon in the famous France 1998 World Cup qualifiers playoff return match against Australia, Khodadad Azizi.
“World Stars has been established since long and they have regularly played matches for charity; their recent appearance has been in Africa to play in a match for the victims of Ebola; China, Singapore, and other countries had been hosts; their counterpart, however established by artists, was formed after Bam earthquake of 2003, who struck the desert city in Kerman province, to highlight the humanitarian role the sports could play in the times of crises,” Yaryar told reporters.
Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Fabio Cannavaro, Guti, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Couto, Vitor Baia, Bodo Illgner, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Steve McManaman, Fernando Morientes, Marcel Desailly, Gaizka Mendieta, Edgar Davids, Jari Litmanen, Christian Karembeu, Boudewijn Zenden, Santiago Solari and Michel Salgado (captain) will be in Tehran as World Stars Team. They will participate in a press conference on Friday, and will attend a dinner feast.