Food for nostalgia. At the EPG Cup, an initiative of the Elite Players Group, the former world's best players from the eight countries that once became world champions don their football boots once again. “Fans will see that technical brilliance never goes away,” said driver Mathias Sarasola.
Between the Champions League final and the European Championship where today's stars shine, some legends bring back pure football nostalgia. Former international players who once played in a world championship and have more than 100 caps defending their country's colors in the EPG Cup.
The countries allowed to participate are the eight countries that have ever won a World Championship. These are England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
High requirements
The driving force behind this new project is the Elite Players Group (EPG). They are a group of former world stars along with entrepreneurs and experts. “Some of the best players in history want to continue competing in this new format,” EPG explains the endless ambition that retired footballers still have.
Teams are formed by players who have left a lasting mark on world football
Matthias Sarasola, President of Elite Players Group
It is EPG team president Matthias Sarasola who is pushing the accelerator to hold this tournament. “The Premier League Cup will create excitement among fans,” Sarasola promises. “As footballers prove that talent and passion have no limits, fans will see that artistic brilliance never fades.” Because of these high requirements, Sarasola and Co. are very selective about the players allowed to participate: “Teams are formed by players who have left a lasting mark on world football.”
The exact choices are not yet known, but we already know the leader of each country. Michel Salgado, among others, wears the captain's armband for Spain, Stephen McManaman for England, and Emerson for Brazil. The latter declares that he “wants to be a hero again.”
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” claims that it is already aware of some of the names. There will actually be five players participating who have once won the Ballon d'Or. Michael Owen will play for England, the legendary trio of Kaka – Ronaldinho – Rivaldo for Brazil, and Fabio Cannavaro will lead the back line in the right direction for Italy. Other potential legends in the EFL Cup include Frank Lampard (England), Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Thierry Henry (France), Hernan Crespo (Argentina), Mesut Ozil (Germany), David Villa (Spain) and Francesco Totti (Italy). . Diego Forlan (Uruguay).
The former stars will not play 90 minutes, but 70 minutes. Continuous changes are also allowed within the 18-player selection. The seven matches – starting with the quarter-finals – will be held on the same stadium. It is not yet known which stadiums the players and fans will travel to between June 4 and 11. According to the Daily Mail, negotiations will be held with several English Premier League clubs from northern England.
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