16/02/2007 11:00, Report by Ben HibbsEuro´ XI: Lyon trio addedThree more players have been added to the all-star Europe XI team to face United in the Jubilee Charity Match at Old Trafford next month.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Marcello Lippi go head to head on 13 March in the special match to celebrate 50 years of United in Europe and half a century since the Treaty or Rome, which laid the foundations for the modern-day European Union.
Olympique Lyonnais trio Eric Abidal, Grégory Coupet and Juninho Pernambucano have all accepted Lippi’s invitation to join his squad, which also includes David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Coupet is the first goalkeeper named in the squad, while Abidal, a French international left-back, joins Jamie Carragher on the list of defenders.
The selections of Juninho, Gerrard and Beckham point to an impressive collection of midfielders as well.
“It is a great honour for the club to have three players selected for a game of this nature,” said Lyon boss Gérard Houllier, who will accompany his players on the trip to England.
“It is always special to play at Old Trafford and my players are delighted to have the opportunity to meet up with other stars from top clubs who, like us, have become regulars in the Champions League.”