Trophy Tour thrills fans in Boston

Fans in the football-mad city of Boston have enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime by getting close to the UEFA Champions League Trophy on the second leg of its tour around the United States.

The tour, presented by Heineken, has already proved a great success in New York. Two superstars of the recent past helped the Boston leg hit the heights as Trophy Tour ambassadors: Englishman Steve McManaman, who won the trophy with Real Madrid CF in 2000, scoring in a 3-0 victory over Valencia CF, before lifting it again with Madrid against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2002; and Frenchman Christian Karembeu, who also joyfully brandished the trophy with Madrid after a 1-0 triumph over Juventus in Amsterdam in 1998, and again together with McManaman in 2000.

Boston is a city with exceptionally large groups of football supporters, and hundreds of fans made their way to various soccer bars to see the trophy and taste the atmosphere of a competition which many of them might only know from seeing UEFA Champions League action on their television screens. Now, they were able to witness at first hand, and have their photograph taken with, the silverware coveted by the world's top players and Europe's major clubs.

A key objective of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour is to allow the fans to experience European football's blue-riband club competition, and at the first soccer bar enthusiasts were waiting for as long as two hours to go in and see the trophy.

Another positive spin-off was that supporters of different clubs – SL Benfica, Arsenal FC and Manchester United FC, among others – mingled and shared football experiences. UEFA is also using the Trophy Tour to promote positive football values such as Respect on and off the field. Other focal points include the campaign against racism, and the power of grassroots football to show that football is open to everyone.

The Trophy Tour's visit to Boston ended with a VIP event that hosted 350 guests and football admirers from Boston and the surrounding area. The party opened with McManaman and Karembeu being introduced to unveil the trophy. The two football legends played a full part in the success of the occasion, chatting with fans, posing with them for photographs and signing autographs throughout the evening. As well as the trophy, original memorabilia from previous finals and matches were on display, along with videos that brought to life the 50-plus year history of the competition, which began its glittering adventure as the European Champion Clubs' Cup in the 1955/56 season.

The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour of the US continues in Chicago (26 February to 3 March) and Los Angeles (13 to 16 March).