Sky Sports To Screen Star Sixes
Sky Sports has confirmed it will show exclusive live coverage of the recently announced Star Sixes tournament at The O2.
Presented by Pitch International (London), in partnership with sports management agency Football Champions Tour, Star Sixes will reunite some of football’s greatest players in their national team colours over four days of competition. As part of the new deal, every Star Sixes match will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Each Star Sixes player will be a fully-capped former international, with each country selecting a ten-man squad. The top two countries in each of the three four-team groups, plus the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals.
All group stage matches will be played during three ‘sessions’ on Thursday 13th July, Friday 14th July and Saturday 15th July, with all 12 countries to play one 20-minute match in each of these sessions. The evening session on Saturday 15th July will feature four quarter-finals before concluding the following day.
From, and including, the quarter-finals, all knockout-stage matches will feature two 15-minute halves, with a short half-time break. Matches that finish all square in the knockout stages will be decided by a penalty shootout.
Steven Gerrard’s England side, which includes the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and David James, have been drawn alongside Spain, Mexico and Scotland, who have Don Hutchison, Barry Ferguson, Dominic Matteo, Christian Dailly and Paul Dickov in their squad.
England will kick off on Thursday 13th July against Spain, featuring Carles Puyol, Gaizka Mendieta, Luis Garcia, Michel Salgado, David Albelda, Pedro Contreras and Alfonso Perez – before completing the group stage against Mexico on Saturday 15th July.
Brazil, starring Roberto Carlos, will also recreate their 1970 World Cup final against Italy when the inaugural Star Sixes takes place at The O2, London.
Pires, who will be partnered in the French squad by Marcel Desailly, Eric Abidal, William Gallas, Ludovic Giuly, Olivier Dacourt and Sebastien Frey, said: “We have three or four months to prepare, and for me and the other players it will be a privilege just to be out there playing again.
“It’s a smaller pitch so it will be very intense, and you need good reactions and skill. It should be really enjoyable for the fans. I am really excited to be playing against some great players again.”
Brazil, also featuring Juliano Belletti, were grouped with Jay-Jay Okocha’s Nigeria, China and Italy.
