Meet our 2023 finals ambassadors
January 13, 2023Our three ambassadors are the face of their respective finals: the UEFA Champions League final, the UEFA Europa League final and the UEFA Europa Conference League final. Throughout the season, they play an active part in the promotion of their city and were also involved in the knock-out phase draw held early November 2022.
Let’s take a closer look at who they are:
Vladimír Šmicer
A former Czech Republic and Liverpool midfielder, Vladimír Šmicer is this year’s UEFA Europa Conference League ambassador. He scored a key goal in Liverpool’s historic comeback in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. He coached the Czech Republic national team until 2013 and is now an ambassador for Liverpool FC. Throughout his career, he made close to 350 appearances for club and country, scoring over 60 goals.
Zoltán Gera
Multiple-time Hungarian player of the year, Zoltán Gera is the ambassador for the 2023 UEFA Europa League final. He was a key part of the Fulham team that went all the way to the UEFA Europa League final in 2010. Since 2019, he has been the manager of the Hungary U21 team. Gera ended his playing career with over 630 caps and 121 goals.
Hamit Altıntop
Former midfielder Hamit Altıntop is our ambassador for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. Throughout his footballing career, he played for the likes of Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Galatasaray, finishing at Darmstadt 98 in 2018. He is now on the board of directors of the Turkish Football Federation. His final career stats: 468 appearances and 42 goals.