14/12/2004
NEWS STORY
Michael Schumacher, who hasn't driven his F1 car since the season finale at Interlagos, faces an altogether tougher challenge tonight (Tuesday), when he plays football alongside some of the greatest names in the game.
The German is playing in the 'the match against poverty' at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, as part of the United Nations Development Programme.
Schumacher, a keen amateur footballer, will share the pitch with legends such as Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane.
"I am always a little self-conscious when I'm on the field with people like Ronaldo, Zidane, or the others," the German told on his website, "but it's for a good cause.
"I can promise that I'll try my best to entertain the crowd at the stadium. And I hope they will keep in mind that I'm a racing driver and not a professional soccer player."
The match, which has the official approval of FIFA, the sport's governing body, will be refereed by Pierluigi Collina, a man who doesn't take any nonsense and has refereed some of the sport's greatest contests.