Greece reward for football fans

Guests and winners having a ball of a time during the sailing trip around Ibiza island for Heineken‘s viewing party of the 2013 Champions League Final. — filepic

Late nights and lack of sleep are the main challenges faced by football fans in Malaysia during the UEFA Champions League season.

With matches taking place in the wee hours of the morning, fans not only have to endure broken sleep cycles, but many are also unable to enjoy the thrill of watching the matches with friends.

Those living with their parents, or with housemates who are not football fans, are forced to watch in silence and such a scenario is certainly a damper for any football fan.

Thankfully, Heineken is here to save the day with its “Champion the Match Nights” campaign, which aims to redefine the way Malaysians view late-night matches.

The UEFA Champions League has reached the quarter-finals stage with some mouth-watering ties on the cards.

Favourites Barcelona and Real Madrid face tough fixtures against Juventus and Bayern Munich, respectively.

 

Everyone’s favourite underdog Leicester City will be up against Atletico Madrid while Monaco will battle it out against Borussia Dortmund.

There was some intense action in the last-16 knockout stage, most notably Barcelona’s miracle comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich’s 10-2 aggregate thumping of Arsenal.

Monaco was also in the limelight in the previous round after knocking out Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and the free- scoring French side are expected to give Dortmund a torrid time in the last eight.

Last year, Real Madrid were crowned champions of Europe for the 11th time after beating Atletico Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout in Milan.

The holders meet German champions Bayern Munich, who are managed by former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian led Real to “La Decima” – the 10th time they were crowned European champions – by beating rivals Atletico 4-1 after extra time in the 2014 final.

Ancelotti is aiming to be the first coach to lead three different clubs to the title, after also coaching AC Milan to two Champions League victories.

Now, thanks to Heineken, football fans in Malaysia can get closer to the action and enjoy the excitement of Europe’s premier club competition.

Heineken has been the official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League for 13 years and this year, the brand is rallying consumers to change their behaviour towards match nights.

For instance, Heineken will offer tips through its website on how to fall asleep earlier at night and start your day by waking up in time for the match.

To encourage fans to attend the viewing party at selected nightspots, Heineken is also offering various rewards.

For a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience, fans can head out to participating bars to enjoy limited edition Heineken UEFA Champions League trophy bottles or cans and stand a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-finals live at the stadiums.

Through a special collaboration between Heineken and The Star, there are also invites to exclusive one-of-a-kind viewing parties to be won.

By answering four simple questions about Heineken and the elite competition, participants stand to win an all-expenses-paid trip on a luxury cruise in Greece.

Dubbed the Champions Voyage, it will feature a spectacular screening of the UEFA Champions League Final, amazing parties and impressive vistas.

Also up for grabs are passes to Heineken’s viewing party of the final match featuring ice-cold Heineken, snacks and entertainment, all within a cool space in Kuala Lumpur.

This contest will run for four weeks until April 28, with one question appearing in StarMetro each week.

Log on to thestar.com.my/heinekenucl to participate and for full terms and conditions.