page_title: UEFA Celebration Match
section_title: Officials
hierarchical_section_title: UEFA Celebration Match / Pre-match / Officials
caption_attribution_description: Markus Merk, St. Jakob Stadion, Basel (Switzerland), Switzerland - Brasil 1:2
context_page_description: The UEFA Celebration Match was a football match played on 13 March 2007 as a celebration of both the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which laid the foundations for the European Union, and the 50th year of Manchester United's participation in UEFA competitions. Representatives felt it would be more appropriate to celebrate the landmark using a football match rather than another form of celebration. A Europe XI managed by Italian World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi played against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Manchester. The match was televised live on BBC Three in the United Kingdom and also streamed live via the BBC Online website. The £1.25 million raised went towards the Manchester United Foundation. The match was officiated by German referee Markus Merk.
context_section_description: Reflecting the various nations of Europe, the officials for the match came from four different countries. The referee, Markus Merk from Germany, had previously taken charge of the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final – also at Old Trafford – as well as the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final, and was the German representative at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and at the 2000 and 2004 European Championships, refereeing the final in 2004. Merk's assistants were Italian Alessandro Griselli and Belgian Mark Simons, while the fourth official was Howard Webb of England.
caption: German referee Markus Merk was appointed to officiate the match.
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