UEFA EURO 2012™ TROPHY IN TOWN FOR THE
FIRST TIME

100 Lucky Carlsberg Fans to Watch the Semi-Final Live in Ukraine

PETALING JAYA, April 7, 2012 – UEFA EURO 2012™ fever rose in the Klang Valley when the championship’s official sponsor Carlsberg brought in the coveted UEFA EURO 2012™ Trophy much to the excitement of hundreds of football fanatics and Carlsberg fans gathered at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Centre.

The much-anticipated UEFA EURO 2012™ Trophy was displayed in all its sterling silver glory at a football stadium replica created by Carlsberg Malaysia, as the crowds, be it male or female, football fanatic or not, stood in queue for a photograph with the trophy since its arrival in town yesterday. Malaysia is the second and only other country besides India to host the trophy in Asia as the countdown to UEFA EURO 2012™ continues.

This is the first appearance of a UEFA EURO trophy in Malaysia since the European championships began. The UEFA EURO 2012™ trophy is an updated version of the one presented to Spain for winning the UEFA EURO 2008. Named the Henri Delaunay Trophy, it is 18cm higher and 2kg heavier than the original and made of sterling silver.

Soren Ravn, Managing Director of dynamic brewer Carlsberg Malaysia, said, “As official sponsor and most preferred beer brand in the country, Carlsberg is proud to reward football fans in Malaysia with a chance to get up close to the Henri Delaunay Cup, one of the most famous silverwares in the football championships.”

To top off the historic presence of the trophy in the country, Carlsberg launched its ‘Are You Fan Enough?’ consumer promotion which will see 100 fans from Malaysia receiving an allexpense paid trip to Ukraine courtesy of Carlsberg. The lucky fans will get to watch the semifinal live at Donetsk, Ukraine. This marks the single largest entourage in Asia to be sent on a chance-of-a-lifetime trip to experience the ‘live’ feel of UEFA EURO 2012™

Ravn added, “Creating rewarding and memorable fan experiences is central to connecting with our consumers’ passion for Carlsberg and the beautiful game. This is the seventh consecutive UEFA EURO tournament with Carlsberg as the official partner. And we wanted to take the excitement to new heights by making this year’s tournament unforgettable for Carlsberg fans and football fanatics in Malaysia, and one that will be treasured beyond the final in July.”

“No other beer has football as part of its heritage like Carlsberg. Our association with football goes back many years and today, from local pubs to international tournaments, Carlsberg is the game’s beer of choice and it is undeniable that Carlsberg and football make a winning team. Now that calls for a Carlsberg!”

According to Carlsberg, participating in its ‘Are You Fan Enough?’ promotion to win one of the 100 spots could not be easier. All one needs to do is purchase Carlsberg in a quart, pint or can at bars, restaurants, hypermarkets or convenience stores nearby. Consumers can look out for more details at participating stores.

These coming weeks will see Carlsberg engaging with consumers and football fans through viewing parties, promotions and many other digital activities.

According to Ravn, football fans and Carlsberg lovers can next look forward to a visit by Carlsberg’s global ambassador for UEFA EURO 2012™ Peter Schmeichel, legendary Denmark goalkeeper and winner of Man of the Match at the UEFA EURO tournament in 1992 that saw Denmark beating Germany to walk away with the trophy. Schmeichel will meet and greet his fans at selected locations in the Klang Valley during his 1-day visit.

“I believe I speak for all of us at Carlsberg Malaysia when I reaffirm our stand ‘Thirst for Great’ in all we do, and with UEFA EURO 2012™ being one of biggest football tournaments in the world, we aim to make it the greatest to-date,” Ravn added.

For more information on the ‘Are You Fan Enough’ consumer promotion and other activities, please visit www.carlsberg.com.my or facebook/Carlsberg.MY.

Quotation from Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Professor Dr. Adam W. Jelonek:

His Excellency Professor Dr. Adam W. Jelonek, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, said, “I am very happy and proud of the fact that Poland and Ukraine are organising such a big sporting event such as the UEFA EURO 2012™. This is a very good occasion to promote our country and its cultural heritage.”

 Jelonek added, “I know that Malaysians are great fans of football too and I am glad that there is so much interest on the UEFA EURO 2012™. Golden times of Polish football were in ‘70s and ‘80s. Many people still remember names like Grzegorz Lato, Zbigniew Boniek, Kazimierz Deyna or Robert Gadocha. I hope that UEFA EURO 2012™ will bring fans joy and excitement and that the trophy which we are welcoming will be a symbol of real fair play competitions.”

Quotation from Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Ambassador of Ukraine to Malaysia Ihor V. HUMENNYI:

According to the Ambassador of Ukraine to Malaysia, His Excellency Ihor V. Humennyi, the football fans and tourist visiting Ukraine during the UEFA EURO 2012™ will not only be able to participate in the actions of the football tournament but also to personally experience the hospitality of the Ukrainian people.

“Football fans and tourists can taste the delicious traditional Ukrainian cuisine and to see with their own eyes the historical and cultural heritage of one of the oldest cities in Europe. We hope that a lot of Malaysians will visit and enjoy their stay in Ukraine during the UEFA EURO 2012™.”

Carlsberg’s Longstanding Involvement with Football

Carlsberg is one the longest standing sponsors of the European Football Championships having first started in 1988, and is Official Partner to UEFA EURO 2012™.

For more than three decades, Carlsberg has been one of football’s largest commercial sponsors. It began in the 1970s when Carlsberg became the first sponsor of the Danish national team. Since then, Carlsberg has sponsored Team England and Wembley, Ireland, Switzerland, Serbia and Bulgaria. In club football, Carlsberg has wide ranging partnerships throughout Europe and beyond including a long running association with Liverpool FC, a recently announced deal with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur (England), FC Copenhagen, OB-Odense (Denmark), Hamburger SV, Hertha Berlin, FC St. Pauli (Germany), FC Porto (Portugal) and many more.

For 2012, the tournament will be held for the first time ever entirely in Eastern Europe, in Poland and Ukraine. A total of 31 matches will be played over 23 days, starting June 8 and ending on July 1 with the Final being played at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine. An estimated five to eight million people are expected during the tournament. The cumulative audience for the entire UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament is over seven billion people.