Trophy completes Rome's birthday honours

The city of Rome has received the UEFA Champions League trophy in the traditional handover ceremony – on a day celebrating the 2,762nd birthday of the Eternal City.

On display
The ceremony, now an established fixture on the European football calendar, sees the previous season's UEFA Champions League winners formally return the trophy to UEFA, who then hand the silverware to the host city to be put on display until the final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday 27 May.

Birthday
It was a special day for Rome, as according to legend, the city was founded on 21 April 753 BC. The handover ceremony at the Sala Protomoteca at the Campidoglio started with a giant screen showing the highlights of last year's final, in which Manchester United FC beat against Chelsea FC after a penalty shoot-out in Moscow.

'In love with football'
Manchester United CEO David Gill and former striking hero Ole Gunnar Solskjær came into the room, with each holding a handle of the trophy. UEFA President Michel Platini was there to greet them and receive back the trophy. "I'm happy to be here in Rome with people in love with football," he said. "We hope to see a beautiful final in a beautiful city."

Children's initiative
Mr Platini also announced an initiative for the victims of the recent earthquake in L'Aquila, in which children from the stricken area will be invited to take part in the activities for the final on 27 May. The UEFA President then passed the trophy over to the Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno. "We give our word that we will show the best face of Rome for the final," said the mayor. "It will be a day of celebration and joy."

Italian joy
"The trophy has arrived in Rome and we are glad about it," said vice-president of the Italian Football Federation, Demetrio Albertini. "It will visit various cities in the country, such as Florence, Milan, Naples and Turin. Having won this competition, I perfectly know that the trophy is heavy – but it's very light to lift when you win it."

'Breathe the event'
"The final is not only a football game but an event," said UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti. "The popularity of this competition is constantly growing. There will be events around the city starting on the weekend before the match, in order to involve as many people as possible even if they don't have tickets for the final. We hope that all the Rome citizens will be able to breathe this event."