Football's stars set for aid game

Football's biggest names are being lined up to play an international benefit match for the victims of the Asian tsunami, which could be staged at an English Premiership ground.

As cricket's top players paid their respects to the 150,000 people lost in Boxing Day's disaster in a friendly in Melbourne today, it has emerged that football is close to finalising details of its own fundraising game.

David Beckham, Brazil's Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and Real Madrid's France star Zinedine Zidane are to be asked to make themselves available for the match, which is being pencilled in for a date between 9 and 22 February.

Sepp Blatter, president of world governing body FIFA, has held talks with his UEFA counterpart Lennart Johansson and an announcement is expected to be made later this week.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and the Football Association's executive director David Davies have already told FIFA that they would be prepared to help stage the game.

FIFA's deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne told Standard Sport: "We want to do something big to show that sport is holding hands with the victims of the tragedy.

"Big clubs in the Premiership have offered their stadiums. We have contacted the FA and, through Sven-Goran Eriksson and David Davies, they have said they want to participate in the joint efforts of FIFA and UEFA."

UEFA were negotiating today with players and clubs about the line-ups for the game. It is expected to involve a Presidential XI selected by FIFA chief Sepp Blatter versus a Rest of the World team.

The venue, date and players involved will be finalised in the next few days.

Old Trafford would provide the biggest English venue, but it would be easier to fly all the world's top players into London.

There also also plans to hold a FIFA-backed veterans game in Calcutta later this year, as well as other matches.