Amsterdam, 16 February 2011 - Heineken® today launched its fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, giving football fans in Asia the memorable opportunity to experience the unique UEFA Champions League Trophy first hand. The Trophy Tour, launched by double UEFA Champions League winner Marcel Desailly at UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland, marks the start of an exciting line up of Heineken events for fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in May.

Heineken will give its Asian consumers a second chance to see the famous UEFA Champions League Trophy this year by taking it back to Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong four years after its first tour of the continent in 2007, when more than 50,000 fans turned up to see the prestigious trophy up close. Fans in South Korea will also get their first glimpse of the prize on this year's Tour.

The Trophy Tour was launched with an official handover of the cup by UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, and former England international, Graeme Le Saux to Heineken Ambassador Marcel Desailly. From Switzerland, the trophy will travel to Kuala Lumpur in February, then pass through the cities of Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kon Kaen and Seoul in March, before ending in Hong Kong in mid-April.

During the tour, UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassadors including internationally renowned legends such as Christian Karembeu, Steve McManaman, Gianfranco Zola, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jay-Jay Okocha will be present at events and meet with the media and fans.

Accompanying the Trophy as it tours Asia will be three lucky Heineken consumers, who have won the opportunity to travel with the cup through a global digital competition. To win their exclusive place on the tour, they used an innovative mobile phone application to find a number of virtual trophies scattered in a number of physical global locations.

Football fans in each country will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous trophy, see UEFA Champions League historical memorabilia and win tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 in London.

Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken's Brand Activation Manager commented: "This is the sixth consecutive year that Heineken, the world's most international beer brand, has sponsored the prestigious UEFA Champions League. For Heineken to be able to bring the excitement and inspiration of the UEFA Champions League Trophy directly to the fingertips of fans in Asia is extremely rewarding. Heineken provides football fans with extraordinary experiences, which will continue to entertain and amaze as we get closer to the UEFA Champions League Final in London."Commenting on the rationale behind the Trophy Tour, David Taylor, UEFA Events S.A. CEO, said: "The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football. The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken really demonstrates the true global reach and appeal of the UEFA Champions League. We are delighted that together with Heineken we can reward the passion and dedication of football fans in Asia by taking the trophy to them once again."