"I am delighted that UEFA is bringing this exciting exhibition to Liverpool during its Capital of Culture celebrations, a city that loves its football and plays such a big role in Europe’s fascination with the game,” said Michel Platini, President of UEFA and three times European Footballer of the Year.
Looking at European culture through the lens of football, Only a Game? highlights the parallels, positive and negative, between the two. Solidarity, success, participation, celebration, racism and integration will all be examined in this thought-provoking exhibition. The city of Liverpool has played a central role in this story.
Lilian Thuram, official patron of the exhibition and winner of both the World Cup and European Championship with France, said: “Football brings people together across Europe. It speaks a simple language that everyone understands. Only a Game? shines a light on all the actors that play a role: fans, school kids, amateurs, as well as the professional players.”
Highlights of the exhibition will include:
Player memorabilia from the National Football Museum - shirts, medals and trophies of great European players such as Phil Neal, George Best, Ferenc Puskas, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Stanley Matthews and Petr Cech
A display of UEFA trophies, including the Champions League trophy and UEFA Cup
A set of giant football figures telling the evocative personal stories of players, including Kevin Keegan, Bernd ('Bert') Trautmann and Johann Cruyff
Key items from the Everton Collection and from Liverpool FC Museum
Memory Zone where visitors can mix their own football highlights into a video clip and set it to a soundtrack
Interactive multimedia football quiz
Portrait gallery of grassroots footballers from Liverpool and across Europe
“Sport is part of Liverpool’s heritage and football has helped to shape this city of culture, so it should be no surprise to see it feature so prominently in the Capital of Culture programme,” said Bryan Gray, Chair of the Liverpool Culture Company.
“We are delighted to welcome Only a Game? to the European Capital of Culture; I can think of nowhere more fitting for this thought-provoking exhibition.”
