Croatia, Korea, and Denmark to take part in 2006 Carlsberg Cup

Football fans in Asia are in for a treat this Chinese New Year as the 2006 Carlsberg Cup brings the excitement of World Cup football to Hong Kong. Anticipating the interest in next summer’s World Cup in Germany, Carlsberg and the Hong Kong Football Association have invited two World Cup qualified teams, Croatia and Korea Republic, to advance their tournament preparations in the Carlsberg Cup against European football power Denmark and the Hong Kong Representative Team.

The 2006 Carlsberg Cup will be played over the first and fourth day of the Chinese New Year holiday (29 January and 1 February 2006) at the Hong Kong Stadium, where Croatia will encounter Korea Republic, one of the Asian quartet in the 2006 World Cup, while Denmark will be confronted by the Hong Kong Representative Team at the knock-out stage.

Mr. Soren Holm Jensen, General Manager of Carlsberg Hong Kong Limited said, “we are very proud to bring the excitement of international soccer to the people of Hong Kong, particularly in this World Cup year. We hope that the 2006 Carlsberg Cup will add enjoyment to local celebrations of the Chinese New Year and signal the start of an exciting and successful year for Hong Kong on and off the pitch.”

The Carlsberg Cup not only signals the start of an exciting year of international soccer in 2006, but offers the participating teams a chance to shape their squads for the World Cup next summer or, as in the case of Denmark, exact revenge for missing out on the action in Germany. Croatia is making its Carlsberg Cup debut in 2006, while Korea Republic was a participant in the first Carlsberg Cup in 1985 and has appeared on two other occasions. Denmark won the tournament on its debut in 1994 and is making its 3rd Carlsberg Cup appearance in 2006.

Similarly to previous competitions, the tournament format will be a knockout competition. The schedule of play includes two matches on the first day of Chinese New Year (29 January 2006) and the 3rd/4th Place final and Carlsberg Cup final on the fourth day of the New Year holiday (1 February 2006).

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