The final of the 25th Coupe de la Ligue BKT between RC Strasbourg Alsace and EA Guingamp will have a huge star in the opening ceremony: Arsène Wenger, who will present the trophy to the fans at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille.
After playing as a central defender from 1963 to 1981, Arsène Wenger ended his professional playing career at RC Strasbourg Alsace with a French league title in 1979. He then went on to become one of the best French coaches in the world, starting at AS Nancy Lorraine before moving to AS Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 Conforama title in 1987-88, and then Arsenal, where he helmed the Gunners for 22 years!
The Opening Ceremony will also be the occasion for 70 young footballers from the Lille region, selected by the Fondaction du Football, to take part in the festivities. They will unfurl giant banners of the club badges and take part in the pre-match formalities. It will be an unforgettable night for these youngsters, aged between 14 and 17, who will be on the field just minutes before the showpiece final kicks off!
