Tennis legend Rafael Nadal and Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola are among the names set to tee it up in the ‘Battle of Stars’ charity golf tournament this summer.
Taking place at Mallorca’s Pula Golf Resort and Son Servera Golf Club from June 12-14, celebrities and amateur golfers will team up once again to unite in the fight against ALS and multiple sclerosis.
Nadal and Guardiola will be making long-awaited returns to Mallorca golf, with both forced to miss last year’s event through injury. Joining the trio this year will be legendary footballers including Sweden’s Henrik Larsson, Argentine Gabriel Batistuta and Liverpool icon John Arne Riise.
Barcelona and Real Madrid stalwart Bernd Schuster will also appear alongside compatriot Uli Stielike, as well as Bordeaux manager Albert Riera – who had several spells in the Premier League as a player.
Active La Liga stars will also appear, with Barcelona’s Marcos Alonso among the line-up as well as Villarreal’s Pepe Reina and Manu Trigueros. Nadal’s uncles, Miguel Ángel and former coach Toni, will tee off alongside the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Among those flying the flag for France will be former World Cup winner Alain Boghossian, while Danish businessman Flemming Østergaard – former chairman of the company that owns FC Copenhagen – is also expected to appear. A host of Italian ex-footballers, including former AC Milan stars Mauro Tassotti, Roberto Donadoni and Stefano Nava, bolster the soccer contingent.
Away from the world of sport, reigning champion and musician David Otero will defend his crown; bullfighter Pepín Liria and actress Verónica Mengod are also returning for the second consecutive year.
ALS – which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – is rare and degenerative disease that damages nerve cells and has a progressive impact on voluntary muscle movement. Multiple Sclerosis, while sharing some symptoms, is a distinct condition that impacts an estimated 2.9m people worldwide. Proceeds from the Battle of the Stars will be donated to research committed to combatting both conditions.
This year, tournament sponsors include Mallorca’s Cap Vermell Grand Hotel, the Fundació Mallorca Turisme, Banco Santander and estate agent Inmobiliaria Sa Coma.
Arnau Sala, general manager at Pula Golf Resort, said: “Since we first developed the Battle of Stars it has been one of the highlights every year at Pula, not only because we take pride in seeing these legendary names on our course, but also because it allows us to do our part for a very important cause.
“The course is ready and the line-up is spectacular – we can’t wait to get underway!”