Spaniard Juan Carlos Ansue, former assistant coach of Barcelona Luis Enrique, thanked the management of Barcelona and Manchester City for agreeing to hold a match for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

And the Spanish newspaper Sport published Enzoy’s statement, saying: “I am very happy to see the Camp Nou with a great entrance, 73,000 tickets have been sold today and people should be encouraged to go to the stadium.”

He added: “It’s great to be able to contribute to ALS research. We will also give patients a lot of clarity as a result of organizing this match. These two goals are being achieved, and this is what I wanted.

He praised the role of the Poles in the match: “Xavi and Guardiola were great from the first moment and the management of the two clubs showed flexibility, the match should show the whole world how much it supports us Barcelona fans and those who will not be able to attend game, there will be an opportunity to make a donation.”

And he continued: “I had a little doubt that we would find a match with two teams of this level, with a great football idea, and then to the cause.”

Johnny Khoury