KYIV: Some of European football’s finest players were back in action hours ahead of the Euro 2012 quarter-final collision between England and Italy – playing golf.

International players’ union FIFpro took advantage of the assembly of old heroes to organise its third Golf Open, some 25 miles from Kyiv. This was the first such event to coincide with the European finals, previous competitions having been staged at Cannes and Marrakesh.

Scheduled to drive and putt were former French internationals Christian Karembeu and Antoine Kombouaré as well as UEFA president Michel Platini, official duties permitting.

Other competitors listed were German 1990 World Cup-winners Stefan Reuter et Karlheinz Riedle, Italy’s 1982 hero Giancarlo Antognoni and three of Denmark’s 1992 European title-winners in John ‘Faxe’ Jensen, Henrik Larsen and Peter Schmeichel.

Other ‘golden oldies’ included Czech Republic’s Karel Poborsky, England’s Teddy Sheringham, Chris Waddle and Les Ferdinand, Holland’s Ronald de Boer and Pierre Van Hooijdonk as well as Belgium’s Marc Degryse and Geert De Vlieger.

= = =