Petr Cech: Ex-Chelsea goalkeeper to guest as netminder for Belfast Giants in Ukraine charity game
- Published
Cech won 13 trophies during his 11-year spell as a Chelsea player
Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will play as netminder for a Belfast Giants All-Stars team in a charity match in Belfast on Wednesday.
The Champions League winner will guest for the Giants at the SSE Arena against Dnipro Kherson in a game being held in support of continuing ice hockey in war-torn Ukraine.
Cech has been playing ice hockey since joining Guildford Phoenix in 2019.
He moved up a division when he signed for Chelmsford Chieftains in November.
The former Czech Republic international played in last month's NIHL Division One South cup final, which the Chieftains lost to Invicta Dynamos.
"I'm excited to participate in the game. With the Belfast Giants having just completed the treble, I don't doubt that there will be a good feel and atmosphere around the SSE Arena," Cech, 40, said.
"It's a charity game for a great cause, and I'm always happy to help and support wherever possible to help change the lives of other people. I hope that everyone will come along on Wednesday night to enjoy the occasion and cheer on both teams.
"It's going to be great to come back to Belfast as I have great memories of winning the Uefa Super Cup there a few years ago with Chelsea, and I'm looking forward to making some more on Wednesday night."
Cech left his role as technical and performance adviser at Chelsea last June, having held the position since 2019
That appointment had marked a return to Stamford Bridge for the former Blues goalkeeper, who won 13 trophies - including four Premier League titles and the Champions League - during his 11-year spell as a Chelsea player.
Adam Keefe's Belfast Giants completed an Elite League trophy Grand Slam with a play-off victory over Cardiff Devils on Sunday night.
Wednesday night's visitors to Belfast, Dnipro Kherson, play in the Ukrainian National Championship and their stadium has been destroyed in the conflict.
The match is part of an initiative called the Ukrainian Hockey Dream, which aims to raise money to support up to 7,500 young players and coaches across more than 100 clubs and 15 schools in Ukraine.
The Giants' team will consist of former and current players, along with a number of special guests.