Former Chancellor, MPs to play for charity

World class tenor José Carreras will kick off a football match to raise money for charity on June 9 between a team expected to be led by former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and Maltese parliamentarians. The match will take place at Luxol grounds the day after Mr Carreras' concert in St George's Square, Valletta.

Otto Karasek, chief executive officer of the Bawag Bank in Malta, which is one of the sponsors of the concert, told The Times that money raised from the match will go towards Mr Carreras' Leukaemia Foundation, which is currently assisting a Maltese family.

The opera singer set up the foundation in 1988 after beating the life-threatening disease himself. He has since taken part in numerous initiatives to raise money for the cause.

Mr Schüssel, who now chairs the centre-right People's Party in the Austrian Parliament, will be accompanied by former deputy Chancellor Susanne Riess-Passer.

They will be heading an Austrian delegation of businessmen and will attend the concert, meet Maltese counterparts and also take part in the football match.

The organiser of the Maltese team, Nationalist MP David Agius, said members from both sides of the House would be taking part together with local businessmen and personalities. He said money would be raised through sponsorship and a collection is also expected to be made during the concert.

"This is our second match against the Austrians. We won the first one but I am not so sure what will happen this time," he said.

Mr Carreras, who achieved worldwide fame when he sang with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo at the 1990 World Cup, will be performing in Malta as part of his Mediterranean Passion Tour.

He will be accompanied by soprano Lydia Caruana and the National Orchestra of Malta, which will be conducted by the tenor's nephew David Giménez Carreras.

Tickets for the concert, organised by NNG promotions, are available online from www.maltaticket.com and from all Exotique outlets and Agenda Bookshops.