We All Speak Football - SBS reveals on-air presenters and commentary team

We All Speak Football - SBS reveals on-air presenters and commentary team

Thursday 26 April

News Release

As football fans prepare to see legends of the game Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Salah play for their countries, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil and Egypt respectively, in a once in a lifetime parade of FIFA World Cup superstars, SBS is proud to also reveal the creative campaign, We All Speak Football, alongside the expert broadcast team.

SBS's coverage of the tournament will feature in-depth analysis of every team by former Socceroo Captain Foster, who will co-host SBS's match of the day coverage together with Zelic live from the studio in Red Square, free and in HD on SBS, the FIFA World Cup app and online via The World Game. The pair will also host a daily live highlights show that will cover all 64 games and feature special guests hailing from all over the world to share a range of perspectives on each day's events.

Trusted sports journalist David Basheer and former Australian footballer Craig Moore will join Zelic, Foster and Tyler, taking pride of place in the SBS commentary box to call every Socceroos match. Pitch-side tournament coverage and the best access on the ground will come from David Zdrilic, returning to Australian television especially for this year's competition, and a number of SBS reporters will round out the roving reporting team in Russia.

SBS Director of Sport, Ken Shipp, said: We're extremely proud of our football heritage at SBS and we are pleased to again be offering Australians the most experienced group of football broadcasting professionals presenting the comprehensive trusted analysis we are known for, live from Russia.

It's SBS's first World Cup without our beloved Les Murray, a.k.a. Mr Football, and we're committed to doing Les and the broader football community who will miss him proud. The campaign, We All Speak Football, taps into the unifying nature of the sport that bonds the world's diverse communities, and the fact that the World Cup is the absolute representation of this spirit.

SBS will broadcast the match of the day, every day of the tournament, live, free and in HD on television including all Socceroos matches, semi-finals and finals, totalling 25 matches across the month. SBS's coverage will begin with a blockbuster weekend of football featuring the opening match, Russia v Saudi Arabia, on June 14, and Australia taking on France at the family friendly time of 8pm on Saturday 16 June AEST.

SBS Radio will bring Australians all 64 matches live from the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia in English and in the languages of the teams competing. SBS Radio English coverage will feature expert analysis by former Matilda striker Kate Gill, former Socceroos goalkeeper Clint Bolton and current Melbourne City FC defender Scott Jamieson. Audiences will experience the passion of commentary in their language for free in the 2018 FIFA World Cup app, SBS Radio app and nationwide on SBS 1, SBS 2, SBS 3, SBS Arabic24, on digital TV and online.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia kicks off on June 14 live, free and in HD on SBS.

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP - TELEVISION BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

Opening Ceremony and Match: Russia V Saudi Arabia LIVE

Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Thursday 14 June, 10.30pm AEST** - kick-off at 1am, Friday

Group C: France V Australia LIVE

Kazan Arena, Kazan

Saturday 16 June, 7pm AEST** - kick-off at 8pm

Group C: Denmark V Australia LIVE

Samara Arena, Samara

Thursday 21 June, 9pm AEST** - kick-off at 10pm

Group C: Australia V Peru LIVE

Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Wednesday 27 June, 11pm AEST** - kick-off at 12midnight

**Times subject to change

FULL TELEVISION BROADCAST SCHEDULE TBA

SBS is presenting the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia in partnership with Optus Sport. Visit www.theworldgame.sbs.com.au for further details on how to watch every match.

*The FIFA World Cup is the most widely followed and watched sporting event in the world, with Brazil 2014 generating more social media conversation than the Superbowl, Oscars, and Winter Olympics of the same year combined. https://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/14/tech/social-media/world-cup-social-media/index.html

EDITORS NOTES:

BIOS:

Craig Foster, SBS Chief Football Analyst

Craig is Australia's 40th Socceroo Captain with 29 international appearances and formerly Captain at Crystal Palace FC, England having represented the likes of Adelaide City and Marconi in the National Soccer League.

A veteran football broadcaster of fifteen years with SBS Television, Australia, Craig is part of the Logie and multiple award winning team that covered six consecutive male FIFA World Cups, four female, the UEFA Champions League, Olympic tournaments and the English Premier League.

Life Member and former CEO and Chairman of Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), Australia's representative body for professional female and male players, Craig has a long history in player rights and the PFA awards an annual media scholarship in his name to encourage retiring players to achieve standards of excellence in the football media.

Australia's only Ballon d'Or judge for World Player of the Year (awarded by the prestigious France Football Magazine), columnist and author, Craig is one of Australia's most recognisable football voices and opinion shapers.

Holding a Pro-Coaching License, Craig coaches some of Australia's finest young talent as Head Coach with the Football NSW elite development program along with a Postgraduate degree in Football Management and Masters in International Sport Management from the Johan Cruyff Sports Institute in Barcelona, Spain for whom he acts as Education Ambassador to encourage young players to complete their secondary and tertiary education for life after football.

Craig's work in football extends to numerous charities and social c

LINK:	https://www.sbs.com.au/aboutus/news-media-releases/view/id/2505/h/We-A...
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