Despite having been retired for the last five years, former Barcelona star Carlos Puyol can still attract a crowd. His magnetism was on full display on Monday during a UEFA Champions League trophy tour event, for which the Spaniard is the ambassador.

Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Puyol’s charms have certainly not faded. In his thick accent, he acquainted himself with the crowd with the greeting selamat siang! (good afternoon) before apologizing for his effortful English.

“I am sure we will enjoy a lot this trophy tour. I want all the fans to attend the event [as] it will be an unmissable event,” said the soccer legend before concluding his remarks with the Indonesian expression of gratitude terima kasih (thank you).

Visiting the country for the first time, Puyol, who started his career at Barcelona at the age of 17, will make three stops during the tour, namely in Jakarta, East Java’s capital Surabaya and Bali.

Soccer fans throughout the capital are invited to Lotte Shopping Avenue in Kuningan, South Jakarta, to meet the star and see the majestic trophy in person as well as other soccer memorabilia such as the jersey worn by Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard in the UEFA Champions League final in 2015.

The exhibition will be held until Tuesday before moving to Surabaya for another two-day stint on March 13 and 14 and Bali on March 16 and 17.

“This is the trophy I always dreamed of winning. I had the pleasure to win it in 2006. It was a dream come true,” added the former captain of Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

He went on to say that the moment in 2006 when he finally lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy for the first time was an experience he would never forget. Throughout his storied career, Puyol lifted the trophy three times in 2006, 2009 and 2011.

Indonesia is the third stop on the trophy tour after South Africa and Namibia. The trophy is scheduled to tour four more countries after Indonesia, namely Mozambique, China, Nigeria and the United States, before being presented to the winner of the tournament on June 1.

UEFA head of media and public relations Thomas Giordano said Indonesia was home to loyal soccer fans, with the tournament’s Facebook page being followed by almost five million fans in Indonesia.

Mariska Van Drooge, the marketing director of PT Multi Bintang Indonesia Niaga said it was an honor to sponsor the tour and bring the soccer star and trophy to Indonesia’s shores.

“It’s a great opportunity for fans in Indonesia to see the trophy up close and hopefully also have the opportunity to meet a legend like Carlos in real life,” she said.

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