sentences:  The match was officiated by German referee Markus Merk.The match was first announced by UEFA at a press conference immediately following the derby match between Manchester United and Manchester City on 9 December 2006.The European Union proposed the idea to UEFA as a way of recognising the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which was signed on 25 March 1957 and laid the foundations for a united Europe and the European Union itself.