Lyon refuse to release Essien for tsunami game

LYON, France, Jan 22 (Reuters) - French champions Olympique Lyon say they will not release their Brazilian internationals Juninho and Cris and Ghanaian Michael Essien for a benefit match to help victims of the Asian tsunami.

The 'Football for Hope' match organised by FIFA will take place in Barcelona on February 15.

Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane are among more than 50 of the world's top players invited to play in an XI captained by AC Milan's European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko and a Ronaldinho XI.

"We are facing a schedule of five matches in two weeks during that period. We have to protect our players," Lyon's administrative director Marino Faccioli told reporters on Saturday.

Lyon will not release Juninho for the Brazil-China exhibition match scheduled for February 9 in Hong Kong either, he added.