UAE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: FIFA unveils its emblem for the UAE 2009 FIFA Club World Cup

Record ID: 252160

  • Title: UAE: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: FIFA unveils its emblem for the UAE 2009 FIFA Club World Cup
  • Date: 8th April 2009
  • Summary: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (APRIL 7, 2009) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEWS OF ABU DHABI EXTERIOR ZAYED SPORTS CITY STADIUM FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY
  • Embargoed: 23rd April 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA75NE09KW89DHYFPY4FLD157YL
  • Story Text: Abu Dhabi unveiled its emblem for the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday (April &). The Emirates state will host the tournament for two years in 2009 and 2010 before it returns to Japan.
    The Official Emblem features authentic Arabic calligraphy of the words The Emirates contained within a dome of red and orange hues to symbolically represent the combination of football with the warmth of the Arabian sun and the nation's celebrated heritage.
    The cup, which was inaugurated in Brazil in 2000, has been hosted by Japan since 2005.
    UAE sports officials are confident that the success the tournament enjoyed in its previous home will be replicated in Abu Dhabi. The capital's main stadium, the Zayed Sports City Stadium, will host some of the games including the final. It has a capacity of 60,000.
    "The challenge for the UAE is to make sure the tournament will be at the level of the one in Japan in terms of making sure that a lot of fans will come to the stadium. At the end of the fourth year in Japan, the stadiums were quite full with an average of 45,000 people in the stadium for each game.
    So that's the first challenge, to make sure that the crowd will be there in the stadium during the World Cup here in 2009 and 2010. I think that we have all the facilities we need, we have all the infrastructure we need here in the UAE to organise this event", said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.
    The UAE, where soccer is the most popular sport, has had some success in international football, winning the 2007 Gulf Cup of Nations and currently ranked fifth in Asia by the Asian Football confederation.
    The country has a history of hosting top football clubs and also has a Barcelona FC training academy.
    "This tournament is a great opportunity for all Emirati people to work and to have experience while participating in the organisation of this tournament, and that will be one of our roles to encourage all Emirati young people to participate so we can have new leaders in this sector of sport and especially in football", said Abu Dhabi Sports Council General Secretary Mohammed Ebrahim Al Mahmood.
    The UAE is also hoping the the tournament will improve its growing domestic football standards, as one Emirati club will have the chance to participate. According to UAE star midfielder Ismail Matar, rubbing shoulders with the world's best will have a profound impact on local football.
    "As a player, I would love to take part in this tournament and to benefit from it. I believe that the Emirati club that gets to play in it is very lucky because its players will benefit as they get to interact with the world's best", said UAE national team footballer Ismail Matar.
    The tournament will take place from 9-19 December and the winning team of the current UFL (UAE Football League) season will be invited to compete alongside the world's best clubs at the tournament.
    The first team to qualify will be from CONCACAF at the end of April.
    The O League champions from Oceania follow on 3 May, with the UEFA Champions League final on 27 May.
    The South American champions will be crowned on 8 July and the final two teams will qualify via the AFC Champions League and CAF Champions League in early November.
    If a club from the UAE wins the AFC Champions League, the next highest placed non-UAE club in this competition will also qualify, replacing the UFL champion.
    The seven teams will compete over eight matches for a prize fund of USD 5 million, with the winners earning USD 5 million.
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