UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Popular teams and easy ticketing will boost FIFA Club World Cup attendance, organisers say

Record ID: 836444

  • Title: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Popular teams and easy ticketing will boost FIFA Club World Cup attendance, organisers say
  • Date: 21st September 2010
  • Summary: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (SEPTEMBER 20, 2010) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF NEWS CONFERENCE MARQUEES SET UP INSIDE SHEIKH ZAYED SPORTS CITY SOCCER GROUND CLOSE OF FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP FLAG AND LOGO INSIDE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM CLOSE OF NAME CARD FOR HEAD OF FIFA CLUB WORLD CUPS, KO-ICHIRO KATO (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF FIFA CLUB WORLD CUPS, KO-ICHIRO KATO, SAYING: "So I guess at this point we should say that we are perhaps waiting for two teams to qualify in order to start the competition, not forgetting that one of the most important factors is to have a full stadium, a good crowd in order to make this event an even bigger success than last year." CLOSE OF FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UAE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, MOHAMMED KHALFAN AL-RUMAITHI, SAYING: "I think, if you look in history at past championships, attendance has usually been low in the first stages of the competition and there is something important to be considered here which is the selection of the teams competing and the popularity of these teams. We do hope today that clubs that have gone through, especially the Brazilian and Italian clubs and of course the country's representative, Al Wahda FC which will have great support, we do hope that the qualifying teams from Asia and Africa are ones with big following, whose audience might be present (among the expat community) in the country." CLOSE OF NAME CARD FOR AL-RUMAITHI (SOUNDBITE) (English) UAE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, MOHAMMED KHALFAN AL-RUMAITHI, SAYING: "Unfortunately, Al Ahli started last season in very bad condition, lots of injuries, they didn't register enough non-UAE players, so they entered the tournament with low morale which was really, you know, bad for everybody, because even FIFA likes to see the local team progresses more and more in the tournament because it adds to the success of it. On the contrary, I think the Al Wahda this year looks in a much better shape." FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY / AL-RUMAITHI SHAKING HANDS WITH KATO, AL-WAHDA FC COACH ADENOR LEONARDO BAACHI AND WITH GENERAL SECRETARY OF ABU DHABI SPORTS COUNCIL MOHAMMED AL-MAHMOOD CLOSE OF FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TROPHY
  • Embargoed: 6th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Arab Emirates
  • City:
  • Country: United Arab Emirates
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7THV21QIB2KZRZYINIEI1PW8W
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: FIFA and local soccer officials announced the official opening of the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, and expressed their hope that crowds will fill stadiums following poor attendance when the city hosted last year's tournament won by Barcelona.
    The Cup will see the participation of European champions Inter Milan and Brazil's South American champions Internacional this December in competition for club soccer's ultimate prize.
    With a new and easier ticketing system and high profile clubs taking part, FIFA officials say they hope turn out this year will be higher than last year, which disappointed organisers during the first stages of the tournament.
    "So I guess at this point we should say that we are perhaps waiting for two teams to qualify in order to start the new competition, not forgetting that one of the most important factors is to have full stadium a full crowd in order to make this event an even bigger success than last year," said Head of FIFA Club World Cups, Ko-ichiro Kato.
    Gulf countries have long struggled to fill the stands in their soccer leagues despite building vast stadiums and attracting ageing talent like Italy's 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro.
    But UAE Football association president, Mohammed Khalfan al-Rumaithi, said turnout is usually slow at the outset but tends to pick up as the major teams enter the tournament at the semi-final stage.
    "I think, if you look in history at past championships, attendance has usually been low in the first stages of the competition and there is something important to be considered here which is the selection of the teams competing and the popularity of these teams. We do hope today that clubs that have gone through, especially the Brazilian and Italian clubs and of course the country's representative, Al Wahda FC, which will have great support, we do hope that the qualifying teams from Asia and Africa are ones with a big following, whose audience might be present (among the expat community) in the country," he said.
    The champions of Asia and Africa are expected to be crowned in November and the winning clubs will join European Champions Inter Milan, Mexican champions Pachuca from the North and Central America region, Brazil's Internacional representing South America, al-Wahda as the host club for the UAE and Oceania's Hekari United of Papua New Guinea.
    UAE officials also said barcode technology for tickets and a new e-ticketing system will make it easier for fans to buy their tickets.
    Last year, home side al-Ahli suffered a defeat at the hands of the Oceania champions in the play-off match to decide a berth in the quarter-finals. Many believed the home side's early exit harmed local interest in the event.
    "Unfortunately, Al Ahli started last season in very bad condition, lots of injuries, they didn't register enough, non UAE players, so, and they entered the tournament with low morale which was really, you know, bad for everybody, because even FIFA likes to see the local team progresses more and more in the tournament because it adds to the success of it. On the contrary, I think the Al Wahda this year looks in a much better shape," said Rumaithi.
    The first tournament was staged in 2000 in Brazil and this year will be the seventh tournament. The first three editions were won by Brazilian clubs while the latter three have been won by European clubs.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register