UAE football fans will get the chance to see some of the FIFA World Cup stars in action here in December
Five of the eight nations that have reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa will feature some of the big names expected to travel with their clubs to Abu Dhabi later this year.
FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 qualifiers Inter Milan will have some of its leading players in the Brazilian, Argentina, Ghana and Holland line-ups over the weekend, while Mexico’s CF Pachuca’s skipper and veteran Edgar Benitez has made a regular appearance for Paraguay over the last few weeks.
Dutchman Wesley Sneijder will face his Inter teammates Julio Cesar, Lucio and Maicon, when Holland takes on Brazil on Friday night. Also in action on Friday is Sulley Muntari – representing Ghana against South Americans Uruguay.
UEFA Champions League hero Diego Milito will play alongside his Inter club mate and countryman Walter Samuel when Argentina meets Germany on Saturday night. Benitez, who was part of Paraguay’s team that knocked out Japan in a penalty shootout during the final round of 16, takes on Spain late on Saturday evening.
John Lickrish, General Manager for the Local Organising Committee of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010, says the World Cup has generated a lot of excitement across the country and believes this will continue once the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 begins.
“These champions are recognised all over the world and more so now after the World Cup, where we have seen so many surprises throughout the tournament. There is no better time for football fans to take advantage of seeing these World Cup stars in action than when they are playing here in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 gives all fans across the Emirates and the GCC the chance to be part of a similar experience and witness some great football matches along the way.”
Other World Cup stars expected to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 from December 8-18 are Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroon captain and Inter Milan striker, and his club teammates Dejan Stankovic (Serbia) and Rene Krhin (Slovenia). CF Pachuca, the CONCACAF zone qualifier for the FIFA Club World Cup, had several other players in this World Cup, including Francisco Torres (USA) and Paul Aguilar (Mexico).
The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 brings together the champion clubs from all six continental confederations - Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania. Abu Dhabi will host the tournament for the second consecutive year before it returns to Japan in 2011.
Four teams have already qualified for the prestigious event; the European champions Inter Milan, five-time UAE domestic league title-holders Al Wahda, Oceania’s Hekari United and CF Pachuca.
The other finals will take place as follows: CONMEBOL South American Champions final (August 18); AFC Asian Champions League final (November 13); CAF African Champions final (November 12-14).
The FIFA Club World Cup 2010 will be held in Abu Dhabi from December 8-18. Further information on the tournament, as well as coverage of the qualifying competitions from South America, Asia and Africa can be found at: www.FIFA.com/uae2010
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