Abu Dhabi will be transferred into a football city ahead of the FIFA club world cup UAE 2010

Abu Dhabi will be transferred into a football city ahead of the FIFA club world cup UAE 2010

Fans encouraged to buy tickets now to avoid the last-minute rush.

November 5, 2010 3:35 by Rasha Reslan

Abu Dhabi will be transformed into a football fan’s haven in the coming weeks as the UAE capital prepares to welcome back the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 presented by TOYOTA this December.

A host of exciting community entertainment programmes will be unleashed across Abu Dhabi and the UAE ahead of the tournament starting on December 8th.

Tickets for the showpiece tournament are on sale with local organisers encouraging football fans to buy tickets early for the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in football in action here in the UAE.

HE Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, President of the UAE’s Football Association, said while the main attraction will be the football stars and the action on the pitch, there will also be an exciting entertainment programme planned for fans and the entire community to enjoy.

“The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 is more than just football, it’s about engaging the fans and the whole community,” he said. “Fans can enjoy the different activities taking place across the UAE and shift to total football mode ahead of kick off in December.”

Kicking off the pre-tournament entertainment extravaganza recently was the “Football Heads” – the life-size characters dressed in the iconic colours of the seven competing teams will travel around the UAE visiting public hotspots and creating excitement throughout the UAE in the run up to the tournament whilst giving out spot prizes. Their aim is to bring a sense of fun and intrigue to the tournament and the competing teams alike. The Football Heads dance routines and warm-up exercises performed at each location will excite fans and ultimately give them a taste of the fun that will be experienced at the tournament itself.

To coincide with the Football Heads launch, TOYOTA Yaris and Prado team cars have also been produced with each vehicle branded like the team jerseys and will include the team logo, the official emblem and ticketing details. Once the final two teams from Asia and Africa have qualified TOYOTA will produce cars with their team colours and details.

In addition to the Football Heads, the Football Village brought to you by Mubadala, which will be conveniently located at the East Plaza, Abu Dhabi Corniche, will aim to attract football fans of all ages and anyone interested in having a little fun. The Football Village will run from 25th November through to the 4th December.

Some of the exciting activities will include Match in the Sky – a team of acrobats playing a game of football on a vertical pitch in the sky – a range of football-themed games and competitions and many more things to do for the entire family.

The Football Village and Fan Zone experience will continue at the host venues, Zayed Sports City and Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, during the tournament itself with ticket-holders provided a whole range of fun activities to choose from during match days.

The stand at Marina Mall Abu Dhabi will also offer fans various entertainment activities including two types of new virtual technology. A ‘Pass and Move’ re-bound football game, weekend entertainment for all ages to enjoy, ticket sales and a chance to win some exciting prizes.

The entertainment programme adds another exciting element to the showpiece tournament which brings together the club champions from six continental confederations: Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania, as well as the winning team from the host city’s national league. From December 8-18 the teams will compete to be crowned club world cup champions over 11-days of action at Zayed Sports City and Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.

So far five teams have qualified – representing Oceania is Hekari United from Papua New Guinea, Mexican club Pachuca FC will fly the flag for CONCACAF, Italian giants FC Internazionale Milano hope to continue Europe’s domination while Brazil’s SC Internacional aims to become the first team in the tournament’s history to win the club championship for a second time (the CONMEBOL representatives won back in 2006). In mid November the final two places will be filled from Asia and Africa.

Tickets for the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010 are already on sale and organisers are encouraging football fans to purchase early to avoid the last minute rush and risk missing out on seeing some of the biggest names in football playing here in the UAE. This is the last time the UAE will host this tournament before it returns to Japan in 2011/2012.

Fans can buy their tickets from www.FIFA.com/uae2010 or through the Call Centre on 800 FLASH (800 35274) or +971 4 366 22 88 for international purchase. For the first time in the UAE, barcode technology and e-tickets will be used for a sports event, making it easy for fans to choose, pay for and print their tickets.