ABU DHABI // Fifa yesterday urged the Abu Dhabi organisers of the Club World Cup to ensure the competition is well attended. Jerome Valcke, general secretary of world football's governing body, led a delegation to the UAE capital to unveil the logo for the tournament which will attract what he called "the cream of the cream" of club football to the capital.
He declared after inspecting the "excellent" facilities at Zayed Sports City, venue for the final on Dec 19, that "the first challenge for the UAE is that the tournament will be at the level of what it reached during its time in Japan". That means filling Sports City's 50,000 seats for the final and the 42,000 places at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium for other matches involving the seven competing teams. Valcke added it was imperative that the right price structure was found before the tickets go on sale for the event, which begins on Dec 9.
"You could say that the prices for tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are too expensive," he said. "It makes good sense to find an admission fee that would bring people into the two stadia, rather than turn them away." Mohammed Al Mahmood, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, who led the emirate's successful bid for two-year hosting rights of the prestigious competition, responded immediately to the Fifa directive.
"We will fill the stadiums - that is a guarantee," said Mahmood. "We are in negotiations with various promotional companies with a view to making tickets available to local children if the need arises." Demand for tickets will depend on the outcome of the various continental competitions over the next few months, particularly the European Champions League won last season by Manchester United. Another success by a big English club would boost interest enormously among British-based supporters and the ex-pat community here.
The winners of the South American Champions League final on July 8 will be less significant in determining the level appeal to potential Abu Dhabi spectators, who will probably be more concerned at which club from the domestic UFL earns the right to compete alongside the world's finest. Ismael Matar, the UAE international striker who plays for Al Wahda, said: "It will be the opportunity of lifetime for the players of one UFL team to compete at home against the world's best clubs.
"This will be a great moment for football in the UAE. The climate, the facilities and the local hospitality - everything will be perfect to create a top quality competition." The winners of the Pro League will open the Club World Cup against the Oceania champions. The winners of that preliminary contest will progress to meet any of the three champion clubs from Asia, Africa and Concacaf for the right to play either the Uefa representatives or the Conmebol (South American) qualifiers in the semi-finals.