Abu Dhabi welcomed the Football world to the emirate with the launch of tickets to FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010, one of the prestigious club football tournaments in the world.

This is the second consecutive year Abu Dhabi is hosting the tournament which brings together the club champions from the six continents and the UAE domestic league champions who then battle it out for the honour of 'Club world champion'.

Five champions have so far booked their place in this year’s all-important club football championship – from as far away as Papua New Guinea to the UEFA Champions FC Internazionale Milano.

Two teams make a return to the club world cup - Concacaf champions Pachuca FC from Mexico has already made two appearances since the tournament was launched back in 2000, while the most recent entry is the 2006 club world champion SC Internacional from Brazil who hope to return Conmebol to the top of world club football arena.
 
The UAE domestic league champions Al Wahda FC will carry the hopes of the nation when it makes its international football debut. Two places still need to be filled with Asia and Africa set to find their representative in November.

The event is being presented by Toyota which promises another unforgettable tournament. This year the organisers have launched a revolutionary ticketing system for UAE.

When tickets go on sale tomorrow (September 21) football fans will experience international standards and a much faster and efficient way of purchasing match tickets, said the organisers.

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, he added.

In the presence of Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi, president of UAE’s Football Association, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mahmood, the general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Ko-ichiro Kato, Fifa head of Club World Cups and Al Wahda FC’s coach Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, the local organizing committee (LOC) introduced five of the seven qualified champion clubs and formally kicked off this showpiece FIFA tournament.

Welcoming the football community to the country, Al Romaithi, said: 'This is another great occasion for the UAE Football Association and we are delighted to be able to welcome the FIFA Club World Cup to the UAE for a second time.'

“Welcoming the champion clubs from each continent, being able to see world-class players in action, joining fans from around the world at the matches – all of these stimulate interest in the beautiful game. I am confident that this tournament and the activities planned to support will help inspire future generations.”

Mahmood brought to everyone’s attention the importance of legacy and cross-community co-ordination.

'When we welcome sports events and teams to Abu Dhabi, a critical factor for the Sports Council is that each leaves a legacy, that each helps us develop the future.'
 
Fans are being urged to purchase their tickets early to ensure they see some of these club champions in action. To make ticket purchasing easy, fans can buy their tickets from www.FIFA.com/uae2010 or through the Call Centre.

Once purchased, they can print them off at home whenever they like or alternatively, they can have souvenir tickets delivered to them by courier.

Tickets will contain unique barcodes, which will be scanned at the gate, allowing for increased security and management by the organisers. The stadium seating has been divided into three categories of tickets available to purchase – 1, 2 and 3.

The lowest priced seating starts at Dh20 ($5.4) for adults and Dh10 for children for Matches 1, 2, 3 & 4.  For Matches 5 and 6, prices will start at Dh195; and for Matches 7 and 8, they will be Dh295 for category 1 adult tickets.

In keeping with the FIFA Club World Cup’s objective of creating a family-friendly tournament, there will be discounted family tickets within each category, for all matches.

A unique “Choose Your Champion” campaign was also launched that profiles the unique personality and character of each participating club. The campaign will also spark a national hunt to find the biggest fans of each club living in the UAE.

Tournament organizers also announced an exciting entertainment programme for fans and the whole community to enjoy as the nation builds up to this historic football event

The community-wide activities are planned to engage all ages and backgrounds from schools and Universities, malls and cinemas, through to the Football Village on the Corniche and Fan Zones at the stadiums the plans around the 2010 tournament are extensive, the organisers said.

This is the last chance local residents will get to see such a prestigious tournament played at two world-class venues before the event returns to Japan in 2011/2012, they added.-TradeArabia News Service