Abu Dhabi: The UAE on Tuesday unveiled the official emblem of the 14th edition of the Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2017 to be held here from December 6 to 16.
The host chose to use the Fifa Club World Cup trophy shape for the emblem and the design was inspired from the UAE’s rich history, heritage and culture.
The iconic ball at the top of the trophy is created from Arabic calligraphy meaning Emirates. It features at the top of the emblem, and depicts a unifying force synonymous with the nation’s passion for the beautiful game.
“The Official Emblem is a true representation of the UAE’s cultural heritage. The beautiful multi-coloured sands of the desert form the basis of the emblem. From our precious historical traditions of fishing, sailing and pearl diving, reflected in the representation of the dhow, to the rich beauty of date palm leaves and trees that signify sustainability, this is a symbol for a phenomenal tournament taking place in the UAE,” said Major General Mohamed Khalfan Al Romaithi, chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the Fifa Club World Cup UAE 2017.
Al Romaithi went on to add that a lot has been talked about the “economic crises since the drop of oil prices” but added that he could assure everyone that the UAE will be fulfilling all the agreements they have signed.
“This event will be an answer to it and will show we are committed to all that we have promised including for other events. Hopefully Fifa will continue to support us when we would like to hosts more Fifa tournaments of this kind,” said Al Romaithi.
The Official Tournament Match Schedule comprising a total of eight matches to be played across two stadiums — Zayed Sports City in the capital and Hazza Bin Zayed in Al Ain — was also revealed. The opening match will take place in Al Ain on December 6 and it will see the domestic club champions of the host nation take on the champions of Oceania.
Organisers confirmed that if Al Ain or Al Ahli end up winning the Asian Champions League this season, then they will participate in the Club World Cup tournament at the expense of the Arabian Gulf League winner, which looks almost certain to be Al Jazira.
Fifa Chief Competitions & Events Officer Colin Smith said that Fifa is confident about UAE’s organisational capabilities and they are satisfied with regards to the preparations. However, the two stadiums will need some renovations to meet rising broadcasting demands, he admitted.
“We have two great stadiums in Shaikh Zayed Sports City which is undergoing refurbishment and Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium has a 22,000 capacity. For a tournaments like the Fifa Club World Cup where there is lot of media interest there are always modifications which we need to do for commentary, cabling and to make sure that the broadcast trucks are located at the right places. It is quite normal for a tournament,” said Smith, adding that Fifa have full faith in the UAE’s capability on the security aspect during the tournament.
“I personally don’t believe that the security aspect is a worry at all here. I have personally stayed here for six years and I’m very much familiar with the region. Security is something that we always work hand-in-hand with the local organising committee no matter where we organise an event,” said Smith.
President of the UAE Football Association Marwan Bin Ghalita was of the view that seeing more engagement from the citizens of the UAE will be the key.
“I need them to enjoy the game more. Everything else is there: the infrastructure, the human resources is all there. We need to attract and engage different citizens. We have more than 200 nationalities in the UAE and we need to engage a lot of them. Football is the No. 1 sport in the world, I’m sure those 200 nationalities love football. So the challenge and what I want to see is to attract them to all the games. And this will be a start-up for the Asian Cup in 2019,” said Ghalita.
