Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup attracts thousands of young footballers

A total of 130 teams from around the world will compete in the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup at Zayed Sports City on 29th-30th March.

Organised by Manchester City, the event welcomes teams from the Manchester City Academy, Melbourne City Academy and countries such as South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, and the UAE.

Manchester City Academy Director Jason Wilcox will also be in Abu Dhabi to attend the event. The two-day football tournament will see girls’ teams take part for the very first time.

"We are now in the third year of the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup. This is by far the biggest and most diverse edition so far. We have seen amazing interest from all over the world and it’s going to be a true festival of football," Simon Hewitt, from Manchester City, said.

The teams are split into age groups of under 8s, under 10s, under 12s, under 14s and under 16s, as they compete to be winners across the two days and be crowned champions on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to the trophy, the winning team will get a specially designed training programme with Manchester City coaches and a trip to watch the first team in action at the famous Etihad Stadium.

For his part, Yasser Al Yousuf, Vice President Commercial Partnerships, Etihad Airways, said, "As part of our strategy to bring Abu Dhabi to the world, we are excited to see young football players and fans from across the world following their passion and competing in Abu Dhabi as part of the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup."

In turn, Saeed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, "Aside from looking forward to the tournament itself, what we are also excited about is having the chance to showcase the emirate’s attractions to the players, coaches and fans coming for the Abu Dhabi Cup, many of whom will be visiting us for the first time. Our theme parks, beaches, and world-class retail experiences will surely be a hit with the crowds."

Abu Dhabi Sports Council is also playing a key part in the tournament.

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