Real Madrid break Barca hearts in Dubai

Real Madrid stole a march over their erstwhile rivals Barcelona ahead of Sunday's Spanish Super Cup, being crowned champions of the first ever five-a-side Dubai International Indoor Football Championship on Friday night after a nail-biting 8-7 win in a frantic period of extra time.

The Dh100,000 tournament, organised by Dubai World Trade Centre in partnership with Dubai Sports Council, saw the two La Liga giants go head to head in the final following wins over UAE Stars and Al Wasl Club in the semis.

With normal time mostly dominated by Real, Barca came back from a three-goal deficit with just six minutes to go to force ten minutes of extra time, where captain Pepe Mesas struck after a short free-kick to win the game – and the title for Real.

With more than a thousand fans cheering on their footballing heroes, the tournament has been a success not only in the quality of the matches, but the quality of the event.

Oscar Montalban Ram, a key player in Real Madrid’s cup winning team said: “It has been a great tournament and a wonderful experience to come to Dubai. We were extremely impressed by the level of local football and to play our old enemy Barcelona in such an amazing final was perfect. It was a very well run competition and there is no doubt whatsoever we will be back next year to defend the title.”

Thomas Christiansen from FC Barcelona added: “It was obviously extremely disappointing to lose in the final, but we played well throughout the competition and can be proud of our performances. The tournament has been a great experience for us all in terms of seeing Dubai and its culture as well as playing in some great games.”

The final was the climax of a thrilling round robin competition over three days at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre between Barcelona, Real Madrid, UAE Stars, Al Wasl Club, Sharjah and a guest Palestine Stars team in what has been a stunning spectacle of world class football, adding another string to Dubai’s global sporting bow.

Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, DWTC said: “The sportsmanship and camaraderie we have seen throughout this competition both on and off the pitch have illustrated perfectly the spirit of the tournament. It has been a pleasure to see two of the world’s most famous football clubs playing against local teams and it we look forward to welcoming them back next year and strengthening Dubai’s standing as a global sporting destination even further.”

Dr. Ahmed Al Shareef Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: “This has been an excellent experience for Dubai to see such world class teams and for this event to have been such a success. Dubai Sports Council is totally committed to bringing sport to all residents, children and families, particularly during the summer months when they can enjoy indoor venues such as Dubai World Trade Centre and its facilities. This is a perfect example of our plans to involve more people and give them more time to enjoy more sport.”

Saif Al Mansouri, Deputy Head, Group Marketing and Branding of Emirates NBD, Strategic Sponsor of the tournament, said: “It has been a great pleasure to be the strategic partner for the competition, which fits perfectly within our role as an ambassador of economic and social progress for the UAE.”
 

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