Official Spokesperson for the FIFA Club World Cup: The tournament is going well
Muhammad Abdullah Hazam Al Dhaheri, the official spokesman for the FIFA Club World Cup “UAE 2021” and the Secretary-General of the Emirates Football Association, confirmed, in statements transmitted by the official website of the UAE Football Association, that all things in the tournament are going in an excellent way, from the arrival of the teams, training stadiums, entry procedures and public attendance, which gives cause for optimism in presenting a distinguished version, as is always the case in the Emirates and Abu Dhabi.
He said: Thankfully, there are no obstacles, all things are good, as the tickets are sold out. We are ready to receive the public and we have 750 volunteers to serve the teams in each match.
On the third day of the tournament, we feel reassured about what we have achieved so far. The opening day was good, and the great victory of Al-Jazira increased the success. We are very optimistic about the increase in interaction and momentum in the tournament, with the emergence of Al-Ahly of Egypt and the Saudi Al-Hilal.
And the official spokesman for the World Cup continued: Our focus is on providing an atmosphere of health and safety and maintaining precautionary measures, during exceptional circumstances, and in the Emirates and since the emergence of the pandemic, we have taken the lead in dealing with the crisis, through a special management for crises and emergencies, so the measures to prevent the Covid epidemic have been updated. Fans over the age of 12 must submit a green traffic case through the Al-Hosn application, and a negative PCR test valid for at least 96 hours, and in the event that it is not possible to submit the green traffic case through the Al-Hosn application, the Corona virus vaccine certificate should be shown, in addition to the result. The PCR check is valid for at least 96 hours. As for attendees under the age of 12, they must submit a green traffic condition through the Al-Hosn app, and a PCR check valid for at least 48 hours, and in the event that they are unable to submit the green traffic status through the Al-Hosn app, a PCR test result that is valid for at least 48 hours will be required.
Al Dhaheri stressed that the tournament enjoys the full support of the International Federation, and the numbers on the ground confirm that we have 7,400 registered in the permit system, and medical equipment for each match includes 40 paramedics and 5 ambulances, in addition to a large number of thermal examination cameras,
This ensures that the tournament will emerge in a manner befitting the Emirates, as our country has a good reputation for organizing and hosting all events in all fields, and we are confident that the tournament will come out in a manner no less than what the world is accustomed to about the Emirates.
The Secretary-General of the Football Association added: We are a country that leaves nothing to chance, this is how we are used to our wise leadership, and therefore all preparations for the event were completed well in advance. Hospitality halls for VIPs and journalists, in addition to the renovation of the VIP “cabins” – 12 “Skyboxes”, where external seats were added to enable spectators to enjoy the atmosphere of the match from outside the cabin.
He continued: The development also included media facilities and the press conference hall, while enhancing the experience of spectators through the renewal of all stadium seats, including audience seats: 3158, while the seats for VIP cabins amounted to 72 (each cabin accommodates 6 seats), 180 media seats, and 631 VIP seats. 2,050 First Class seats, bringing the grand total to 34,513.
Ibn Hazam referred to the renovation of the stadium’s internal roads and the establishment of temporary parking spaces for visitors, in addition to some technical works. He also indicated that the total number of PCR examinations is more than 3,511, and that the total number of working teams and the local committee in this tournament is more than 1,750 people.
He continued: We had hoped to solve the problem of overlap between the African Nations Cup and the Club World Cup, but we have now faced a fait accompli, and the matter is related to the brotherly Egyptian team’s ascension to the final, but postponing the tournament or delaying its date could have affected its holding, and therefore the tournament was held.
He concluded: I hope that an Arab team will win the World Cup, and I see that it is no longer a distant dream, as Al-Ain and Raja have previously appeared in the final match, and despite the loss, they confirmed the merit of Arab football and its development, and Al-Ahly was also found in third place twice, and Al-Hilal also enjoys great support from its fans and management. The club has the ingredients to help it achieve this, and perhaps Abu Dhabi will be fortunate to record such a history on its soil.