DUBAI // Michel Salgado, the former Real Madrid and Spain defender, is hoping to unearth the "new Emirati Messi or Ronaldo" as he scouts for talented youngsters over the coming months to take to Spain next summer for a two-week training programme at some of the best clubs in the world.
Salgado, who helped Madrid win four La Liga titles as well as the Uefa Champions League twice, made the announcement at a press conference at the Address Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday in his role as director of the new du Football Champions. The initiative hopes to attract more than 8,000 children between age 11 and 17 to take part in two, seven-a-side youth tournaments: the UAE Schools Cup and the UAE Streets Cup.
The UAE Schools Cup will see competition in three categories – the boys’ Under 14 and U16, and the girls’ U17 – and organisers said they are expecting around 500 teams from 200 schools to take part.
The UAE Streets Cup will be open for boys age 14-16, and the participating teams can come from schools, clubs, academies or even a team of friends.
The winners, along with the best talents at the tournaments, will travel to Spain for a two-week, all-expenses-paid trip, where they will train with some of the best coaches in Spain and play competitive matches courtesy of the du Football Champions’ partnership with Spain’s La Liga.
“This is not just about finding the new Emirati Messi or Ronaldo, although that is my dream here,” Salgado said. “This is about supporting the community, which is even more important. Football has made me and now I am here to support the kids and help them chase their dreams.
“The thing I love the most is to watch kids play. So I will be really happy when it starts and I see a lot of kids, from every background, playing in this championship.”
The two tournaments, which run concurrently, will kick off in Abu Dhabi with matches being played at the Zayed Sports City on October 17, 24 and 31. Al Ain will then take centrestage with games being held there on October 31, November 7 and 14 at the Al Ain Football Club before the teams return to Abu Dhabi for the regional quarter-finals on November 21.
After a short break, the du Football Champions, which is being supported by the sports councils of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will then resume at the Sharjah Football Club for the teams from the Northern Emirates, with matches scheduled for January 16 and 23, and the quarter-finals on January 30.
The Dubai leg will then be played at the Dubai Sports City on February 13, 20 and 27 and the regional quarter-finals on March 5. The teams from all the four zones will then assemble in Dubai for the semi-finals on March 12 and the finals will take place a week later at Dubai Mall’s Ice Rink.
“The most important aspect of doing this here is to select the top talents and take them to Spain to develop their football awareness, their skills and their talents,” said Hussein Murad, chief executive of Inspiratus, the organisers.
“The La Liga will be providing us with professional coaches during this trip to train these talents.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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