Emirates Entertains FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 Fans as Global Football Stars Head to South Africa

Sunday marks the opening match of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The event, which will act as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will be contested by the host country South Africa, the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winner Italy and the champions from six continents, with Brazil returning to  defend the title which they won four years ago in Germany.
 
The other teams which make up the event are  current European Champions Spain as well as New Zealand, Egypt, Iraq and the United States.
 
Four of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ stadiums in South Africa have been selected to host the event with the final taking place on the 28th June at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
 
During the event, Emirates will be entertaining fans at Ellis Park with the Emirates ‘Goal Striker’, a computer based game which enables fans to test their skills against a virtual goalkeeper. It gives them a real taste of the stadium atmosphere and is even able to generate crowd noise to see how fans cope with the pressure of a penalty shoot out.
 
Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman, Emirates Airline & Group commented, “Emirates is very much looking forward to the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The event will act as a fascinating pre-cursor to next year’s FIFA World Cup™ and all eyes will certainly be on South Africa. Emirates’ association with FIFA provides a perfect platform to engage with fans on a global scale.”
 
Players that will be feeling the pressure first hand, as they compete for their national teams in South Africa include Italian midfield general Gennaro Gattuso, Brazilian protégé Alexandra Pato and FIFA World Cup™ winning Andrea Pirlo of Emirates-sponsored AC Milan, as well as Cesc Fabregas who captains the Emirates-sponsored club Arsenal.
 
Emirates is looking forward to welcoming sports fans to South Africa where a country rich in culture and diversity awaits them. With three daily flights in operation to Johannesburg from its central hub in Dubai and a daily flight to Cape Town, Emirates provides fans from across the globe access to the best possible travel options to see their teams compete in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.
 
Emirates’ partnership with FIFA began at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ when it became the first airline to sponsor the prestigious global sporting event. Following on from a hugely successful FIFA World Cup™ in Germany, Emirates cemented its status as an Official FIFA Partner up to and including the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil.Photo Caption: During the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, which kicks off on Sunday in South Africa, Emirates, an Official FIFA Partner, will be entertaining fans at Ellis Park with the Emirates ‘Goal Striker’, a computer based game which enables fans to test their skills against a virtual goalkeeper.

Excitement Mounts As Lazio And Sampdoria Line Up For The Upcoming Copa Italia Title

The 2009 Copa Italia Title is poised at an interesting stage as the live final match hits the screens of football enthusiasts on 13th May 2009. Live coverage of the matches will be broadcast on ART SPORT 4 available to Firstnet Premium and Pehla Gold & Silver subscribers in Dubai and the entire Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

With the final match underway football enthusiasts can gear up to watch the two major teams Lazio and Sampdoria square off for the 2009 Copa Italia title. The match will be telecast live on May 13 2009 at 5.00 GMT (9 AM UAE time), according to an announcement today by Arab Digital Distribution (ADD), the region’s largest pay TV platform Management Company.

This year’s game saw strong teams like Juventus, Inter Milan & AC Milan’s exit quiet unexpectedly. Lazio reached the final of the Copa Italia after beating Juventus 2-1 in Turin for a 4-2 aggregate win in the semi-finals. Sampdoria saw a strong comeback to the finals despite losing the second leg 1-0. Intermilan, stung by a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, gave themselves hope when Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck midway through the first half but Sampdoria held on to clinch a 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the final against Lazio. Lazio are still in the 10th place with 47 points from 35 games played and with Europa League qualification six points away whereas Samprodia have climbed up to 12th place with 44 points from 35 games played.

The sixty-first season of the tournament started on 9 August 2008 and will end on 13 May 2009. The winners earn a spot in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League 2009–2010.

The 2007–08 Copa Italia final was played, like the three previous editions, between Internationale and Roma. The match was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on May 24, 2008 and ended with a 2-1 win for Roma. This time around the two teams Lazio and Sampdoria are extremely enthusiastic to go out onto the field and play their final round as Lazio has been winless in 5 years (last winning the Copa Italia in 2004), while Sampdoria haven’t lifted a trophy in 15 years (last winning the Copa Italia in 1994).