Sport | Football
Fan Park packed for final party
There was a live football match, thousands of cheering, jeering and flag-waving supporters swaying to Shakira's Hips Don't Lie.
- By Vikram Singh Barhat, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 July 10, 2006
Dubai: There was a live football match, thousands of cheering, jeering and flag-waving supporters swaying to Shakira's Hips Don't Lie.
Painted faces came armed with drums, whistles, blow horns, and megaphones. And on the pitch were Italy and France locked in a battle for supremacy.
Yet it was not Berlin, but the Fan Park at the Convention Centre in Dubai.
Many of the 3,000 fans descended as early as 7pm and paid Dh50 per ticket for a slice of Berlin.
Safi Qureshi, a young supporter in French colours, came an hour before the kick off to make sure he got a ticket.
He said: "I think France will win 2-1. I am very sad about the fact that it is Zidane's last outing. I hope he changes his mind."
Fabrice Laborie, a Frenchman, said, "We have no reason to feel nervous. We have beaten Italy in our last two encounters."
Bearing the Italian tricolour on her face was Setareh Fasihnia, 16, an Iranian student who felt "it is going to be tough, but it's Italy's game. They have the perfect team, the best defence, offence and keeper".
Setareh confessed having a soft corner for France skipper Zidane, but her loyalties clearly rested with the pasta posse.
It was a record turnout at the Fan Park and the organisers spared no effort to make it an electrifying experience for supporters.
Faces were painted, flags distributed and fans were kept busy with foosball before the start of the match. Cashing in on the fever, a sports channel was distributing free T-shirts, caps and mugs among the fans.
The food stalls, on the other hand, were mostly ignored by fans more hungry for football. The adidas's on-site store, however, did brisk business selling the last of 80 Italian jerseys before the start of the match.
There may have been deadlock on the pitch, with France and Italy evenly matched to the end. But it was a different story at the Fan Park.
The supporters of Italy were larger in number and louder in their support, even though France enjoyed a sizeable backing.
When the Italians scored the equaliser in the first half of the match the hysterical supporters jumped to their feet and cheered Italia! Italia! at deafening decibels.
There were plenty of sideshows fighting for attention.
There were the drums, impromptu breakdance performances and even a punch up among supporters that was quickly quelled by an efficient security apparatus.
The match brought down curtains on this month long football festival. And on the display of hope and heartbreak, fashion and passion at the Fan Park.
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