Abu Dhabi: The UAE on Tuesday won the right to stage the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup, beating bids from Japan, Australia and Portugal.
President Sepp Blatter announced the Fifa Executive Committee's decision to award the annual event to the UAE in Sydney yesterday after the UAE Football Association made a strong bid to host the champions clubs from around the world in Abu Dhabi.
With a prize money of $ 16.5 million on offer, the Fifa Club World Cup will bring together the champion clubs of Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania group with one representative from the UAE also getting a chance to qualify for the tournament proper.
AC Milan are the 2007 champions while Manchester United, along with this year's continental champions, will figure in the 2008 edition which will be played in Japan.
"It was between Japan and the UAE and I must say the UAE's proposal was a very attractive one," said Blatter. The tournament is scheduled to be held in December. The announcement comes as a huge boost to the sporting fraternity of the country, and to Abu Dhabi in particular. In 2009, the capital will also host the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula One.
Venues
- 2009: Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 2010: Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 2011: Japan
- 2012: Japan
AT A GLANCE: Fifa Club World Cup (Format)
- AFC - Champions League winners (Asian Champions)
- Uefa - Champions League winners (European Champions)
- CAF - Champions League winners (African champions)
- CONCACAF - Champions League winners (North America champions)
- CONMEBOL - Copa Libertadores winners (South America champions)
- OFC - Champions League winners (Oceania champions)
Club representing the host country
(The Oceania champions and one representative club of the host country will be involved in a playoff and the winners join the remaining five continental champions in the tournament proper. The European and South American champions are directly seeded into the semifinals.)
Prize Money (2008):
- Total: $16.5 million
- Winners: US$ 5 million
- Runners-up: US$ 4 million
- Third-placed team: US$ 2.5 million
- Fourth-placed team: US$ 2 million
- Fifth-placed team: US$ 1.5 million
- Sixth-placed team: US$ 1 million
- Seventh-placed team: US$ 500,000
Previous winners:
- 2000: Corinthians beat Vasco da Gama 4-3 (penalties) at Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro.
- 2002, 2003 & 2004 (not held).
- 2005: Sao Paulo beat Liverpool 1-0 at International Stadium, Yokohama.
- 2006: Internacional beat Barcelona 1-0 at International Stadium, Yokohama.
- 2007: AC Milan beat Boca Juniors 4-2 at International Stadium, Yokohama.
