Dubai: Manchester United legends Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes will feature alongside Ronaldinho, Hernan Crespo, Deco and Michel Salgado, in the finals of the second edition of the Premier Futsal competition at Al Wasl from Tuesday to Sunday.
Premier Futsal was set up in India last year, with Luis Figo as its figurehead, and involves five-a-side teams from six Indian cities; Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi, each of which have one of the above legends as their marquee player.
The rest of the teams are made up of players from each city who have been selected through trials.
Games from this second season have been ongoing in round robin format with the spectacle touring Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai since September 15. Now the knockouts and final will be held in Dubai for the first time this week.
Last year’s first edition was won by Giggs’ Mumbai Warriors, who beat Salagdo’s Kochi 3-2, with games played in Goa and Chennai.
Mumbai’s Giggs and Bengaluru Royals’ Scholes, were both part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Class of ‘92 at Man United, winning 13 Premier League titles and two Uefa Champions League honours, including the treble in 1999.
The respective former Wales and England players will be up against Delhi Dragons’ Brazilian 2002 Fifa World Cup winner Ronaldinho, a two-time Fifa World Player of the Year [2004, 2005] with one Ballon d’Or [2005], who won two La Liga titles and one Uefa Champions League with Barcelona.
Fellow former Barcelona man Deco of Portugal, who also won two La Liga titles and one Uefa Champions League with the Catalans, will play for Hyderabad’s Telugu Tigers.
Argentina’s Crespo, who won three Serie A titles with AC Milan and the Uefa Cup with Parma, will represent Chennai Singhams, and Spain’s Salgado, who won four La Liga titles and two Uefa Champions League honours with Real Madrid, will again represent the Chennai Singhams.
Portugal’s Figo, who won one Ballon d’Or [2000] and one Fifa World Player of the Year [2001], with two La Liga titles at both Barcelona and Real Madrid with a Uefa Champions League also at the latter, will be present in an honorary role this week but won’t be playing.
There will be two matches a day on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday before Sunday’s final. Earlier games will start at 6.00pm each day followed by the second match from 7.30pm.
Sunday’s final will start at 6.00pm. For more information visit: www.premierfutsal.com.
