Real Madrid icons Roberto Carlos and Fernando Hierro join Dubai's Fursan Hispania FC

Dubai: Dubai football club Fursan Hispania FC has welcomed Real Madrid legends Roberto Carlos and Fernando Hierro as it celebrates six years of developing young talent in the UAE.

The two former Spain and Brazil internationals join club co-founders Michel Salgado and H.E. Faisal Belhoul as Fursan Hispania enters a new phase of its development.

The announcement was made on November 12 as the club celebrated Fursan Hispania Day, bringing together players, families, coaches and partners to mark its progress since being established in 2020.

Fursan Hispania was founded by former Real Madrid defender Salgado and Emirati entrepreneur and investor Belhoul, building on the foundations of Spanish Soccer Schools, a football development programme originally launched by Salgado in Dubai.

The project initially focused on developing young players through Spanish football coaching methods before expanding into a competitive football club with a pathway from grassroots football to the professional game.

Just four months after its formation, Fursan Hispania entered the UAE Second Division and played its first league fixture in December 2020.

The club enjoyed immediate success, winning the UAE Second Division title in the 2021-22 campaign to secure promotion to the First Division in just its second season.

Since then, it has helped hundreds of young footballers develop their careers, with several graduates progressing into professional environments across Europe and the Middle East. The club has also established international partnerships, including an agreement with Spanish side Celta Vigo.

In 2025, Fursan Hispania brought its academy and first-team operations together under one structure, allowing players to progress through a unified coaching philosophy from their earliest sessions to senior football.

Carlos and Hierro will contribute to the club's coaching philosophy, coach development, international relationships and long-term ambitions.

Carlos lifted the FIFA World Cup with Brazil in 2002, while Hierro spent 14 seasons at Real Madrid and captained Spain. Both were also teammates of Salgado during Champions League triumphs in 2000 and 2002.

Fursan Hispania co-founder Belhoul said the club was established to give young players in Dubai and across the UAE a genuine opportunity to pursue professional football.

He added: "When Michel and I founded Fursan Hispania in 2020, we wanted young people in Dubai and across the UAE to have a real chance to play professional football. Six years on, we have won a league title, our players are moving abroad, and our academy and club work as one. Welcoming Carlos and Fernando Hierro tells every young player here that we take their ambitions seriously. We are proud to support the next generation as part of Dubai's sporting journey."

Salgado highlighted the progress made since the original academy was established, believing the arrival of his former Real Madrid teammates would provide another valuable opportunity for the club's young players and coaching staff.

Carlos also expressed his excitement about joining the project, saying: "Dubai has become one of the world's great sporting cities, and the talent here is real. I am happy to join my friends Michel and Fernando and to help these young players build the mentality it takes to win."

Hierro added: "Fursan Hispania develops the whole player: technique, character and education. That approach matches what I believe in. I look forward to working with the coaches and families to help more young players from the UAE reach the highest level."