Ronaldo to speak at sixth Dubai sports conference

Dubai: Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest high-profile personality to confirm his presence for the Dubai Sports Council's (DSC) Sixth Dubai International Sports Conference to be held in the city on December 28 and 29.

The Real Madrid and Portugal forward will join the likes of England manager Fabio Capello and Barcelona president Sandro Rosell at the forum, which will discuss various topics under the title ‘Football Companies — Current and Future Trends'.

Spectacular event

Ronaldo, the 2008 Fifa world player of the year, is one of the most recognisable faces in sport.

The 26-year-old, who is the most expensive footballer following his €101 million (Dh495.9 million) move from Manchester United to Madrid in 2009, is expected to share his experiences as a top-class player while also throwing light on the ingredients needed to make a successful footballer.

"Cristiano Ronaldo has time and again proved that he is among the best in modern-day football. His records and achievements speak for themselves and we are thrilled with his visit to attend our conference later this month," said Mohammad Al Kamali, DSC Executive Officer and Chairman of Professionalism and Development Committee.

"We are always thinking of ways and means to make sporting events spectacular, and Ronaldo's visit will definitely ignite the passion for football among our players who are on the path of professionalism."

The annual International Sports Conference is held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, DSC, and is meant to be a guiding light to hasten professionalism among UAE clubs.