- European champions Chelsea face Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021™ semi-final on Wednesday, while Abu Dhabi outfit Al Jazira meet Monterrey in the fifth-place playoff.
- More than 50% of tickets for the semi-final encounter were sold to people based outside of the UAE
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – : Football fans in Abu Dhabi will get their first sight of UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea tonight, when a mouth-watering double header takes place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital.
Chelsea are featuring for the first time in this year’s edition of the FIFA Club World Cup™ – having previously finished as runners-up in 2012 – and take on their AFC Champions League winning counterparts Al Hilal, with a place in the final up for grabs.
The European champions have brought with them a large number of supporters from the U.K., while the UAE’s large English expatriate population should guarantee even greater backing for the Londoners. They will be greeted at the stadium by the incredible teams of FIFA and the Local Organising Committee, that consists of more than 1,750 staff and 750 volunteers that are delivering the safest, most family-friendly environment as possible.
Despite entering the tie as favourites, Chelsea captain and veteran César Azpilicueta is cautious of Al Hilal’s quality. “We know that a tournament like this is very quick. It will be a touch match and we have to show our strength from the first minute. Al Hilal is a very dangerous team, and we know they have a big attacking force,” the 32-year-old Spanish star said.
Chelsea’s opponents will have a swell of support themselves, with thousands of Al Hilal fans having already made the trip across the UAE-Saudi Arabia border to get behind their men from Riyadh who are just two wins away from becoming the first AFC winners in FIFA Club World Cup™ history. In total, more than half of the tickets for the game have been sold to people based outside of the UAE for a game that will further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s status as a premier international sports hub.
“Chelsea is a big team and everyone wishes to face them. We all hope we can perform up to the highest standards expected from a club like Al Hilal. We look forward to our fans’ big support and presence in the stands tomorrow,” said Al Hilal star midfielder Mohammed Kanno, who scored in his team’s 6-1 win over Al Jazira just a few days ago.
Also on Wednesday, UAE Pro League champions Al Jazira meet CONCACAF kings Monterrey in a fifth-placed playoff at the Al Nahyan Stadium (17:30 GST), and the Abu Dhabi club’s coach Marcel Keizer is proud of how the emirate has successfully delivered this prestigious tournament.
Keizer said: “Everybody has done a fantastic job here in organising everything and the city has done very well.”
Midfielder Yousef Ayman added: “We call upon our fans to be present with us and we hope to make them happy by winning the match.”
Monterrey boss Javier Aguirre was at the helm of Abu Dhabi outfit Al Wahda from 2015-2017, and the 63-year-old has been delighted to be back in the UAE capital.
“I spent two years working here, in this room, in this stadium,” said Aguirre, who lifted the UAE League Cup and UAE President’s Cup during his tenure at the Al Nahyan Stadium. “I made a great deal of friends here in the country and I lived very well here in the UAE. It’s brought back great memories.”
Strict Covid-19 measures are in place to ensure a safe environment during the tournament, to protect the health and safety of everyone involved. For the latest health and safety protocols, please visit FIFA.com/news/health-and-sanitary-protocols.