Top draw from Sir Bobby

William Johnson

• Last Updated: November 14. 2009 3:23AM UAE / November 13. 2009 11:23PM GMT

Sir Bobby Charlton draws the first team yesterday with UAE striker Ismail Matar watching. Rich-Joseph Facun / The National

ABU DHABI // Sir Bobby Charlton reluctantly handed back the coveted Club World Cup yesterday to its new UAE custodians and promised that his Manchester United club will be going all out this season in the European Champions League to earn the chance to win it back.

“We have been very proud to have this trophy in our Old Trafford boardroom for the past year and we’ve enjoyed showing it off around Manchester,” said Sir Bobby, a veteran of England’s World Cup winning team of 1966 and the United team who won the European Cup under the guidance of the great Matt Busby two years later.

Charlton, now a director of United and acknowledged as one of football’s most respected global ambassadors, conceded that his club’s Champions League triumph of last year was harder to achieve than the ensuing Club World Cup success in Japan

He pointed out, however: “You can only qualify to play in the Club World Cup by winning your own Champions League so we have to put a great deal of importance on both competitions.”

Charlton’s beloved United were denied the chance to travel to Abu Dhabi to compete in next month’s seven-team tournament because of the brilliance of Barcelona in the European Cup final in May.

“It is hard when you lose a trophy but I don’t mind losing it to Barcelona,” said Charlton. “They are a marvellous team full of world-class players and they fully deserved to beat us on a night when we didn’t really do ourselves justice.”

Charlton is favouring the Spanish giants to succeed United as Club World Cup winners by coming out on top in the final at Zayed Sports City on December 19, when, in all probability, they will face the South American champions Estudiantes de la Plata.

The Argentine name of Estudiantes has been etched on the memory of Charlton since he played against them in a bruising 1968 battle in the Intercontinental Cup, the Club World Cup’s predecessor, to decide bragging rights between the European and South American champions.

“We found a new way of playing football in those two matches,” he reflected. “They beat us 1-0 in Buenos Aires and we drew 1-1 with them at Old Trafford so they had the edge over the two legs.

“I remember the matches being so tough and so physical but they are the type of games you live for. But I still love Argentinian football and I would be very happy to see them do well here in Abu Dhabi.”

Charlton believes that the seven club jamboree, which opens on December 9 with a qualifying match between home representatives Al Ahli and the Oceania champions of Auckland City, will provide a massive boost to football in the Middle East.

“Look what has happened in Japan recently from starting their J League to hosting the Club World Cup. It has been great for football in that region and the same thing can happen here.”

Charlton’s official duty was to draw out two of the three balls which determined the fixtures for the eagerly awaited tournament. He decreed that either the African champions of TP Mazembe or Asia’s South Korean representatives Pohang Steelers will face Estudiantes in the semi-finals.

Helping with the draw was the UAE international Ismail Matar, who opened the second of the three balls which determined that the winners of the opening match between Al Ahli and Auckland City would face the Mexicans of Atlante for the right to meet Barcelona in the last four.

The short ceremony in front of a large gathering at Emirates Palace hotel was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi, the president of the UAE FA.

He expressed his pride at being able to host such a prestigious event on the global calendar and described it as “the jewel in the crown” of football in this country.

He said: “The heritage of this competition will be the effects on the young people of the UAE, it will be inspirational. The Club World Cup will be a legacy.

“We are now less than a month away from kick-off and anticipation for the tournament is building significantly. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the players, staff and supporters of all seven clubs, many of whom will be visiting the UAE for the first time.

“We are confident all of the hard work and preparations carried out by so many people over the past 18 months will ensure a memorable tournament for the whole UAE to enjoy.”



wjohnson@thenational.ae