The 2010 FIFA World Cup may be over, but the 2010 Emirates Cup is more than ready to lift the spirits of thousands of international football fans later this month.
Arsenal Football Club will once again play host to the world’s most exciting pre-season football tournament, which takes place at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The annual tournament, which is held on Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1st August, will feature four big name clubs – the hosts Arsenal, AC Milan, Celtic and Olympique Lyonnais. All will be eager to start their domestic seasons on a positive footing by lifting the Emirates Cup trophy.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, said: “Our sponsorship of Arsenal Football Club is essential to our global sporting strategy and the Emirates Cup, now in its fourth year, plays a vital part of our association with the club. With our new shirt sponsorship of AC Milan, who will be sporting the new AC Milan Fly Emirates home shirt for the very first time, it will be a pleasure to see them both taking on teams of such high calibre like Olympique Lyonnais and Celtic.â€
Arsenal Manager, Arsène Wenger commented: “I’m looking forward to these pre-season games already – especially with the excitement of the new season starting to build momentum. With the World Cup now finally over, the Emirates Cup tournament is the perfect opportunity to see which players will be staking a claim for the first team and finding out who has come back from South Africa ready and in good shape to play.
Wenger added: “Arsenal loves welcoming back its loyal fans for the first big game at the Emirates Stadium and it’s the perfect environment for the players to get their sharpness back after the summer break. We look forward to welcoming our guests – AC Milan, Olympique Lyonnais and Celtic – to the 2010 Emirates Cup. I’m confident that the fans of all clubs involved are in for a very special football treat.â€
Emirates will be engaging fans throughout the tournament with a regular fan-favourite promotion – The Emirates Upgrade – which awards two lucky fans from the crowd on the day with the opportunity to have their seats upgraded to the exclusive Diamond Club, all courtesy of Emirates Airline. This includes all the perks normally associated with top football club hospitality.
In 2004, Emirates and Arsenal signed the biggest club sponsorship in English football history. In addition to the Fly Emirates logo on the players’ shirts, Emirates also has naming rights of Arsenal’s home, Emirates Stadium.
Elsewhere, the airline sponsors AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, Hamburger SV and Olympiacos FC.
Emirates’ affinity with football continues as it is an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup™ and Official Airline and Partner of the Asian Football Confederation. The airline is also heavily involved in rugby, cricket, golf, horseracing, sailing and tennis.
