Dubai to be Top International Football Destination
Opening of the Dubai Sports City Football Academy to Set New Standard for Local Users and International Teams
Dubai is set to consolidate its position as a top international football destination with the forthcoming opening of the Dubai Sports City Football Academy – which is set to be one of the world’s finest football training facilities.
With fully accredited coaching and training programmes delivered by Manchester United Soccer Schools, and international-level pitches and facilities, every element of the Dubai Sports City Football Academy will be of the highest possible standard and will cater to all levels of the game, from children as young as six months to aspiring amateurs and professional teams and players.
Opening its doors in the second half of 2009, the Dubai Sports City Football Academy is already receiving interest from international football teams interested to use the academy for winter training camps, pre-season warm ups, and rehabilitation – further testimony to the demand and potential of the facility and its multi-dimensional sporting infrastructure.
The football academy features three full-size football pitches, including the first full-size indoor artificial turf pitch to open in the UAE, complete with FIFA 2-star artificial turf which is designed specifically to mirror the playing characteristics of professional football.
“Local football players will not have experienced a facility of this calibre before and they will have the chance to experience the same quality of facilities used by professional footballers worldwide. With surging demand for sports facilities and coaching programmes in the region, the opening of our Football Academy will provide a total football experience for players across the board, regardless of age and ability,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, President, Dubai Sports City
The Dubai Sports City Football Academy, through its partnership with international and local football authorities, will work as a centre of excellence to nurture talent and offer elite-standard coaching, giving all players the best opportunity to succeed.
The all-encompassing programmes of the Dubai Sports City Football Academy will support the community through grassroots, recreational, and special needs programmes.
The facilities will include changing rooms, meeting rooms, treatment suites, a gymnasium, lecture rooms, and a 200-seat indoor and outdoor spectator gallery. A restaurant and recreational areas will also be available, providing an environment where players, coaches, parents, spectators and officials can interact and watch the action on the pitch.
The Dubai Sports City Football Academy is situated within the Dubai Sports City Academies Campus, which includes the Dubai Sports City Swimming Academy; a David Lloyd Tennis Academy; a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States; the International Cricket Council's own ICC Global Cricket Academy; the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation; a Rugby Academy; a high performance gymnasium; and a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre.
Bookings are now open for all coaching programmes, leagues and facility hires. Call 04 425 1125 for more details.
