Al Nasr will welcome German giants Hamburg for a friendly on January 9 in the inaugural Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge Cup, with the promise of an expanded event to follow during future years.
Swift negotiations concluded with the relegation-threatened Bundesliga side agreeing to play at Al Maktoum Stadium in the tournament, which is named after the Blue Wave’s chairman.
This could see the likes of ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lewis Holtby and former Arsenal centre-back Johan Djourou compete in Dubai for HSV.
Speaking at the unveiling on Monday, vice-chairman Ahmed Khoury revealed other elite outfits from Europe and even the growing Indian Super League may feature in prospective multi-team runnings.
He said: “The vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance and Industry of the UAE, was to make the event not only a match, but to also involve all the parts of Al Nasr. This year because of the time constraint we only have Hamburg – our vision next year is more than one club.
Something for Dubai's football fans to get excited about. @ALNasrSC are to play German giants #Hamburg on January 9, KO 19:45 #hsv #alnasr pic.twitter.com/VizzdNX2Uq
— Matt Monaghan (@mattmonaghan360) December 19, 2016
“The top teams come from the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga. Also, I think the Indian Super League is becoming very solid.”
This year’s match – which harks back to Nasr’s storied clashes against Pele’s Santos and Liverpool in the 1970s – is free to attend.
With the fixture coming during the Arabian Gulf League’s winter hiatus, Khoury stated coach Dan Petrescu was thrilled to have a chance to rehabilitate his injured stars and scandal-rocked striker Wanderley.
He said: “Petrescu feels this is a good way to bring all injured players and Wanderley together.”
In a busy night for UAE football, the game is also at the same time as the Arabian Gulf Cup’s semis.
