9th Dubai International Sports Conference opens at Atlantis The Palm Hotel

Sport360 staff 13:10 27/12/2014
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  • Last year's winner: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronlaldo won the Globe Soccer Award last term.

    The ninth edition of the Dubai International Sports Conference will open tomorrow morning at 9am (in Dubai) in the new setting of the Atlantis The Palm Hotel, and with the hope of the Dubai Sports Council will break all the records of the previous editions.

    – #Quiz360: WIN dinner for 2 at Media Rotana

    For five years the formula has included Globe Soccer, and the last four editions have included the Football Awards at the end of the conference; which recognises those who enrich the world’s most popular sport. On the evening of December 29, we will learn the names of all the winners, chosen by a jury from the shortlists drawn up by the relevant associations (ECA, the European club association, and EFAA, the association of FIFA agents) and the choices made by the chief refereeing officers (the candidates are the referees who were in charge of all the major finals played around the world in 2014).

    The opening works, following the presentation by the organisers, will be left to Michel Platini, the UEFA President, as an acknowledgment of the European federation after the three successes at the most recent World Cups, won by Italy (2006), Spain (2010) and Germany (2014), with the first ever victory in South America and the taking of the lead over South America in terms of cups won (11 to 9).

    The fact that Europe has understood the current reality is shown by the attendance in Dubai. The sponsors are here (Emirates has called up Real Madrid and AC Milan for a friendly – with 42,000 paying spectators – on December 30) and they arrive here from all parts of the world, all the more given the forthcoming Expo 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    Also present here on December 29, will be the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò who has just announced Rome’s candidacy to host the Games in 2024 and he will come to reiterate that goal in the city which, above all others, deserves to be studied given that Dubai promises a “Smart” Expo.

    The opening will be solely for Michel Platini, on his second visit to Globe Soccer, with comment on all major issues, but with particular attention for the game itself and its needs. UEFA has stated it is against the introduction of video replays and probably its president, as a former star player, will justify that position in technical terms, clarifying the grounds for not so much a conservative approach as a defence of the authentic spirit of football.

    Moreover, if FIFA has now chosen to complicate the regulations with interpretations on the offside rule, this means that the search is on for doubt rather than for certainty.

    Platini will have alongside him Pierluigi Collina, UEFA’s chief refereeing officer, an excellent companion when talking about refereeing rules. The talk will return to the issue of goal line officials and the Brazilian timeout, and probably with a few new ideas on substitutions and yellow and red cards.

    The first day will then see Andrea Agnelli, President of Juventus, open the second session. Juventus has won the championship for the last three years in Italy and has led the table for four. The ECA has nominated it for the best team of 2014, together with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, considering Juventus’ record of 102 points established in May, the absolute all-time record for European football.

    Agnelli will talk about the situation of Italian football and the potential for growth of the only club in Italy which owns its own stadium.

    AC Milan, which arrived in the Emirates this evening, will be centre stage in the final session of the first day. This too is by way of recognition, this time to Berlusconi who managed to bring his club to be number one in the world in terms of international titles, a record equalled only last Sunday by Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. AC Milan will be discussed by Fabio Capello, Filippo Inzaghi and El Shaarhawy.

    On December 29, it will be the turn of Germany, the world champions, after a session which the UEFA Secretary General will moderate covering the organisational success of the Champions League and the new formula for qualifying for the European championships, with Malagò explaining the sustainability of major events after the IOC’s change in approach.

    The close will be entrusted to a very topical issue, given the opening of the transfer market scheduled for January 5. Dubai will present the first probable surprise, with Torres joining Miguel Angel Gil, the heart of Atletico Madrid famous for its footballing miracles and financial fair play.

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