Arsenal To Tackle European Rivals In Emirates Cup

See following release issued for Emirates Airline:

News Release, 31 July 2008

Arsenal Ready To Tackle European Rivals In Emirates Cup

This weekend sees the return of the Emirates Cup – the northern summer’s biggest international pre-season club football tournament, with European giants Juventus FC and Real Madrid CF joining the Emirates-sponsored teams, HSV Hamburg and Arsenal FC at the Emirates Stadium.

Emirates Stadium will be filled with 120,000 football fans over the weekend, with Sky Sports (UK) broadcasting all the Emirates Cup games live. The fixtures will also be screened live around the world on Sky Sports’ respective networks (in New Zealand on ESPN, digital channel 34).

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said he is looking forward to seeing his first team players take on some of Europe’s elite.

He added: “We’re really looking forward to continuing our pre-season preparations with the Emirates Cup. It’s a great opportunity to play competitive football in front of a full stadium. We play Juventus and Real Madrid, who will definitely present us with a tough challenge on both days of the competition.”

Press conferences featuring the head coach and leading players from each team will take place on Friday, with the tournament kicking off the following day.

All four teams boast many high-profile international players who will feature throughout the weekend’s sell-out tournament. Gunners supporters will also have the opportunity to see Arsenal’s first team squad play ahead of the 2008-09 season.

Emirates will have extensive coverage and brand presence throughout the Emirates Stadium, including electronic pitch-side branding, match programmes, and media backdrops for all interviews and media areas.

Mike Simon, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, said, “Emirates has a strong, long-term partnership with Arsenal and we are looking forward to welcoming these big clubs to compete in our special pre-season tournament. We want the Emirates Cup to represent the ultimate benchmark in preparation for their upcoming season.”

The Emirates Cup is another example of how committed the world’s fastest growing airline is to sport. As well as four top flight football clubs and as Official Partner of FIFA, Emirates sponsorships also span the world of rugby, cricket, horse racing, sailing, tennis and golf.

ENDS

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