Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is giving football fans a unique insight into Manchester City Football Club’s (MCFC) pre-season US tour, which sees the English Premier League outfit play five matches in four cities, culminating in a final game with reigning European champions, Italy’s Inter Milan.
The ‘Abu Dhabi Travellers Welcome Manchester City on Tour – Summer 2010’ – runs until 31st July across the USA, and is being hosted by ADTA as part of its recent three-year deal as ‘Official Tourism Destination Partner’ with the top-flight team.
Through ADTA’s website www.visitabudhabi.ae, fans can log on to read exclusive English & Arabic updates from MCFC’s centre-back, Micah Richards, detailing the team’s progress throughout the tour. In addition, the Tour Video Diary is regularly updated on the website, with interviews, footage and training tips from the squad, which includes top international names such as Dutch World Cup finalist Nigel de Jong, English trio, Adam Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Gareth Barry and Argentina’s Carlos Tevez.
A ‘Spot-The-Ball’ competition will also run on the official MCFC website (www.mcfc.co.uk) after the MCFC v Sporting Lisbon match in New York on Saturday 24th July (UK time), giving a football enthusiast and friend the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi.
“This is a great opportunity for football fans across the globe to get a different angle on what is happening with the team in the build up to the start of the English Premier League,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA.
“Via this sponsorship, we also have a strong platform to demonstrate the emirate’s own sporting credentials to the US market which has easy access to the emirate through Etihad Airways’ services from Chicago and New York.”
MCFC has already been training in Portland, Oregon, and played its opening warm-up game last weekend against the Portland Timbers, winning 3-0. The team is now heading off to New York, where it squares up against Portuguese Liga Sagres outfit, Sporting Lisbon on 23rd July and the New York Red Bulls on 25th July.
MCFC will then head to Atlanta, Georgia for its 28th July game against Club America before rounding off the tour against Series A champions, Inter Milan, on 31st July in Baltimore, Maryland.
The fan engagement programme is being complimented by a wealth of on-ground activities for stakeholders and future Abu Dhabi visitors across the US, bolstering North American awareness of the emirate.
ADTA is Manchester City’s fifth global partner and joins Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, Umbro, Etisalat and Ferrostaal.
Under the deal, which runs until the end of the 2013 Premier League season, Abu Dhabi’s brand will appear on perimeter boards around the City of Manchester Stadium at every home league and domestic cup game, ADTA has exclusive naming rights to the club’s Carrington training ground and is the sole title sponsor of all pre-season tours.
