Abu Dhabi // Europe’s most coveted football trophy made its first UAE appearance in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Yas Mall on Friday.
The crowd gathered for the unveiling of the Uefa Champions League trophy, awarded each year to the winner of the world’s most prestigious club football competition.
The event was a prelude to the Uefa Champions League Experience, a retail and casual-dining outlet opening next month at the mall, said Leigh-Ann Lanier, director of strategic marketing for Marka, one of the groups behind the new concept.
Bringing the new football attraction to Abu Dhabi was the logical choice thanks to the sport’s popularity in the region, Ms Lanier said.
“We know football is the number one sport in terms of viewership,” she said. “It’s a sport that kids grow up with.”
She said, they were looking to generate a buzz in the lead up to this year’s Champions League final, which is set for June 6 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
“What better way to do this than by bringing the trophy to Yas Mall,” she said. “We’ve seen the tremendous passion that fans have here.”
An orchestra of violins, cellos, drums and horns played the Champion’s League theme song, with operatic singers, as the trophy was taken before a large audience of all ages.
Many football fans were in awe of the large silver trophy, which stands 73.5cm tall, weighs 7.5kg, and has the names of every team to have won it engraved on it.
“It’s amazing,” said Jordanian Waleed Khalid, 33. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
After its appearance over the weekend in Abu Dhabi, the trophy will travel to Berlin, where it will soon be held by this season’s winners. The competition is at the semi-final stage, with Italian club Juventus going up against Real Madrid, and Barcelona taking on German giants Bayern Munich in this week’s first legs.
All sporting the colours of Bayern Munich, the Marshall family from the United States, were at the mall to see the trophy.
“It’s exciting,” said Laura Marshall, a mother of two.
“We’re hoping to be the good luck charms that will draw the trophy to Bayern.”
“It’s bigger than I expected,” said her husband, Jeff, of the famed silverware.
Showing his temporary tattoo of the Champions League logo, Ali Al Jaberi, 30, came to see the trophy that he hopes will be carried by his favourite team, Real Madrid.
“This is a great moment,” he said. “This is fantastic.”
esamoglou@thenational.ae
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
THE HOLDOVERS
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
Rating: 4.5/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,600m
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
J Street Polling Results
97% of Jewish-Americans are concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism
76% of US Jewish voters believe Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party are responsible for a rise in anti-Semitism
74% of American Jews agreed that “Trump and the Maga movement are a threat to Jews in America"
MEDIEVIL (1998)
Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation, PlayStation 4 and 5
Rating: 3.5/5
