You would be forgiven had you never heard the name Al Ittifaq Football Club before January. The Dubai club ply their trade in the UAE First Division, the second tier of the professional game in the country, and with only three league wins all season they prop up the other 14 clubs above them.
On January 11, one player put the club on the map. That was the day the club officially unveiled former Italy international Mario Balotelli as their marquee signing.
"Super Mario" - the rebel striker, scorer of spectacular goals on the pitch and headline-grabbing antics off it. A Premier League and FA Cup winner with Manchester City, three Serie A titles from his early days at Inter Milan, but without an employer since being released by Genoa in December 2024.
It was an audacious move, one that would make Ittifaq the 14th club of the much-travelled Italian's career.
While results have hardly improved, Balotelli has registered three goals in four games for his new side. Last Friday marked his first home game for Ittifaq. The 35-year-old scored the equalising goal but was powerless to stop Al Arabi running out 3-1 winners.
That game proved to be coach Ricardo Pinto's final match in charge. The National can reveal former Juventus defender and Uruguay international, Paolo Montero, has been appointed in his place. Douglas Costa, the Brazilian winger who counts Bayern Munich and Juventus among his former clubs, will join in the summer.
News of Montero's appointment and Douglas Costa's impending arrival so soon after Balotelli's shock transfer signals an intent by the club's owner to improve the team's fortunes and standing, but there is a broader strategy at play, too.
Ittifaq are presided over by Pietro Laterza, an Italian businessman who also owns AC ChievoVerona, once a staple in Italy's top flight but now rebuilding after going bankrupt in 2021. They play in Serie D, where Douglas Costa will remain until the end of the season.
In an interview with The National, Laterza, whose business interests include Tre Elle Group Spa, a rapidly growing construction and infrastructure group with operations in the UAE, discusses his ambitions for the club, his decision to invest in the Emirates, and the high-profile names he is bringing to Dubai.
Why invest in Emirati football?
“The project was born because, since I already have business activities here in the United Arab Emirates, and my main company in Italy operates in construction and is now also starting here in the UAE, I decided to invest in football and link it to the project I already have in Italy. I am the owner and president of Chievo Verona in Italy, which is why the idea is to create a connection between Italian football and the Arab world, in order to help young players grow and to internationalise what is ultimately a broader sporting project.”
How does Balotelli fit in with the long-term project?
“I met with Mario at the beginning of December, and we discussed the project related to the UAE, specifically linked to Al Ittifaq, focusing on youth development, building academies, and creating a long-term plan. The goal is to eventually take the club into the top division, the Pro League, and above all to bring fans closer to football by investing in young people and families, creating entertainment spaces for everyone, and making it a serious but enjoyable experience.”
So is the focus mainly on developing the youth?
“The ambition is exactly that. We are already working on it by identifying a couple of locations we have acquired in Dubai, where we will develop youth sectors, teach children how to play football, and most importantly, teach them how to behave on the pitch. The idea is to help them grow step by step, with the dream that one day they could play in the top divisions, not only in the UAE but possibly internationally as well.”
When will Douglas Costa join?
“The agreement with Douglas came through a contact via Mario. It almost started as a joke! And since it was not immediately possible for Douglas to come to Dubai, we agreed that this year he would help us in Verona to achieve our objective of reaching Italy’s Serie C. Next season, he will be here at Al Ittifaq to contribute to the project of taking the club to the higher division.”
On living between Italy and Dubai
“For now, I live in Italy and travel back and forth frequently, spending roughly two to three months at a time in Dubai. I really like Dubai. I appreciate the social model, the lifestyle, and the organisation. So there is nothing preventing me from spending more time here in the future, or dividing my time between here and Italy. One of the great things here is the climate, so you could imagine spending the winter here and the summer in Italy or elsewhere. Home is wherever you feel most comfortable and choose to be.”
