After witnessing the brilliance of Barcelona and Lionel Messi in 2009, the UAE again hosted the Fifa Club World Cup in 2010. Ahead of the tournament's return in December, John McAuley looks back to the most recent time the Club World Cup was held in the UAE.
QUALIFIED TEAMS
Al Wahda (UAE) - 2009/10 UAE Pro League winners
Hekari United (Papa New Guinea) - 2009/10 OFC Champions League winners
TP Mazembe (DR Congo) - 2010 CAF Champions League winners
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (South Korea) - 2010 AFC Champions League winners
Pachuca (Mexico) - 2009/10 Concacaf Champions League winners
Internacional (Brazil) - 2010 Copa Libertadores winners
Inter Milan (Italy) - 2009/10 Uefa Champions League winners
MATCHES
Play-off
Al Wahda 3-0 Hekari United
Quarter-finals
TP Mazembe 1-0 Pachuca
Al Wahda 1-4 Seongnam Ilhwa
Semi-finals
TP Mazembe 2-0 Internacional
Seongnam Ilhwa 0-3 Inter Milan
Fifth-place play-off
Al Wahda 2-2 Pachuca *Pachuca win 4-2 on penalties
Third-place play-off
Seongnam Ilhwa 2-4 Internacional
Final
Inter Milan 3-0 TP Mazembe
TOURNAMENT RECAP
Abu Dhabi’s second Club World Cup welcomed to the Emirates Italian giants Inter Milan, although African champions TP Mazembe stole their share of the headlines. The DR Congo side, defeated in their only match at the 2009 tournament, became the first team from outside Europe or South America to reach the final, upsetting Brazil’s Internacional 2-0 in the semi-finals. Achieved through second-half goals from Mulota Kabangu and Dioko Kaluyituka, the result was described by many as the greatest shock in the competition’s history. Mazembe would meet Inter Milan in the showpiece after the Italians won comfortably in their last-four clash against South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, with Dejan Stankovic, Javier Zanetti and Diego Milito getting the goals. The loud jeers that initially greeted Rafa Benitez’s image on the big screen at Zayed Sports City emphasised how important a victory it was for the beleaguered Inter manager. Benitez’s stock was a little higher by the time he departed the UAE, though, courtesy of another 3-0 triumph for his side in the final, when Goran Pandev, Samuel Eto’o and Jonathan Biabiany got on the scoresheet in front of more than 42,000 fans at Zayed Sports City. Inter were Club World Cup champions for the first time.
AWARDS
Golden Ball – Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan)
Top goalscorer – Mauricio Molina (Seongnam Ilhwa) 3
