(From left to right) James White, Inter Milan’s Director of Commercial Strategy, Mansour al-Ansari, QFA Chief Executive Officer and Frederic Longuepee, PSG’s Deputy General Manager at a press conference yesterday. PICTURE: Mamdouh
By Joe Koraith/Doha
Football fans in Qatar will witness another blockbuster clash this December when Paris Saint-Germain will take on Inter Milan at the Al Sadd Stadium here in Doha. With both teams currently at the top of their respective leagues one can expect a keen contest on December 30th.
This mouth-watering encounter is the latest in the series of big club games that fans in Qatar here have been lucky enough to experience. The year 2014 began with PSG taking on Real Madrid. Later that year Qatar played host to the Supercoppa Italiana between Juventus and Napoli. And then in January this year it was the turn of Bayern Munich to take on the Qatar Stars League Stars. As for PSG, this will be their third friendly in the country. The first one was when they played QSL defending champions Lekhwiya in 2012.
“Both Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are flying high in their respective domestic leagues, so it promises to be an exciting match and occasion. The squads of both teams contain some of the most gifted players in the world and we are sure that every football fan in Qatar will be eager to attend this prestigious game,” said Mansour al-Ansari, QFA Chief Executive Officer.
“This match will help us in the preparation for the 2022 World Cup. It will also be treated as a test event for the U23 Asian Cup which will be held in January 2016,” he added.
The QFA CEO also said that this was another opportunity to showcase Qatar’s facilities to the world. “This is a confirmation of what we have done before. This game will further enhance Doha’s reputation as it looks to be the sports capital of the world,” said al-Ansari.
Representing the two clubs at the press conference were Frederic Longuepee, PSG’s Deputy General Manager, and James White, Inter Milan’s Director of Commercial Strategy.
“We are back in Qatar where we feel we are playing at home. We have strong ties with Qatar – fans and sponsors. We owe them a lot for the level where the club has reached today. Among the top European clubs, we are probably one of the most regular visitors to the Middle East. The fans are aware of this and we look forward to meeting them,” said Longuepee.
“This mid-season is very important for us and we are happy to be able to utilise the fantastic facilities at Aspire and Aspetar. These facilities are a revelation of Qatar’s pursuit of excellence when it comes to the sporting field. This country follows the best practices in the world and knows how to use the best professionals. I am convinced that the 2022 World Cup will be great success,” he added.
Inter’s White is looking at this match as an opportunity to test his team’s level against that of a team like PSG. “From a sporting perspective we are not in the Champions League this season and so this will be a great opportunity to benchmark the quality of our squad against that of PSG who are one of the top teams in the world. We have brought in quite a few players over the summer and this match will help us see how much we have progressed,” said White.
White stressed that his team was very impressed with the detailed planning that SC is doing for the 2022 World Cup. “I am incredibly impressed with the ambition and focus of the planning committee for the 2022 World Cup. It shows the innovation and long term planning of Qatar. The efforts are incredibly exhaustive and innovative. There is a focus on introducing technologies and facilities that will be ahead of their time in 2022,” he added.
The fans have 49 days to decide on their loyalties, book their tickets and come watch another mega-clash in Qatar.
