Barcelona players board the flight as they prepare to leave for Doha to play against Al Ahli Saudi FC in the Match of the Champions at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, starting at 7.00pm today. Picture courtesy www.fcbarcelona.com
Doha: Spanish giants FC Barcelona will be looking to maintain their perfect record against a club from the Arab region when they take on Al Ahli, the current champions of the Saudi Professional League, in Doha today.
For Barça, this will be their first ever appearance in Qatar, and fans from around the world will converge at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, home of Al Gharafa Club, where the two hugely popular teams compete in the first ever Match of Champions, to win the Qatar Airways Cup.
The Catalan club have also never faced a team from Saudi Arabia but it will not be the first time Barcelona have played against a team from an Arab country.
This will be Barça's seventh such game and in the previous six they have a record of five wins and one draw from five friendlies and one official fixture.
Enrique's team will thus aim to maintain their unbeaten record.
The Catalans, which boast of one of the impressive striking trio in the form of Luis Suarez, Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi, will be missing just one player from the first team Jeremy Mathieu, on account of injury.
Manager Enrique has selected his 23 players for the trip to Qatar and has opted for 21 first team players plus two from Barça B team, Carles Alena and Borja Lopez.
Barca’s rival are reigning Pro League champion Al Ahli who are currently in third place in the Saudi Arabian first division.
The Saudi Arabian club are already in Doha and had a practice session on Sunday evening while the Spanish club will arrive late on Monday night.
For Enrique's side the match comes a few days after the Liga trip to Osasuna which they won 3-0 as they currently lay in the second position behind Real Madrid in the standings.
The two previous matches before the Osasuna one had resulted in draws.
Barca drew goalless with Malaga and later shared points in the one-all draw in the derby match with Real Madrid.
The two football giants are sponsored by Qatar Airways, and the airline carrier is happy to bring the mammoth match to Doha, the GCC’s ‘home of international football’.
Speaking at a press conference, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways believes in sport as a source of inspiration and a symbol of international unity, as teams and their supporters come together from around the world to celebrate the determination and spirit that is required to win. We are exceptionally proud to not only support two iconic teams through our sponsorship of FC Barcelona and Al Ahli Saudi FC, but to bring these two beloved teams together for what we are sure will be a phenomenal match – a Match of Champions, no less – with the worthy winner able to lay claim to the Qatar Airways Cup.
Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi and vice-president of the organising committee, said high profile matches help the FIFA 2022 World Cup hosts to analyse the shortcomings and prepare for the mega event which is six years away.
“The enormity of this match is a testament to Qatar’s growing standing as the home of international football in the GCC, where the world’s greatest players are converging to bring world-class competitions to the region. It is also a significant marker in our journey towards 2022 when we will proudly host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Through the Social Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, our leadership aims to promote sport as a physical activity, particularly amongst the nation’s youth. By bringing such popular sporting heroes to their doorstep – such as the legendary players of FC Barcelona and Al Ahli Saudi FC – we are enabling sports fans to live their football dreams, and are inspiring them to follow in the footsteps of their favourite players. For this, I would like to thank Qatar Airways for their continued support in not only facilitating global-level events such as these, but for contributing to the well-being and social development of Qatar,” he added.
Earlier, Al Thawadi and Al Baker unveiled the stunning design of the Qatar Airways Cup trophy for the first time.
Designed by a team from Qatar Airways, taking inspiration from the modern aircraft they fly, the Cup was handmade in Doha, cast in 18 carat gold. It is designed to reflect the global unity that sport inspires, and signifies the reward for teamwork, effort and determination.
Tickets for the match sold out within hours of release, with purchases made from around the world, with a full capacity stadium of 18,000 people set to attend the match. Football fans from as far-flung as Thailand and Singapore will fly into Doha especially for this premium match, truly cementing Qatar’s position as a leader in sporting entertainment.
