Participants in the Tournament Development Forum focus on the positives of the past years
Pasquet: The Pro League has not seen any manipulation of results since its inception 15 years ago
Pasquet: The efforts made in the UAE to prevent match-fixing are appreciated. From the source
Chief Commercial Officer of Nottingham Forest and President and Chief Executive Officer of Danfermlane Club: David Cook.
Football Sustainability Expert: Elliot Arthur Warsup.
image
Lecturers who participated in the UAE Football League Development Forum, which concluded yesterday at the Emirates Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, focused on the positives that the tournament has brought about over the past years.
The AFC Legal Advisor, Deputy Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics Committee and the Arbitrator at the Sports Court, Benoit Pasquieh, stressed that the UAE league enjoys the highest standards of integrity and control over matches, which have not witnessed any manipulation of results, since its inception, at the professional level 15 years ago.
Benoît Pasquié said during the forum: "It is a matter of pride to have a league in the yellow continent that applies integrity standards with such a high degree of professionalism, and to the credit of Emirati officials for attracting dozens of lawyers, and conducting workshops to educate players, administrators and officials in clubs, on the need to apply integrity in matches, as an active and successful element of local competitions, and give an impression to the world of how positive the competitions organized by the Pro League are for its competitions."
Pasquié pointed out that «the efforts made in the UAE to prevent match-rigging are appreciated by the AFC, which always praises these efforts during lectures and conferences organized within the yellow continent or participate in them anywhere in the world, with the provision of the UAE Pro League, which we consider one of the first links in Asia, in supporting integrity efforts in football, preventing match-matching, and other implications».
For his part, Nottingham Forest CFO and Danfermlyn FC President and CEO, David Cook, set a successful example of the UAE league on Al Ain Club, and its successes in the past years by reaching the final of the AFC Champions League and the Club World Cup.
Cook said: "Al Ain presented an ideal image of the UAE league, and can present through its levels clubs that can compete with major international clubs, but unfortunately there was no continuity after that to provide new models of clubs that can achieve the same degree of success that Al Ain provided in the Club World Cup."
The Chief Commercial Officer of Nottingham Forest also showed pictures of Hazza bin Zayed Stadium which is full of fans, stressing that these images represent the largest support for clubs in achieving financial returns through which they can implement their purchasing requirements from players.
He explained: «This stadium is an example of what can be used in the brands of clubs and increase their income, by linking fans and their families with clubs, by providing services to them represented in restaurants, cafes, cinemas and commercial malls, and providing everything necessary for the family to enjoy the day of the match, and enjoy the rest of the services provided by the club throughout the week, as happens in international clubs».
The UAE League Development Forum, which was organized by the UAE Pro League over two days at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, concluded its work yesterday, with the active participation of specialists from international and European federations (UEFA), and (Asian), and international lecturers in various disciplines of football, led by the former Spanish international star, Andres Iniesta.
The closing day witnessed the presence of the President of the UAE Pro League, Abdullah Al Junaibi, members of the Board of Directors, as well as officials, coaches and employees of the UAE League.
Benoît Pasquier:
• "The UAE Pro League is one of the first in Asia to support integrity efforts and prevent manipulation of results."
David Cook:
• "Al Ain presented a perfect image of the league, but there was no continuity from other clubs."
Elliott: Manchester City's management preceded the world's clubs in caring for the environment
During the second session of the forum, football sustainability expert, Elliot Arthur Warsup, gave a comprehensive presentation on sustainability, its relationship to efforts to support the fight against climate change, and the importance of preserving the future of the game and linking it to the effects of climate change, as football fans around the world are easily accessible and send messages related to combating climate change and preserving the environment, by clubs and associations.
Elliott touched on one of the most successful models around the world, which is Manchester City, the English league champion, and Elliott explained that «the City management preceded the world's clubs in caring for the environment, supporting sustainability efforts, and linking them to football», and touched on the UAE's efforts in general as well in that, praising the UAE as the first country to have an integrated city that takes into account environmental preservation and sustainability standards, which is Masdar City.