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Chance to watch Barcelona or Real Madrid in SG
Woohooo....
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/ED...-for-Barcelona
SINGAPORE - They are two great names in the football world, with players past and present that have lit up stadiums all over the world with their exhilarating style.
Organisers Football Asia have been in contact with both Real Madrid or Barcelona, and are working towards at least bringing the Catalan giants to Singapore.
Both the Spanish giants will tour the continent after the World Cup finals in South Africa, which end on July 11.
The biggest hurdle will be a venue, as the 55,000-capacity National Stadium will be secured next month in preparation for demolition work, as it makes way for the Sports Hub.
Football Asia broker deals with European clubs for Asia and the company's chief, Jon Collins, has been in touch with representatives of both Real and Barcelona since December about pre-season tours ahead of the 2010/11 Primera Liga season.
Earlier this month, representatives of Barcelona, the reigning European and Spanish champions, approached him to plan two pre-season friendlies in the region.
Said the Briton: "Within the next week, we have to find out if we can have the National Stadium or else it will simply be too late to plan this.
"A lot of Asian countries are keen to have them, Vietnam is bidding heavily to have them and is willing to pay ?2.5 million ($4.77 million). We will do everything in our power to see if we can get the venue to make it happen."
While the 27,000-capacity Floating Platform at Marina Bay will make for a spectacular venue for the likes of Barcelona and Real, Collins said it would not make financial sense.
"To have 27,000 people watch a big club like Barcelona does not make financial sense," he said. "You need 40,000 to 50,000 people to make it viable, and only the National Stadium can hold such a crowd."
Demolition starts after YOG but ...
There is a chance that the glamour friendly, possibly against the Lions, can be pulled off. The Singapore Sports Hub consortium have already said the stadium at Kallang will only be torn down after the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held here from Aug 14 to 26, because there would just be too much activity in the country prior to the inaugural Games.
The consortium's deputy chief executive officer, Bruno Castaigneg, is not confident, though.
"By next month the whole place will be barricaded and we will start moving equipment into the area.
"We will be responsible for everything that happens inside the area and for me, it looks difficult to organise a match because by July it will already be deemed a construction site and the public would not be allowed inside," said Castaigneg.
"You have to see the Singapore Sports Council if it's possible. If they consider this is such an important event and the only solution is the National Stadium and maybe something can be done with the construction for this particular day, then they will have to come and tell us," he added.
Their Asian tours will take place at least two weeks after the World Cup, and both Barcelona and Real have indicated they will have their full squads in tow.
That means Singapore fans could get a chance to catch Barcelona's Lionel Messi of Argentina and Spanish wizards Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in action.
Real's roster features Brazil's Kaka and former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
If successful, the match here will be staged close to the Soccerex Asian Forum from July 28 to 29, when many of football's biggest names are likely to descend on Singapore.
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/ED...-for-Barcelona
SINGAPORE - They are two great names in the football world, with players past and present that have lit up stadiums all over the world with their exhilarating style.
Organisers Football Asia have been in contact with both Real Madrid or Barcelona, and are working towards at least bringing the Catalan giants to Singapore.
Both the Spanish giants will tour the continent after the World Cup finals in South Africa, which end on July 11.
The biggest hurdle will be a venue, as the 55,000-capacity National Stadium will be secured next month in preparation for demolition work, as it makes way for the Sports Hub.
Football Asia broker deals with European clubs for Asia and the company's chief, Jon Collins, has been in touch with representatives of both Real and Barcelona since December about pre-season tours ahead of the 2010/11 Primera Liga season.
Earlier this month, representatives of Barcelona, the reigning European and Spanish champions, approached him to plan two pre-season friendlies in the region.
Said the Briton: "Within the next week, we have to find out if we can have the National Stadium or else it will simply be too late to plan this.
"A lot of Asian countries are keen to have them, Vietnam is bidding heavily to have them and is willing to pay ?2.5 million ($4.77 million). We will do everything in our power to see if we can get the venue to make it happen."
While the 27,000-capacity Floating Platform at Marina Bay will make for a spectacular venue for the likes of Barcelona and Real, Collins said it would not make financial sense.
"To have 27,000 people watch a big club like Barcelona does not make financial sense," he said. "You need 40,000 to 50,000 people to make it viable, and only the National Stadium can hold such a crowd."
Demolition starts after YOG but ...
There is a chance that the glamour friendly, possibly against the Lions, can be pulled off. The Singapore Sports Hub consortium have already said the stadium at Kallang will only be torn down after the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held here from Aug 14 to 26, because there would just be too much activity in the country prior to the inaugural Games.
The consortium's deputy chief executive officer, Bruno Castaigneg, is not confident, though.
"By next month the whole place will be barricaded and we will start moving equipment into the area.
"We will be responsible for everything that happens inside the area and for me, it looks difficult to organise a match because by July it will already be deemed a construction site and the public would not be allowed inside," said Castaigneg.
"You have to see the Singapore Sports Council if it's possible. If they consider this is such an important event and the only solution is the National Stadium and maybe something can be done with the construction for this particular day, then they will have to come and tell us," he added.
Their Asian tours will take place at least two weeks after the World Cup, and both Barcelona and Real have indicated they will have their full squads in tow.
That means Singapore fans could get a chance to catch Barcelona's Lionel Messi of Argentina and Spanish wizards Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in action.
Real's roster features Brazil's Kaka and former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
If successful, the match here will be staged close to the Soccerex Asian Forum from July 28 to 29, when many of football's biggest names are likely to descend on Singapore.
