Handover held before finals match between Japan, Spain

  YOKOHAMA – The hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup has been turned over from Japan to the UAE. The symbolic turnover was held at the International Stadium Yokohama last Sunday prior to a finals match between Japan's Kashima Antlers and Spain's Real Madrid. Real Madrid won the game. The FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the UAE next year and in 2018. The last time the emirates hosted the football games was in 2009 and 2010. The FIFA Club World Cup pits the winners of each of the six continental confederation matches against each other for the world title. At the turnover ceremony, Zvonimir Boban, FIFA deputy secretary-general of football; Colin Smith, competitions and events chief; and Kohzo Tashima, president of the Japan Football Association handed a football jersey to Aref Al Awani and Mohammed Al Dhaheri. Awani is secretary-general of Abu Dhabi Sports Council while Al Dhaheri is head of the UAE Football Association. Al Awani thanked the FIFA for giving the hosting right of the tournament to the UAE again while Al Dhaheri said he is proud that the FIFA Club World Cup will be held in the emirates as it coincides with Abu Dhabi's vision to be "the capital of world sports." GAC/Expat 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