Hussain Hilali Joins Dubai Soccer Programme
Dubai, United Arab Emirates : Manchester United Soccer Schools Dubai (MUSS), part of Dubai Sports City, has announced the appointment of Hussain Hilali as a coach for the third season of the popular soccer program, which is due to start in November.
Hilali joins a team of highly experienced coaches who will help train hundreds of young soccer talents from across the region in a safe and enjoyable environment.
Iraq-born Hilali, a former player in Iraq's football league, has recently returned from an extensive coaching period in the UK, which included working on the MUSS residential courses this past summer. He is now qualified to join the MUSS coaching staff teaching young footballers the training methods and philosophy made famous by the prestigious Manchester United Youth Academy.
"The addition of Hussain Hilali gives MUSS Dubai the right mix of Arab and Western coaching styles and encourages a multi-cultural sporting environment," said MUSS Head Coach, John Shiels. "With a number of expert coaches on board for the coming season, we feel this will be our strongest year ever in terms of the number of participants and the quality of the coaching."
Hilali is the holder of the prestigious European (UEFA 'A') coaching license. "MUSS offers people an opportunity to really explore their footballing potential, with the support of dedicated training by professional coaches. I'm really looking forward to participating in this exciting programme," he said.
"Recruiting strong local talent is part of the mission of Dubai Sports City. Hussain Hilali's addition to the MUSS coaching team will add additional teaching resources and provide support for the game of football in the region," added Khalid Al Zarooni, President, Dubai Sports City.
Last season, more than 750 young footballers from across the region participated in the MUSS programme. The exciting plans in place for the 2007-08 season will help pave the way for MUSS's move into Dubai Sports City's purpose-built Football Academy the following year.
Registration is now open for the third season of Manchester United Soccer Schools Dubai. Application forms for the MUSS programme are available from the MUSS booking hotline, 04 329 3313, or via the MUSS website http://www.muss.ae
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About Manchester United Soccer Schools:
Manchester United Soccer Schools is run by Manchester United Merchandising, which is a subsidiary of Nike under the 13-year commercial alliance between the Club and Nike. MUSS offers coaching courses for footballers of all ages and ability, from eight years old through to adults. MUSS coaching and skills development programmes are consistent with the philosophy used by the famous Manchester United Youth Academy. More than 40 UEFA-qualified coaches run the courses in the UK and overseas.
About Dubai Sports City:
Dubai Sports City (DSC), the cornerstone project of Dubailand, is a $3 billion, 50 million square feet mixed-use development which will be the world's first integrated purpose-built sports city.
The development will be built around five major sports venues:
- a 60,000 capacity multi-purpose outdoor stadium for football, rugby, track and field and other sports and non-sports events
- a 10,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena suitable for all hard court sports as well as concerts and other events and also including a removable ice rink
- a 25,000 capacity cricket stadium, expandable to 30,000, with state-of-the-art facilities for players, match officials, VIPs, spectators and the media
- a 5,000 seat field hockey stadium
- The Dunes, a magnificent 18-hole Championship golf course designed by Ernie Els
In addition to the stadia, Dubai Sports City will feature a series of major sports academy facilities including:
- Dubai Sports City Football Academy, the home of Manchester United Soccer Schools, Dubai
- a David Lloyd Tennis Academy
- a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States
- the International Cricket Council's own ICC Global Cricket Academy
- the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation
- top class multi-sport training facilities including gymnasium and a 50 metre swimming pool
- a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre
Designed as a lifestyle development, Dubai Sports City will also feature comprehensive community facilities including:
? Next Generation Country Club and spa facility
? a large-scale shopping mall
? two retail hubs offering up-scale dining and boutique shopping
? a range of schools
? medical facilities
? community centres
? hotels
For further media information, contact Mikele Ugarte on +971 4 390 1950.
© Press Release 2007
