Do you think you have the drive of Sir Alex Ferguson, the passion of Arsene Wenger, the tactical nous of Rafa Benitez? Well now is your chance to put your pride on the line with the UAE's first international standard fantasy football competition. The National, in conjunction with Abu Dhabi Media Company, Al Ittihad and Super Magazine is pleased to announce the launch of www.goalarabia.com, which will be home to the biggest and best fantasy football competition in the Emirates.
The state-of-the-art website is part of an exclusive partnership with Clever TV, using the same technology behind the superb Daily Telegraph and ESPN fantasy sites. Goalarabia.com houses our flagship competition, based on the English Premier League and you can register to play now. It's completely free to play. Competitors will have the chance to sign players, make transfers and win prizes with the goal of ultimately becoming the UAE's manager of the year.
There will be weekly, monthly and end-of-season prizes, but more importantly than that, your pride is at stake with the chance to beat your rivals and prove that you are a manager to be reckoned with. Goalarabia.com won't just be the home of football, but a place for all sports fans to engage, chat and demonstrate their passion and opinions. Ricky Ghai, the executive director of digital media at Abu Dhabi Media Company, explains: "The UAE is a region with a genuine passion for football and sports in general. Whether it be Italy's Serie A, the Spanish Primera Liga or, in our case, the English Premier League, Emiratis and expatriates alike share our love for the game.
"Goalarabia.com's fantasy football will supersede anything already out there. The prizes will be significant but, more importantly, the honour of beating friends, work colleagues and the experts to prove you are a champion will surpass anything prize money can buy. The competitor who becomes Manager of the Year could even find themselves become a celebrity in such a compact community of sports fans.
" The beauty of the game is that it can be played by anyone, beginner or expert. Players choose a team and see how it fares, or they can delve into the tactics and statistics of the game, making transfers, tinkering with the side and acting like a real football manager. "There will be messageboards and forums for players to exchange tips, create debate and, of course, swap friendly banter. Steve Battams, Web Editor of goalarabia.com, said: "We believe this season's fantasy football is just the start of fantasy sport in the UAE. Our dream is to bring fantasy Formula One, Cricket and US Sports to the fold. Sport is a platform that brings out the emotion in people. Goalarabia.com's fantasy football will be an evocative experience that everyone will want to be a part of." * The National
Pre-register your team now at www.goalarabia.com Manager of the month will receive a MacBook Air Laptop Manager of the week will receive an ipod Nano 8GB Entry is completely free