Dutch legend, Van Der Sar confirms appearance at 14th Dubai International Sports Conference

The 14th Dubai International Sports Conference (DISC), will see Dutch and Manchester United legend Edwin Van Der Sar present as one of the forum's key speakers, after the 49-year-old confirmed his attendance.

The event which will be held at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre’s Joharah Ballroom on December 28, is organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It has taken place every year since 2006 and has transformed into one of the world's premium football forums - where the game's top brass come together for discussions on the issues faced in today's footballing world.

Subsequently, the forum's theme this year will be “Future Football Accelerators”, and Van Der Sar will be the first speaker to touch on the matter. Joining him will be former AC Milan manager Fabio Capello and Ferran Soriano, chief executive of Manchester City Football Club and its parent company City Football Group.

Welcoming the speakers, H.E. Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council and chairman of DISC’s Organising Committee, said:

“We are delighted to announce the participation of one of the best goalkeepers to ever play the game, Edwin van der Sar.

Now the CEO of Ajax, the club where his senior professional career started, Van Der Sar is in a unique position, with experience of both sides of the fence – as a goalkeeper, which is one of the most demanding positions in the game, and as a club chief executive."

“The experience he brings and the insights he will offer at the Conference will really enrich the discussions we are going to have on December 28, under the theme “Future Football Accelerators”.

“We are also delighted to welcome back Mr Fabio Capello and Mr Ferran Soriano, who have been two of the staunchest supporters of the Dubai International Sports Conference. Mr Soriano will be making his third consecutive appearance, while Mr Capello will be attending for the ninth time."

Moreover, the speakers will also be invited to give their thoughts on English football in the first of the day’s four sessions titled, “English Football Back to the Top”.

"Again, both will have some amazing insights to offer as we discuss the resurgence of English club football - the finals of both the 2019 UEFA Champions League (Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspurs) and the 2019 UEFA Europa League (Chelsea vs Arsenal) were all-English affairs. It was the first time ever that four clubs from the same nation contested the two major European finals in the same season, and we have three top men to discuss the ascent of English football.”

Noted as one of the best goalkeepers to have ever graced the game, Van der Sar is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different teams – with Ajax in 1995 and Manchester United in 2008. He is one of the most decorated and successful football players ever, having won 27 major trophies in his career, including four Premier League titles with Manchester United and as well as the 2008 Fifa Club World Cup with them.

Since his retirement from the game, Van der Sar has been part of the Ajax boardroom, starting as the club’s Marketing Director in 2012 until his promotion in 2016 as the club’s Chief Executive Officer.

On the other hand, Italian tactician Capello is one of the top proponents of the Italian school of coaching, as he won four Serie A titles with Milan and a UEFA Champions League in his first five seasons as manager. He also won major honours with Real Madrid and Roma.

Meanwhile, Soriano has been a part of Manchester City’s footballing rise after joining the English club in 2012 from Barcelona. He has brought his innovative vision of sports marketing to the City Football Group, who also own parts of clubs in the United States (New York City FC), Australia (Melbourne City FC), Japan (Yokohama F Marinos), Spain (Girona), Uruguay (Club Atletico Torque), China (Sichuan Jiuniu).

For more information about the Conference and Registration please visit www.dubaiisc.ae