Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and other European clubs to be a part of the inaugural Singapore Festival of Football – Atulya Yatra

(LTOR) Football legends John Barnes of Liverpool FC, Joven Alber of FC Bayern Munich, Marco Cassetti of AS Roma, Emile Heskey of Leicester City FC and Gary Mabott of Tottenham Hotspur FC pose with their jerseys during the Singapore Festival of Football press launch While posing Singapore. , Photo Credit: AFP

Singapore probably isn’t the first place you think of when you think of football. Its men’s team is ranked 158th in the FIFA rankings; Its women’s team is at 131st position. It has never qualified for the World Cup. And it doesn’t have any globally recognized superstars. Yet the craze for football has persisted there for more than a century.

Zainar Kaur Gill, 26, from Singapore is thrilled about the opening of the Singapore Festival of Football (organised by TEG Sport), which features some of the best European clubs – AS Roma, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and her favourite. , Liverpool. The festival will run from 26 July to 2 August.

“As a football fan, I am really excited to see these big clubs coming here. Seeing your favorite players in live action is a truly incredible experience – the level of skill we get to see the atmosphere is a feeling that is completely out of the world,” says Zenner. “The love of football, and Liverpool in particular, runs deep in my family. So I am looking forward to enjoying the atmosphere with my family and our love for the game.

GB Sridhar, Singapore Tourism Board’s regional director for India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, expects many Indians, including the expatriate community, to turn up for the matches in Singapore. “There is a growing trend among Indian visitors to travel for unique experiences and create memories, which also includes attending global sporting events. People are keen to watch live matches, cheer on their favorite players and enjoy an immersive experience that stays with them indefinitely,” he says.

The Singapore Football Association (now called the Singapore Football Association), established in 1892, is the oldest football association in Asia. Because of this history and rabid following, some of the legends of the sport have made the move to the small island nation. For example, when Pelé visited the venue in 1974, he was surrounded by astonished fans wherever he went.

Typically, fans wanting to watch the best footballers play will have to travel to Europe as that’s where almost all of them ply their trade. And a large portion of these fans are from Asia. Hence, fans like Jenner get thrilled when their favorite stars make an appearance on them.

“Asia is our biggest region in terms of fan base,” Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan told the BBC. “Somebody told me once, you can stand in any airport, get on any plane and you have a reason to go there and find Liverpool fans. But a third of our global support is here and we think there is tremendous opportunity in Asia.

Timothy Ho, managing director of TEG Asia, credits the success of last year’s pre-season match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace in Singapore as the catalyst for this year’s tournament. “Our ambition is to repeat this next year depending on the availability of clubs,” he added.

In addition to the football action, spectators can also look forward to a range of entertaining offerings at the Football Fan Interactive Festival Village throughout the week. The village will also be open to the public on 1 August, the day before the final match between Liverpool and Bayern Munich, along with open training and match days.

Tickets for the Singapore Football Festival can be purchased at https://premier.ticketek.com.sg/shows/show.aspx?sh=SFFUM.