• Key matches of Copa Sudamericana 2009 featuring leading clubs of the Americas
• Italian Super Cup sees superclub Internazionale and Lazio facing off in Beijing
• French Premier League 2009-10 season takes off in August , continues till mid-2010
DUBAI, August 3, 2009: August may be one of the droning months of the year in this part of the world, but football lovers here would probably be unmindful of the heat and humidity because of the full platter of live football action being served to them throughout the month from three corners of the globe. According to an announcement from Arab Digital Distribution (ADD), the largest pay television management platform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the action begins at 2.15AM UAE time on August 5 (22.15GMT, August 4) on ART Prime Sport for its Firstnet Premium, Pehla Gold and Silver subscribers.
LDU Quito of Ecuador, surprise winners of the 2008 Copa Libertadores, takes on Libertad of Paraguay in the first match of the Copa Sudamericana 2009. It can be said that the Copa Sudamericana is an equivalent to the now-defunct Copa Conmebol and is comparable to the UEFA Europa League in European club football competition, with the exception that some top teams can play both in this tournament and in the Copa Libertadores.
The action then moves to Italy, where the Supercoppa Italiana, a pre-season football competition held the week before the seasons begins every year. Serie A champions Internazionale will battle it out against Coppa Italia winners Lazio at 4.00AM UAE time on August 8 for this year’s Italian Super Cup at the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing, as a curtain raiser to the new season. The Italians playing football in Beijing comes as a surprise, as the football chiefs take the pre-season curtain raiser abroad in a bid to increase global interest in Serie A. Although Italian professional football league has suffered in comparison with the English and Spanish leagues in recent years, historically it has produced the highest number of European Cup finalists, with 11 titles from 25 final appearances.
Parallel to these matches, in France, Grenoble and Marseilles will play each other in the opening match of the French Premier League 2009-10, which gets under way at 11.00PM UAE time on August 8. Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue2. The top three teams in French League qualify for the Champions League, with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase.
The Copa Sudamericana 2009 broadcast schedule is as follows (UAE time):
August 05 2.15AM: LDU Quito (ECU) vs Libertad (PAR)
August 13 4.50AM: Fluminense (BRA) vs Flamengo (BRA)
August 21 3.15AM: Boca Juniors (ARG) vs Velez Sarsfield (ARG)
August 27 4.50AM: Flamengo (BRA) vs Fluminense (BRA)
The French Premier League 2009-10 broadcast schedule is as follows (UAE time):
August 08 11.00PM: Grenoble vs Marseille
August 09 1.00AM: Montpellier vs PSG
7.00PM: Lille vs Lorient
11.00PM: Bordeaux vs Lens
August 15 9.00PM: Lyon vs Valenciennes
11.00PM: Toulouse vs St. Etienne
August 16 7.00PM: Nice vs Rennais
11.00PM: Marseille vs Lille
August 22 9.00PM: Auxerre vs Lyon
11.00PM: Rennais vs Marseille
August 23 7.00PM: Bordeaux vs Nice
11.00PM: Lille vs Toulouse |