Kelly appointed to Emirates Cup clash
Credit:
Irish referee Alan Kelly will take a break from eircom League of Ireland duties this weekend to take charge of the Emirates Cup meeting between Real Madrid and FC Hamburg.
Kelly will be the man in the middle when Spanish champions Real Madrid take on FC Hamburg, who finished fourth in the German Bundesliga last season, when the sides meet at the Emirates Stadium in London this Saturday, August 2nd.
The Cork referee has been invited to referee at the Emirates Cup for the second year running, after last year refereeing the meeting of Inter Milan and Valencia.
As well as refereeing the Real Madrid v FC Hamburg game, Kelly has been appointed as Fourth Official for the closing match between Arsenal and Real Madrid on Sunday, August 3rd.
"I'm thrilled to get the call to go back again this year", said Kelly. "The Emirates is a fantastic stadium and it is a great experience to be involved in matches with some of the top players in the world.
"It is a friendly tournament but the games are played with a competitive edge. Players are getting themselves ready for the new season and there are also some younger players trying to make names for themselves. It is a prestigious tournament, as can be seen by the calibre of club taking part in it."
Kelly says that the experience of refereeing in last season's Emirates Cup was beneficial when it came to refereeing UEFA Cup matches. Indeed, last season the Corkman became the first Irishman in 25 years to be appointed to a Round of 32 UEFA Cup match when he took charge of the meeting of FC Hamburg and FC Zurich.
