Las Palmas spreading La Liga’s message of expansion in Saudi Arabia

Action from the latest match between Las Palmas and Real Madrid at Gran Canaria Stadium. (AFP)
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Updated 08 February 2024
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Las Palmas spreading La Liga’s message of expansion in Saudi Arabia

  • Club representatives addressed football fans at TwentyNine in Riyadh’s Boulevard City as the Canary Island team took on Real Madrid

Spain’s La Liga remains one of the most popular football leagues in the world, and representatives from top clubs including Las Palmas are promoting their competition in the Middle East.

On Jan. 27, Las Palmas held a match-day event at TwentyNine in Riyadh’s Boulevard City, which saw the club’s head of expansion, Carlota Aparici, and former player and current coach, Paquito Ortiz, join supporters to watch the Canary Island club’s fixture against newly crowned Spanish Super Cup winners Real Madrid. Las Palmas lost 2-1 at the Gran Canaria stadium.

Paquito said Las Palmas returned to the topflight from LaLiga2 last season, and that the team’s target this year is to remain playing among the elite. They have done more than that and are currently in ninth place in the table.

Paquito said he was happy to be in Riyadh to promote the team.

Spain’s football clubs are household names in Saudi Arabia, particularly Real Madrid and Barcelona. Also popular are Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia.

Last month, Riyadh hosted the Spanish Super Cup for the fourth time, with reigning La Liga champions Barcelona competing against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Osasuna.

The final at Al-Awwal Park stadium saw Real Madrid defeat Barcelona 4-1.

In October 2023, Legends, the world’s largest football museum, and LaLiga TwentyNine’s gastronomic and sports concept, launched at Boulevard City in Riyadh, providing a home away from home for Spanish football fans.


Dubai Basketball in good form ahead of Bayern Munich clash

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Dubai Basketball in good form ahead of Bayern Munich clash

  • Dubai tackle German club on the back of wins in ABA League and tight EuroLeague clash

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball closed a demanding week on two fronts with a statement win in the ABA League and a narrow, hard-fought EuroLeague battle in Bologna, underscoring the team’s rising profile across Europe’s top competitions.

Last night, Dubai Basketball extended their flawless start to the ABA League Group A campaign, securing an 8-0 record with an impressive 74-88 road victory over Igokea in Laktasi.

The team controlled the game from the early stages to build a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter. From there, the visitors managed the contest with confidence and precision on both ends of the floor.

Mfiondu Kabengele delivered a standout performance, producing 20 points, 10 rebounds and a 29 valuation. McKinley Wright guided the offence masterfully, contributing 10 first-half points and shaping Dubai’s rhythm throughout the night.

The win preserved Dubai’s perfect ABA League record as they continue to set the pace in Group A.

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Dubai Basketball’s Head Coach Jurica Golemac said: “This was a very important victory for us after a tough loss three days ago. The team showed a professional approach from the start and controlled the game for 40 minutes.

“Twenty-seven assists tell the story; we played team basketball, shared the ball, stayed physical on defense and deserved the win. We take the positives and move forward.”

A dramatic EuroLeague Round 14 encounter against Virtus Bologna on Friday saw Dubai fall just short, 79-78, after a tense fourth-quarter finish.

Despite overturning a 13-point deficit to lead at half-time and winning the rebounding battle 39-30, a pair of late three-pointers from Virtus Bologna’s Luca Vildoza proved decisive.

With the club sitting at 6–8 in the EuroLeague and firmly in the hunt, all eyes now turn to the home game against Bayern Munich in Round 15 at Coca-Cola Arena on Dec. 12.