As Auckland City prepared for their latest FIFA Club World Cup adventure, the FIFA+ cameras visited the club’s Kiwitea St headquarters to learn more about the Navy Blues.
General manager Gordon Watson explained the club’s approach to the tournament in Saudi Arabia:
“We don’t kid ourselves that we’re one of the mega clubs in the world. We’re not. That’s obvious. But we can be the best version of ourselves and that’s what underpins everything that we do.”
Watson and veteran striker Emiliano Tade are interviewed in the video, about Auckland City’s connections with the tournament.
Main photo: Auckland City’s general manager, Gordon Watson.
This year’s tournament will be City’s 11th, the most attended by any club.
“It’s a deep, deep honour for the club to hold the record number of appearances at the tournament,” Watson says.
“For us, it’s a very abstract idea with the sense of humility and realism, we understand that throughout the world there are bigger, better, more professionally-run clubs than ours, but for us there is a duty to always give the best representation of ourselves and our values, and our football.”
Behind the scenes: Auckland City
Fixture
FIFA Club World Cup
Game to be played on Wednesday December 13 (NZT)
Al-Ittihad v Auckland City
King Abdulah Sports City Stadium, 7am (NZT)
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