FC Barcelona scores Best Club of the Year, Pirlo picks up Player Career accolade at Dubai Globe Soccer Awards presented by Audi

Al Nabooda Automobiles joins Dubai Sports Council and Globe Soccer for sixth edition of Dubai Globe Soccer Awards to celebrate sporting excellence

 Ali Al Nabooda and Josep Wide Ali Al Nabooda and Pirlo Wide

Dubai, 28 December 2015 – FC Barcelona were crowned Best Club of the Year at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, presented by Audi, at a star-studded ceremony at the Madinat Jumeirah last night (Sunday).

The Spanish giants saw off rivals FC Bayern Munich, FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Juventus and Paris Saint-German; President of Barcelona FC, Josep Maria Bartomeu took to the stage on behalf of the club to receive the award from Ali Al Nabooda, General Manager, Audi, Al Nabooda Automobiles.

Global football stars and VIPs in attendance on the night included winner of the best player award, Lionel Messi, celebrated FC Milan player Andreas Pirlo, FIFA President candidate Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, H.E Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority and ex-Chelsea star and New York City FC player, Frank Lampard.

Capping off a dream year that has seen FC Barcelona win five titles – La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup – the celebrations on the night were greatly deserved. Under the helm of Luis Enrique, Barca is now the only club to have won the FIFA Club World Cup three times.

One of the other big winners on the night was New York City FC’s Andrea Pirlo, who picked up the Player Career Award from the Al Nabooda Automobiles team, in recognition of a glittering career which saw him represent the Italian national team 116 times.

During his time at AC Milan, Pirlo won two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Serie A titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Supercoppa Italiana and a Coppa Italia.   After joining Juventus in 2011, he added four more Serie A titles, two further Supercoppa Italiana wins and another Coppa Italia title.

The Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, presented by Audi, runs as an integral part of the Dubai International Sports Conference, organized by the Dubai Sports Council.

Ali Al Nabooda, General Manager, Audi, Al Nabooda Automobiles, said: “FC Barcelona has been the team to beat this year, starting 2015 by winning the league thanks to an unforgettable Leo Messi goal at the Calderon. So it is only fitting that they end the year taking home the coveted Best Club of the Year award. I congratulate the entire club for their professionalism, team work and dedication to the beautiful game.

“Recognising the outstanding talent of Andrea Pirlo was also a great honour for us as we presented his Player Career Award on stage in front of the global football community.

“As supporters of both the Dubai International Sports Conference and the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, it’s rewarding to see the events recognised as major highlights in the sporting calendar, and together we have celebrated the excellence seen on the pitch this year”.

Al Nabooda Automobiles also provided a fleet of top range Audi vehicles to transport the football stars, agents and managers around Dubai throughout their stay for the Conference and Awards.