Emirates Cup

Emirates Cup

Arsenal celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2015 Emirates Cup.
Founded	2007
Number of teams	4
Current champions	Arsenal (4th title)
Most successful club(s)	Arsenal (4 titles)
Website	Official homepage
2015 Emirates Cup

The Emirates Cup is a pre-season association football invitational competition hosted by English club Arsenal at their home ground Emirates Stadium, in Holloway, London. The two-day competition was inaugurated in 2007, and is named after Arsenal's main sponsor Emirates.^[1] It has been held every summer except 2012 due to the London Olympics, and 2016 because of pitch renovation work.

The competition follows a point scoring system much like the Amsterdam Tournament, whereby each team plays two matches, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw and none for a loss.^[2] An additional point is awarded for every goal scored; this was scrapped in 2011,^[3] but made a return from the 2013 edition.^[4] From 2009, total shots on target throughout the tournament has been used as a tiebreaker if teams are tied on points, goal difference and goals scored.^[5]

Arsenal won the inaugural tournament in 2007, and further wins followed in 2009, 2010, and most recently 2015. Four other sides have won the Emirates Cup: Hamburg in 2008, New York Red Bulls in 2011, Galatasaray in 2013 and Valencia in 2014. Paris Saint-Germain are the most regular guests, having been invited to compete in the tournament on three occasions; they have finished as runners-up twice. Four Italian clubs (Inter, Juventus, Milan and Napoli) have appeared in the tournament, more than any other nation.

History

Arsenal first announced their intention to stage a pre-season competition at their home ground, the Emirates Stadium, in March 2007. Managing director Keith Edelman revealed plans were at an exploratory stage, and added: "It would be in pre-season, around late July, and tickets would be reasonably priced. We feel it could be a really exciting event."^[6] Details of the tournament were formally announced on 1 May 2007, with Italian champions Inter Milan, French side Paris Saint-Germain and German outfit Hamburg confirmed as participants.^[7] Hamburg's qualification into the Intertoto Cup meant they withdrew from the competition; the club were subsequently replaced by Spain's Valencia.^[8]

A wide shot of the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal faced Real Madrid in 2008.

The inaugural Emirates Cup took place on 28 July and 29 July 2007 and was well attended with over 110,000 people filling the stadium across the two-day tournament.^[9] Each club played two sides; Valencia and Arsenal did not face each other, and Inter did not play against Paris Saint-Germain.^[8] Arsenal won the first tournament, having beaten their French opponents 2–1 and defeated Inter by the same scoreline, courtesy of a late Robin van Persie strike.^[10] The following year Hamburg made an appearance alongside Real Madrid and Juventus,^[11] and won the tournament as they finished two points clear of second-place Real.^[12]

In 2009, Arsenal welcomed Atlético Madrid, Rangers and Paris Saint-Germain to the Emirates Cup.^[13] The hosts regained the trophy winning both of their matches and scoring five goals; midfielder Jack Wilshere was twice named man of the match for his performances against Atlético Madrid and Rangers.^[12] Arsenal retained the Emirates Cup in 2010, but failed to top the table in the next three tournaments.^[12] New York Red Bulls, who were captained by former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, won the Emirates Cup in 2011, after beating Paris Saint-Germain and drawing with the hosts.^[14] The tournament did not take place in 2012 due to the ongoing Summer Olympics in London; it was believed that the capital's infrastructure was not able to cater for the extra 100,000 supporters that usually attend the two-day event.^[15] When the Emirates Cup resumed in 2013, Turkish side Galatasaray earned nine points to finish top of the group,^[16] and a year later Valencia became the first Spanish winners of the tournament as the hosts lost their decisive game against Monaco.^[17]

Arsenal claimed their fourth Emirates Cup in 2015;^[18] the competition was held on the final weekend of July.^[19] The hosts scored seven goals in the tournament – six against Olympique Lyonnais, who later became the first team in the competition's history not to score a goal in either of their matches.^[20] Due to the extended schedule of UEFA Euro 2016 and essential pitch reconstruction works at the Emirates Stadium, the Emirates Cup will not take place in the pre-season period of the 2016–17 season.^[21]

Tournaments

Arsenal won the inaugural Emirates Cup held in 2007.

Edition	Year	Winner	Runner-up	Third	Fourth	Notes
1	2007	Arsenal	Paris Saint-Germain	Valencia	Inter Milan	[22]
2	2008	Hamburg	Real Madrid	Arsenal	Juventus	[23]
3	2009	Arsenal	Rangers	Atlético Madrid	Paris Saint-Germain	[24]
4	2010	Arsenal	Lyon	Celtic	Milan	[25]
5	2011	New York Red Bulls	Paris Saint-Germain	Arsenal	Boca Juniors	[26]
6	2013	Galatasaray	Porto	Arsenal	Napoli	[27]
7	2014	Valencia	Arsenal	Monaco	Benfica	[28]
8	2015	Arsenal	Villarreal	Wolfsburg	Lyon	[29]

Performance by team

Galatasaray were the first Turkish club to win the Emirates Cup

Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán featured in the 2009 edition of the Emirates Cup for Atlético Madrid.

Rafael Benítez managed Napoli in the tournament.^[30]

Team	Winner	Runner-up	Third	Fourth	Total
Arsenal	4	1	3	& —	8
Valencia	1	& —	1	& —	2
Hamburg	1	& —	& —	& —	1
New York Red Bulls	1	& —	& —	& —	1
Galatasaray	1	& —	& —	& —	1
Paris Saint-Germain	& —	2	& —	1	3
Lyon	& —	1	& —	1	2
Real Madrid	& —	1	& —	& —	1
Rangers	& —	1	& —	& —	1
Porto	& —	1	& —	& —	1
Villarreal	& —	1	& —	& —	1
Atlético Madrid	& —	& —	1	& —	1
Celtic	& —	& —	1	& —	1
Monaco	& —	& —	1	& —	1
Wolfsburg	& —	& —	1	& —	1
Inter Milan	& —	& —	& —	1	1
Juventus	& —	& —	& —	1	1
Milan	& —	& —	& —	1	1
Boca Juniors	& —	& —	& —	1	1
Napoli	& —	& —	& —	1	1
Benfica	& —	& —	& —	1	1

See also

• Wembley Cup

References

1. "The Emirates Cup". Emirates. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
2. "Emirates Cup – Competition rules & regulations". Arsenal F.C. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
3. "Emirates Cup 2011 – Rules and Regulations". Arsenal F.C. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
4. "Emirates Cup returns for summer 2013". Arsenal F.C. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
5. "Wenger – Goals galore at the Emirates Cup". Arsenal F.C. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
6. Clarke, Richard (29 March 2007). "Pre-season tournament planned for Emirates". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
7. "Emirates Stadium to host pre-season tournament". Arsenal F.C. 1 May 2007. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
8. "Valencia replace Hamburg at Emirates Cup". Arsenal F.C. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
9. "Emirates Cup brings out the big guns". Emirates. 21 April 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
10. Clarke, Richard (29 July 2007). "Emirates Cup: Arsenal 2–1 Inter Milan". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
11. "European giants lined up for Emirates Cup". Arsenal F.C. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
12. "History of the Emirates Cup". Arsenal F.C. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
13. "Emirates Cup 2009 – Teams confirmed". Arsenal F.C. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
14. Prince-Wright, Joe (31 July 2011). "Recap: Henry, New York tie Arsenal, take Emirates Cup". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
15. "Emirates Cup is postponed until 2013". Arsenal F.C. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
16. Clarke, Richard (4 August 2013). "Arsenal 1–2 Galatasaray". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
17. "Arsenal beaten 1–0 by Monaco as Valencia win the Emirates Cup". BBC Sport. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
18. "Arsenal defeat Wolfsburg to secure the Emirates Cup". BBC Sport. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
19. "Emirates Cup 2015 line up confirmed". Arsenal F.C. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
20. Ciullini, Pablo; Saaid, Hamdan (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016. Note: Compare goals conceded in the 2015 final standings table with other tournaments.
21. "No Arsenal Emirates Cup this summer". Arsenal F.C. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
22. Saaid, Hamdan (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2007". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
23. Saaid, Hamdan (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2008". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
24. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2009". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
25. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2010". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
26. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2011". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
27. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2013". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
28. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2014". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
29. Ciullini, Pablo (10 September 2015). "Emirates Cup 2015". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 18 June 2016.
30. Hytner, David (3 August 2013). "Arsenal turn boos to cheers after coming back to draw with Napoli". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 June 2016.

External links

• Official website