The Swiss bomber, last edition’s MVP and top scorer, is looking forward to returning to the golden desert sand
He might be Swiss, but for Dejan Stankovic, Dubai is his second home. No one can blame the Alpine bomber for falling in love with the Arabian city; it is after all the same place which saw him enter beach soccer history.
His love affair with the Emirati city began in 2009, when he led Switzerland to the final of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, at Umm Suqeim. Although the Swiss were edged out by the magical Brazilians, Stankovic’s performance during the tournament saw him crowned Best Player in the World.
Stankovic continued his dominance on the golden desert sand last year when he was named the best player in the inaugural edition of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup Dubai. He is back in town…Beware, defenders!
The city brings back great memories for Stankovic: “It feels great to be back in Dubai. It is here where we turned into a Beach Soccer powerhouse, where we proved we could be a dominant force in the game. Last year we enjoyed playing here a lot and I think the crowd enjoyed our style. We love playing in Dubai, it is a top-class Beach Soccer capital, and we cannot wait for the matches to begin.”
In the last edition of the Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup, the heart-stopping penalty shootout against eventual champions Russia, ended the Alpine’s hopes of reaching the final. While the Swiss team finished third – the focus remained on Stankovic. His historic 12-goal haul and terrific performance saw him awarded the MVP and top-scorer award.
Together with the whole Alpine squad, the target man looks forward to the new edition of a competition taking place in the city he is absolutely enchanted with: “In Dubai, it seems all dreams can come true. It is such a special place, with its beaches, its skyline, its weather and especially its people…”
