The Hindu : Sport / Football : Prize money added to World Club Cup

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Thursday, Aug 16, 2007
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Prize money added to World Club Cup

ZURICH: FIFA has added $1 million prize money and one extra place to this year’s World Club Cup in Japan, the World governing football body said on Tuesday.

Japan was also awarded the 2008 competition with the bidding to host the 2009 event scheduled to start in November. “The Organising Committee decided to increase the prize money by $1 million for the 2007 event, putting a total of $16 millions up for grabs in Japan,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The champion will take home $5 million, the runner-up will net $4 million, and third place $2.5 million. The fourth-placed team will get $2 million, the two fifth-placed teams will receive $1 million and the team finishing seventh will earn $500,000.” Seven teams instead of six will take part in the competition starting on December 7.

In the three previous tournaments, known then as the World Club championship, six continental club champions qualified, but from this year the champions of the host country will receive a spot and play the Oceania winners in the first match.

Four clubs have already qualified for this year’s competition — Italy’s AC Milan, Argentina’s Boca Juniors, Pachucha of Mexico and Waitakere United from New Zealand.

All three previous tournaments were won by Brazilian sides with Corinthians winning in 2000, Sao Paulo in 2005 and Internacional in 2006.

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