Friday, April 22, 2011

Getafe sold to Royal Emirates Group, will be called ‘Team Dubai’

After a bit of mystery, it has been revealed that the UAE-based holding company chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail Al Maktoum of The Emirates' ruling family has bought 14th-place La Liga side Getafe. Which means the club will go from having Burger King as a shirt sponsor to the latest football acquisition of the region to host the 2022 World Cup in what seems like a truly fitting progression of these modern times.

But that's not all -- it seems the club is in for a name change, too. From Reuters:

The Royal Emirates Group is to buy the Primera Liga club Getafe for about ?90m (�80m), the Dubai firm has announced, reacting to reports linking it to the purchase of a Spanish club.

"It is Getafe … we will announce it in a big way tomorrow [Thursday]," Suleiman al-Butti, the project manager of REG, said.

REG, an investment firm chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail al-Maktoum, said in statement the club would be named "Team Dubai", although it was not clear whether that would become the team's official name.

I'd say there's no way "Team Dubai" will become the club's official name, but who knows anymore. With a member of the Qatari ruling family buying Malaga, the Qatar Foundation becoming Barcelona's new shirt sponsor next season and now REG gobbling up Getafe, keep an eye out for the emirates' future acquisitions, which will include: Buying Spain's World Cup trophy, renaming La Liga "League Dubai," and sponsoring Gerard Pique's love interests. Actually, "Sheikh Butti" would probably be an awesome stage name for Shakira.

UPDATE: Here's what appears to be the club's new crest...

So, yeah, they pretty much just slapped a "Team Dubai" on the bottom of it.

Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle Blu Cantrell Jaime King

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