Kicking up a Storm

Marbella Footballclub

Marbella’s leading football club has recently seen a whole host of exciting changes taking place, thanks to the ambitious plans of their new investors. Back in October, Ian Radford and Wayne Elliot of HI Group and Alfredo Guerisoli of G2 Productions announced they would be putting their football know-how to fantastic use by investing in the Spanish Second B Division team, Union Deportiva Marbella..

Ian Radford & David Pleat The Team in Action Cort, Coach Oli & Goffin Carl Cort in Practice

After taking on high profile coach, Oliverio Jesus Álvarez Gonzalez and starting off the season with eight consecutive unbeaten games, the team are fast becoming a footballing force to be reckoned with. Now, the well-known player, manager, director of football and ITV commentator, David Pleat has started as UD Marbella’s official Football Advisor. A welcome addition to those working behind the scenes to improve the team’s performance, his main role is to assist with an International scouting strategy. The importance of finding strong international players to complement their current line up was always something the new investors were looking to achieve from the very start. David brings his extensive experience and knowledge of players around the world, so the club is in a position to sign up some great foreign talent.

All Change
As the transfer window opened towards the end of January, Sevilla Atlético’s Joaquin Alfaro Pérez (Quini) became the first new player to be signed. Quini was quickly joined by Belgium born Valentín Gino Nicola Goffin, who transferred from Benidorm. Then, on the very last day of the transfer window, ex Newcastle United, Wolves and Leicester City striker, Carl Cort became part of the Marbella team. Naturally fast, tall and with a great goal scoring record in the English Premiership, Cort has the potential to really boost UD Marbella’s quality of play.

Chief Executive of Marbella Football Club, Ian Radford has followed Cort’s recent activity with interest and is extremely positive about his move to the club. “His strength and goal scoring ability will be a great asset to Marbella and the warm weather will help him stay fit and enable him to play to his full potential. For some time, a transfer to a South African team seemed on the cards, so we are thrilled to have persuaded him to choose Marbella.”

The team also started the season looking better than ever, both in performance and style. Taking to the pitch in their brand new kit, the team showed off their Nike sponsored shirts. With the recent signing of Nike as official shirt sponsors, UD Marbella become only the fourth team in the whole of Spain to wear a coveted Nike strip, joining the likes of Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Valencia.

With the drive to make the team more international well underway, and the support of foreign fans an essential part of the investors’ plans for the team, the club decided to launch a brand new website in English. English speaking fans of the team can now keep abreast of all the team’s news, exciting developments, events, match results, fixtures, picture galleries and club information by visiting www.marbellafc.com.

Supporters can get also their hands on the online version of the new monthly official club magazine by registering as a member on www.marbellafc.com.