Real Madrid to host UAE in a friendly on August 23

The UAE national football team will take on Spanish giants Real Madrid in a friendly match at the Bernabeu on August 23.

The match will be part of the UAE team's summer preparations before their Asian Cup qualifying games. The news of the high-profile friendly match has been posted on the UAE Football Association's Arabic website.

The UAE FA has already accepted the invitation from Real Madrid.

Real Madrid has been in the news after the signing of World Cup star Fabio Cannavaro from Juventus on Tuesday.

The Italian World Cup captain was the first big signing for Real Madrid President Ramón Calderón. Brazil's Emerson is the other player to move to the Bernabeu this season. Real Madrid is holding its pre-season preparations with a training camp in Austria till August 5.

They will then head to the US for a one-week promotional tour and will return to Spain for the 52nd Ramon de Carranza Trophy, which they last won in 1982.

Prior to the Real Madrid match, the UAE will play friendlies against Turkish sides Fenerbahce (August 2) and Galatasaray (August 8) before travelling to Amman to take on Jordan on August 16.

The UAE will then go to Spain and play against Real Madrid on August 23 in the San Tiago Cup an annual pre-season preparatory competition for the Spanish giants. On August 27, the UAE side will travel to Jeddah and play against Saudi Arabia.

They will face Jordan in a return match in Dubai on September 6 to complete their summer preparations.