Manx team could face likes of Arsenal, Juventus and Benfica in Belgium
The Special Olympics Isle of Man football team will meet and play against teams from some of the biggest clubs in Europe this week.
The Island squad is taking part in the Special Champions League European Tournament in Ghent, Belgium, from Friday (4 October).
Among the opposition they could face are disability sides from major clubs including Arsenal, Juventus and Benfica.
Coach Pete Corkhill told Manx Radio he thinks this will be a 'huge' opportunity for the team to not just learn as footballers but embrace new life skills:
National Special Olympics teams from the likes of France, Denmark, Italy and several others will also be involved - 22 teams in total will compete at the event.
The first day will focus on the arrival of teams before matches take place on the following two days (5-6 October).
The format will be five-a-side indoor matches starting with divisional games lasting 15 minutes with each team playing at least two games to determine the level of some squads.
After that will be the round-robin group stage, once this is completed a ranking will be made for each group.
Organisers are advising coaches to be mindful of the group process and 'avoid big scores' adding: 'Playing fair and with respect is a requirement to participate.'
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