Chelsea in Dubai, UAE
About Us
Meet the team behind the UAE Chelsea Supporters Club
Club Secretary
Ram Pillai
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Why do you support Chelsea?
My parents bought me a Commodore 64 computer around 1989 and it had a Chelsea poster inside the packaging…marketing works. Plus, I grew up in South London and didn’t fancy supporting Millwall!
Why is this your favourite Chelsea photo?
The year is 1995, I was at university in Bristol and I went to my first game at the Bridge wearing a Gullit wig all the way from Bristol and back. I managed to convince some people that the dreadlocks were genuine!
What is your favourite Chelsea moment?
“Oh Dennis Wise, he scored a F***ing great goal, in San Siro, with 10 minutes to go!”. I managed to meet the cheeky fella in 2024 as well.
What is your day job?
I run a couple of businesses in Dubai helping people move to Australia and supplying equipment to marine companies.
Assistant Secretary
Mario Volpi
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Why do you support Chelsea?
I started following Chelsea during the mid-1990s with the arrival of fellow Italians like Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Di Mateo, and GianFranco Zola, and I loved the blue kit, which brought me closer to my National side, the Azzurri.
Why is this your favourite Chelsea photo?
I met John Terry in November 2019 when I was invited to have a private meet and greet with him at the Dubai Eye radio Studios. The following day he was interviewed at Barasti so I invited the whole supporters club to meet him. What an amazing evening spent asking Chelsea related questions and hearing his answers. Later after I gave him an official UAECFC polo shirt, he said let’s have a hug to say thanks but I think I held onto John a little bit too long 😂
What is your favourite Chelsea moment?
It’s got to be traveling to Porto from Dubai for the Champions league final against Citeh still under restrictions from Covid. What a trip that was, what feelings and emotions we felt that night.
“Champions of Europe we know what we are”!!
What is your day job?
I’m the head of brokerage at Novvi Properties a real estate agency dealing with all things Property in Dubai.
Treasurer
Ewoud Snabilie
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Why do you support Chelsea?
It runs in the family, so I had no choice and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Funny thing is, I am Dutch so people ask me do you have a Dutch team? Let’s be serious, it doesn’t work like that! There is only one club for me and that’s the mighty Chels! “We’ve won it all”.
Why is this your favourite Chelsea photo?
This was our Chelsea Supporters Club biggest event and attendance. Having John Obi Mikel join us at our venue was the moment I realized we were making huge waves in the Chelsea community of Dubai. It was a proud moment to see all the Chelsea Fans in Dubai enjoying themselves.
What is your favourite Chelsea moment?
There are soo many favorite memories, but one that will always stay with me happened during a very late evening (2-3am) in my Bangkok home, and the year was 2012. Naturally, we won the Champions league and I celebrated so loudly my mum woke up thinking I was getting murdered, and the neighbours were very unimpressed.
What is your day job?
I am an Enterprise Account Executive working in the tech SaaS space for an eLearning company called, Easygenerator. I support organizations to decentralize training in order to capture internal expertise and meet more training requests in the business.
Assistant Treasurer
Ranga
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Why do you support Chelsea?
Growing up in Bangalore, I first got into the Premier League when live broadcasts began in the late 1990s. One moment that stands out was Gianfranco Zola’s incredible backheel goal against Norwich—our own little magician. That was the spark that made me take an interest in Chelsea FC. But it wasn’t until 2006, when Michael Ballack signed for Chelsea, that I truly felt like a True Blue. That was the moment my heart belonged to the club for good.
Why is this your favourite Chelsea photo?
The final hadn’t even kicked off, but I was already living the dream. The sun above Porto, the trophy gleaming beside me, and the belief that tonight — just maybe — Chelsea would conquer Europe again. I stood not just with a scarf and a smile, but with hope.
Hours later, I saw that hope turned into history live in the stadium. Chelsea 1, Manchester City 0
What is your favourite Chelsea moment?
Apart from the obvious one, when we became the first London club to lift that big-eared Champions League trophy.
My favourite Chelsea moment must be the day I met the legend, the midfield general, Mr. John Obi Mikel himself. He came down to our Supporters’ Club to record his podcast, and honestly, it was surreal. Hearing him talk about his time at Chelsea, all the dressing room banter, and his love for the club—it was pure gold.
Mikel’s still as True Blue as they come, and that day reminded me why this club gets under your skin in the best way possible.
What is your day job?
I am currently employed at an Asset Management firm in DIFC, working in the Risk and Operations Team
Webmaster
Ben Grove
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Why do you support Chelsea?
My dad has always been my hero, and he is a Chelsea man through and through. There was no choice, and no way I would be anything but a blue.
Why is this your favourite Chelsea photo?
I’d been in Dubai a matter of months when I got to watch us lift the Champions League for a second time. The atmosphere from the UAECSC was unreal, and a few weeks later a handful of us got to go and meet Petr Čech and get a snap with the trophy. What more could you ask for!
What is your favourite Chelsea moment?
2012 Champions League final. Being in the pub with my dad and brother, sharing that moment together when Drogba slotted the penalty away. Will never be matched.
Will always be one of the best days of my life (don’t tell my fiancé!)
What is your day job?
I own a creative and marketing agency in Dubai called Koncept. We support SMEs with not only incredible creative across brand, web and socials, but back it up with strategy from a team with decades of experience.