FIFA impressed with NZ World Cup preparations
04/18/2014 15:19
FIFA officials are largely impressed with what they've seen of New Zealand football venues ahead Buy FIFA Ultimate Team Coins of next year's Under 20 Football World Cup.
The international body held a briefing in Auckland today and promised ticket prices will be affordable, while also agreeing to loosen up on one of its usually non-negotiable rules.
Football fans who get in early to purchase venue packs will be charged less than $20 per match, when they go on sale to the New Zealand football community on April 28.
While it's usually stipulated that all fans must be seated, if tickets sell out in Hamilton and New Plymouth, then FIFA will allow the embankments to be used.
But it's getting bums on seats in Wellington that's a key focus for the local organising committee, with CEO Dave Beeche saying they're aware the difficulties football and rugby are having filling Westpac Stadium.
"Our main ambition for this tournament is to fill the stadiums with people, noise, colour and passion in celebration of the world's biggest global game coming to these shores," Beeche said.
"We wanted to ensure that price would not be a barrier for kiwis to say 'I was there' when the next global footballing superstar was discovered.
"One of the ways to do this was to reduce the price for fans to see as many games at their venue as possible, with venue packs including all group matches and the round of 16 knock out games across the seven venues."
FIFA's Marion Mayer-Vorfelder, Head of the FIFA U-20 World Cup said her team had been hugely impressed with facilities across New Zealand as well as the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the host cities and football federations.
"The key to the success of hosting such a globally significant tournament is collaboration with partners," Mayer-Vorfelder says. "Having met the team responsible for staging this festival of football, we feel hugely confident that the event is in very safe hands in New Zealand."
The tournament starts May 30 next year and concludes on June 20, with matches to be played across seven host cities - Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington and Whangarei.
Christchurch and Auckland will host the two semi-finals, with the showcase final to be played at Auckland's North
More than 10,000 international visitors are expected to travel to New Zealand for the tournament fifa 14 ut coins, which attracts an international television audience of over 170 million.