FIFA delegation visits the San Mamés and Anoeta stadiums in preparation for the 2030 World Cup.
The representatives of the international body were accompanied by a delegation from the Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish bids, led by the members of the committee on behalf of the RFEF.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup bid “Yalla! ¡Vamos!”, made up of Morocco, Spain and Portugal, is continuing with the preparations and, this week, it received a FIFA delegation on a working visit to different stadiums hoping to be World Cup venues. This Wednesday, the working group, with the representatives from the RFEF appointed bid committee, accompanied the FIFA members on visits to San Mamés and Anoeta.
The group made up of members of the bid team and FIFA that is attending these venues- in a tour that began on Monday in Portugal - has representatives from the three football federations, as well as from the Business Units created specifically for this project. On behalf of FIFA, Nicholas Rozenberg heads the group, while María Tato, Jorge Mowinckel and Fernando Sanz, as members of the bid's directing committee representing the RFEF, are acting as hosts for their Moroccan and Portuguese colleagues. Also present is Juan Fernández Carnicer, on behalf of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) and representing the Spanish Government.
In the visits carried out this Wednesday in the Basque region, the travelling party was received by the director of Activity and Sport of the Basque Government, Gorka Iturriaga, and the general secretary of the regional football federation, Kepa Allica.
The visit to San Mamés
During their visit to Bilbao's San Mamés stadium, the working group was received by the general manager of Athletic Club, Jon Berasategi, and his team, as well as by representatives of the Bilbao City Council and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. On behalf of both institutions, Xabier Otxandiano, Councillor Delegate for Economic Promotion, Commerce, Tourism and Employment; and Cristina Múgica, Director General of Territorial Competitiveness and Tourism of the Provincial Council were present. The president of the Biscayan Football Federation, José Ignacio Gómez Mardones, was also present.
They all made a technical visit to the facilities of a venue that just four days ago was decked out to host the UEFA Women's Champions League final.
An afternoon visit to San Sebastian
At Anoeta, meanwhile, representatives of the Donostia-San Sebastián City Council, Real Sociedad de Fútbol and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa joined the group to detail the potential of a stadium that is just to go through a refurbishment, following the last major improvements carried out in 2019.
Ángel Oyarzun, vice-president of the San Sebastian club, was the host, accompanied by the mayor of the city, Eneko Goia, and the Gipuzkoa provincial deputy for Culture, Cooperation, Youth and Sport, Goizane Álvarez. On behalf of the Gipuzkoa Football Federation, its general secretary, Íñigo Letamendi, also attended the event.
