In 1,000 days the opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in Berlin. Chancellor Angela Merkel and FIFA have now announced in Berlin where the other matches will be played.
Eleven towns and cities had applied to host World Cup ties; nine were selected. In summer 2011 matches will be played in Augsburg, Berlin, Bochum, Dresden, Frankfurt am Main, Leverkusen, Mönchengladbach, Sinsheim and Wolfsburg. The final is to be played on 17 July 2011 in Frankfurt. Bielefeld and Magdeburg’s applications were unsuccessful.
Surrounded by the German women’s national team at the Federal Chancellery, Angela Merkel pointed out that the matches will be well spread across the country.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Steins
Chancellor Merkel and television presenter Monica LierhausThe Chancellor called on all male football fans in Germany to take the time now to get to know the German women’s team. "I recommend that all men, who don’t have much of an idea about women’s football, although they can rattle off the names of the men’s team, take the time to learn now,” she declared."The future of football is feminine,” says FIFA President
FIFA President Joseph Blatter advocated mainstreaming women’s football "at the heart of Europe”. And, he added, "it is important that the men are prepared to give up a bit of the market”.
Previously representatives and fans of women’s football had criticised the enormous economic gulf that separates male and female athletes. "The men earn a fortune in football. I wish that the women were treated similarly,” declared actress Ulrike Folkerts.
With a team of top names the Chancellor wants to drum up support for the Women’s World Cup over the next few years, as honorary team manager. The top eleven, who will be supporting the German organisation committee, also include actresses Ulrike Folkerts, Renan Demirkan and Maria Furtwängler, biathlete Magdalena Neuner, singer Nena, ex-swimmer Franziska van Almsick, Olympic gold medal winner in fencing Britta Heidemann, economist Beatrice Weder di Mauro, and television presenters Monica Lierhaus, Shary Reeves and Dunja Hayali.
It’s bound to be a great party!
Minister of the Interior, Wolfgang Schäuble, was convinced that security will not be a problem at the World Cup. "It’s bound to be another great party,” he declared, "and the police will be celebrating along with everyone else.”
Numerous well-known personalities from the worlds of sport, politics and culture came to Berlin to hear the announcement of which cities are to host World Cup ties. They included Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Joachim Löw who coaches the German men’s team and Silvia Neid – and of course the "Kaiser” of German football, Franz Beckenbauer.
During the World Cup 16 teams will play a total of 32 matches. Up to four matches will be played in each of the cities selected. The full draw for the first round will take place in December 2010 but the first tickets will go on sale next year.
