POSTED: Sunday January 23rd 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIFA, LOC AND FOOTBALL UNION OF RUSSIA SIGN DECLARATION OF APPOINTMENT FOR 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP™ AT CIS CUP IN SAINT-PETERSBURG

First formal step on the road to Russia 2018

Saint-Petersburg/Zurich, 23 January 2011 - The first milestone on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ has been reached today in Saint-Petersburg when FIFA jointly with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Football Union of Russia (FUR) signed the Declaration of Appointment, officialising the status of Russia as the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ host country.

Less than two months after the momentous announcement in Zurich, the ceremony formally confirmed the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee of 2 December 2010 to appoint Russia as hosts of the 2018 edition of FIFA’s flagship event.

The Declaration of Appointment was signed by President Joseph S. Blatter on behalf of FIFA, while Russia’s Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko and Alexei Sorokin, respectively the designated Chairman and the CEO of the future Autonomous non-profit organisation Local Organizing Committee Russia 2018, put their signature to the document, along with Sergei Fursenko and Nikita Simonyan, who serve as President and First Vice-President of the Football Union of Russia.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter congratulated Russia once again on their bidding victory and expressed his confidence that football’s foremost global event will be hugely successful on its premiere in Eastern Europe: “Russia will do an excellent job of organising the World Cup. We share the vision and mission that football is more than just a game. Russia boasts a great football tradition, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ will act as a catalyst for social advancement, opening up new territories for the game and winning over new hearts and minds.”

Sports Minister Mutko, who is also a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, gratefully accepted the honour on behalf of Russian football: “We are delighted by the trust that FIFA puts into our capabilities and into the bold promise we have given with our bid. I can assure FIFA and the football world that we are fully committed to deliver and to excel beyond all requirements.”

Following the hosting announcement on 2 December, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had travelled to Zurich and promised Russia’s full commitment: "You can take my word for it that the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia will be up to the highest standards. New modern stadiums and facilities will be built on time and to perfection."

The Declaration of Appointment is a formal prerequisite for the Local Organising Committee (LOC), which has been set up. This body will be entrusted with the staging, hosting and the organisation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. In addition, a number of meetings at operational level between FIFA and the organisers have already been slated for the coming weeks and months.

Later on Sunday, 23 January, the FIFA President attended the finals of the CIS and Baltic Cup, which is a visible symbol of Russian football’s legacy work maintaining very close contacts with former the Soviet republic football associations and those of the three Baltic States. The competition involving the club champions of Russia, the CIS and Baltic region, has traditionally served for meetings with the FIFA President, who has been regular visitor over many years. 

For more information:

Julia Cooper, Communications Manager
Phone:  +7 495 660 49 80 /Mail: mail@russia2018-2022.com
Andreas Herren, International Media Coordinator
Mobile:  +41 (79) 799 0046 / Mail: media@russia2018-2022.com

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Keywords · Russia 2018 · Alexey Sorokin · FIFA World Cup · Vitaly Mutko · Sepp Blatter · Sergey Fursenko

Name: Julia Cooper
Organization: Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup™
Email:
Phone: +7 495 660 49 80
URL: http://www.russia2018-2022.com

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