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Official Launch of the UEFA EUROPEAN UNDER 17 CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS - MALTA 2014

Published: 01-02-2014 06:05
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The UEFA European Under 17 Championship Finals – MALTA 2014 were offcially launched by the Malta Football Association, during a Press Conference held earlier today.   MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo set the ball rolling by welcoming all the stake holders and dwelt on the importance of the tournament itself and the opportunities that events of such scale will definitely create for the further the development of the local game, as  well as for Malta as a country to further enhance its image on the international scene and promote Malta as a Brand. Mr. Bjorn Vassallo, MFA Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, gave out a presentation highlighting the significance of the tournament, the initiatives being taken by the LOC to make this tournament a success, the promotion of the event and the logistics behind the organisation of the May 2014 Finals. During the Press Conference the launch of the official Video and web pages were also launched. TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW Ever since the first editionin 1980, these championships have been the place where stars such as Thierry Henry and Luís Figo took their first step towards the limelight. And since the switch to U17 classification in 2001/02 the likes of England's Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere, Spain's Cesc Fàbregas, Fernando Torres and Gerard Piqué, France’sSamir Nasri, Germany's Mario Götze and Toni Kroos, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgium's Eden Hazard have followed in their footsteps. Countries of the likes of Portugal, France, Turkey, Russia, Spain, Germany, England and the Netherlands, have won the competition in the past and such names are likely to be familiar when Malta will host the May 2014 event.The event will without a doubt grab Pan European exposure and TV Channel EUROSPORT will own the rights for the LIVE Transmission of the matches being played in Malta. •        When Malta was entrusted to stage the Euro Under-17 Championships 2014, some thought this would be too much for us to handle. •        Venues, accommodation, trainingfacilities, transport logistics, media facilitiesand the overall administration of the event will have to feature on our agenda. Marketing is however another strategic element without which, events of such a scale cannot attract the attention of the masses. •        The eyes of the European media will be focused on Malta and thismostly due to the pan-European exposurethrough TV Channel Eurosport and the fact that these championships have always been a fertile hunting ground for new talent. Eurosport has an average daily veiwership of 17 million people and will transmit (Live or Delayed), ALL the 15 matches from the final Tournament. •        Having Malta competing with the top European youth teams, will undoubtedly be a spur in supporting the further development of football in the country •        By putting into practice our reputation of the organisational skills that we possess, the hospitality & friendly attitude of the Maltese people in general and the characteristics of our beautiful Mediterranean Island, we should make this edition a memorable one. FOOTBALL AND MORE •        The potential contribution ofthe  V18 and the Department of Education, in supporting the Malta U17 Finals, we have the opportunity to rope in the cultural and educational aspects with the sporting activity of this event. And Why Not? Promote BRAND MALTA. The Educational Aspect •        The Malta U17 Finals will present the local community with an opportunity to host and get to know better the different cultures that hail from the countries here being represented by their sporting communities, whether being young football players, team and association officials or accompanying fansor the Media. Sponsors, Students and school children can here play an important role in hosting and learning more about our guests. A Taste of Malta’s Heritage •        With Malta and Gozo’s geographical position being at the crossroads of civilisations. the cultural heritage of the Maltese islands is truly unique as it mirrors 7,000 years of history. The prehistoric temples and sites, as well as Valletta are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with the capital Valletta already gearing up to becoming the European Capital City of Culture in 2018.  This will be a unique occasion for our guests to enjoy a taste of Malta’s heritage, the arts, urban culture, rural culture, folklore and traditionsand the very rich calendar of cultural events . MARKETING THE EVENT •        The reputation of the event  -  The Under-17 Championships, has always been the place where stars took their first step towards the limelight. Hence UEFA has always given this T’ment the importance it merits. At the Malta Finals we will get to know and tag new names and faces who will definitely be leaving their mark and making a name for themselves in the future. •        The key elements  – As in previous editions, the Malta Finals will present key elements related to the technical aspect of the competition;•        The potential of having the most illustrious European footballing countries in youth football being represented in these finals;•        The thrills and enthusiasm that youth football can produce, and•        the power of Eurosport TV to project these thrills into the homes of millions of football lovers across Europe. •        Special interest areas  -  Amongst the key interest areas expected to make the final outcome would be;•        The level of participation and achievements of each of the 8 finalists,•        The fertile hunting grounds for talent scouting with the hope that some local youngster might also catch the eye and leave a good impression,•        That the attractiveness of these finals and the overall participation of the Maltese Public will further enhance the development of the game in Malta THEMES The Local Organising Committee has decided on adopting the following two Themes for this event. FRIENDSHIP THROUGH FOOTBALL  -  Will be the generic theme which will be carried throughout the tournament in order to highlight the strength of football in bringing people together and thus create a friendly atmoshpere amongst both local and visitors. FROM GRASSROOTS TO ELITE  -  Will be a Theme which we will specifically carry in our campaigns in promoting the event and the further development of the local game, amongst the local public and in particular targeting youths   FOOTBALL AMBASSADORS The Local Organising Committee has appointed six local football personalities to act as Ambassadors for the tournament. The ambassadors will be the five football players who have played more than 100 matches for the Malta National Team, namely David Carabott, Joe Brincat, Carmel Busuttil, Gilbert Agius and Michael Mifsud, and these will be led by none other than Fr. Hilary Tagliaferro. PROMO CAMPAIGNS It will undoubtedly be appreciative for all to see thousands of football enthusiasts on the stands of the stadia which will host the matches, come next May. Rather than making costly efforts in trying to entice the public to buy tickets to come and watch the matches from these finals, our focus will go towards an open invitation to the various sectors of the local community. For this reason the Local Organising Committee is embarking on a widespread campaign called REACH OUT. REACH OUT will consist of a number of mini campaigns targeting the various sectors listed hereunder; •        NURSERIES ZONE  -  Local football Nurseries•        ONE-TIME ZONE  - Youth Centres, Sports Organisations, NGOs, etc.•        FOOTBALL WITHOUT FRONTIERS  -  Open Centres•        EDUCATION ZONE  -  State, Church & Private Schools, M.Univ., J.C. & MCAST•        MEDIA ZONE  -  Media houses•        FOOTBALL FOR ALL  -  Grassroots & Special Olympics•        CLUB ZONE  -  Football Clubs•        OTHER  -  Local Councils, Hotels, Supermarkets, Volunteers etc. THE SPONSORS Apart from UEFA's Main Sponsors ADIDAS and EUROSPORT TV the LOC has so far reached agreement with three other Official Sponsors, namely the VALLETTA 2018 FOUNDATION, McDONALDS and COCA COLA. IMPORTANT DATES 01 February 2014-   Official Launch05 February 2014-   Launch of REACH OUT Campaign31 March 2014-   End of Elite Qualifying Round09 April 2014-   Final Draws04 May 2014-   Arrival of Teams in Malta09 May 2014-   Group Match-day 112 May 2014  -   Group Match-day 215 May 2014  -   Group Match-day 318 May 2014  -   Semi Finals21 May 2014-   FINAL  MATCH SCHEDULE GROUP STAGE   MATCH DAY 1  -  9th May 2014   The National Stadium  A3 vs A4 A1 vs A2  The Gozo Stadium B1 vs B2 B3 vs B4  MATCH DAY 2  -  12th May 2014   The Hibernians Stadium B1 vs B3 B2 vs B4  The Gozo Stadium  A1 vs A3 A2 vs A4  MATCH DAY 3  -  15th May 2014   The National Stadium  B2 vs B3 A2 vs A3  The Hibernians Stadium  A4 vs A1 B$ vs B1  THE SEMI FINALS   18th May 2014   The National Stadium   -   S/Final 1                                           -   S/Final 2       THE FINAL 21st May 2014 The National Stadium     TICKETING Although the main focus of the LOC will be to reach as many would be spectators as possible through its REACH OUT campaign, there will still be match tickets available for sale.The LOC will issue for sale, both Single-match tickets and Block Tickets for the Groups Stage, as well as tickets for the Semi Finals and The Final.All tickets will at the end of the tournament be eligible to participate in a lottery, with top prizes.Details with regards to ticket sales, ticket prices and  the lottery itself will be issued in due course. TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL VIDEO AND WEB PAGESFor more details about the event and to watch the Official Video, visit the tournament Web Pages through www.mfa.com.mt