Moscow, 05 July 2010 – The IFD Kapital Group of Companies, one of the major diversified holdings in Russia, has joined the country’s bidding efforts to be awarded the right to host either the 2018 or the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
Russia’s bid to host the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup has received yet another boost with the IFD Kapital Group of Companies joining the select circle of partners supporting the campaign.
Bid CEO Alexey Sorokin stated: “I am very pleased to welcome IFD Kapital to our expanding group of partners, who are vivid proof of the interest and sympathy Russia’s bid for the FIFA World Cup™ is enjoying at home.”
“IFD Kapital is an investor active in a number of business areas and in particular in companies that are expected to be on the market’s high tomorrow. Their expertise will further help us to make a case for holding the FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, an opportunity which would allow football to tap into a huge market”, Sorokin added.
Leonid Fedun, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IFD Kapital, commented: “Russia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ is a matter of pride for our country. Football is the most popular sport in Russia. If we win the right to host the World Cup, the largest celebration of world football will take place in Russia, a huge honour for our country.”
IFD Kapital has already a distinguished track record in football. As part of their involvement in sports, the company has been acting as the General Sponsor of Spartak Moscow Football Club, for which plans for a new stadium of at least 42,000 seats are being developed. IFD Kapital also supports a number of youth sport schools and training bases for footballers of all ages. The company’s sponsorship of the Russia 2018/2022 Bid is a natural extension of these football activities and the collaboration of these two organisations can only serve to enhance efforts to develop Russian football.
IFD Kapital holds stakes in companies and holdings active in the oil and gas sector, banking services, pension coverage, construction, power generation, mass media and high technology industries. IFD Kapital also owns the Russian Media Group holding and a number of very successful internet websites.
IFD Kapital joins consulting group BDO in Russia, law firm YUST and the charity organization, Art and Sport, in supporting the Russian bid, which is now entering the final stretch in the race to become the host of either the 2018 or the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
From 16 to 19 August, a delegation of FIFA experts will visit Russia. Before this, the Bid Committee will be present at Soccerex in Singapore at the end of July to state its case to the Asian Football family. FIFA will designate the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments at a special meeting of the Executive Committee on 2 December 2010.
For more information:
Russia Bid Committee for the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™
Julia Cooper, Communications Manager Phone: +7 495 660 49 80
E-mail: [email protected]
Andreas Herren, International Media Coordinator Mobile: +41 (79) 799 0046
E-mail: [email protected]
