Opening Match at Belo Horizonte's new Mineirao stadium

Belo Horizonte, Brazil; 3rd February 2013: – Today marked the opening match at the new Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte where Cruzeiro won 2-1 against local rivals Atlético Mineiro in the State Championship. In honour of the historic reopening of the stadium, new safety and security measures were adopted by the City Hall and the State with the introduction of numbered chairs for the first-time, medical teams on-site and sophisticated monitoring of traffic flow around the stadium.

"We celebrate another milestone today with the opening game at our new Mineirão stadium and it is wonderful to see so many fans celebrating this day with us. It is very important to us that this historic reopening was a peaceful celebration and we have researched and implemented new security measures to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. For instance, both of the team’s entrance tunnels onto the pitch were positioned side by side for the first time to signify this new phase of football in Belo Horizonte", said Tiago Lacerda, State Secretary for 2014 FIFA World Cup™.

The Mineirão stadium will be the stage for six 2014 FIFA World Cup™ matches and preparations are already in place to ensure that the city can handle the increased visitor intake for this major sporting event. Ahead of 2014, approximately 20,000 people will be trained by the State Government, Belo Horizonte City Hall and the private sector within the following areas: language courses (English and Spanish), tourism, catering, administration and medical emergency planning. One thousand volunteers will also be trained ahead of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 by the Brasil Voluntário Programme (Volunteer Brazil Programme) as they will be required to help visitors move around the city and provide information about transport and tourism.

Funded by the Federal Government, the modernization of Belo Horizonte’s international airport is expected to be finished by December 2013. Infraero (the Brazilian Company of Airport Infrastructure) reports that the capacity at Tancredo Neves International Airport in Belo Horizonte will increase from 10.2 to 16.5 million passengers per year by 2014. The commercial space is also due to be expanded as well as the check-in area and 17 new elevators will be installed.

By 2014 FIFA World Cup™, Belo Horizonte will have two exclusive Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes that will travel into the centre of the city and the BRT stations are already under construction. There will also be approximately 55,000 new beds in the city. Belo Horizonte already has three new hotels in operation and 40 more are under construction, 20 of which are 4 or 5 star hotels.

"This is the moment for Belo Horizonte and the state of Minas Gerais to show the world what we have to offer as a city and a state. All of our preparations are on schedule and this shows our dedication to hosting world-class events. The legacy of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ will have a long-lasting impact for our people as it is helping to improve transport around the city as well provide jobs and strengthen our economy and tourism, " said Flávia Rohlfs, Executive Coordinator of the Committee of 2014 FIFA World Cup™, City Hall - Host City of Belo Horizonte.

For information contact: Hettie Allison, VERO Communications

T: +55 (21) 81030104

E: hallison@verocom.co.uk

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