Argentinian and Uruguayan national teams land in Belo Horizonte ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup

Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 10 June 2014:

Last night saw the arrival of the Argentinian and Uruguayan football teams in Host City Belo Horizonte which will be their home during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The teams join the Chilean squad who arrived last week in Belo Horizonte and will also be based in the city during the tournament.

Argentina will be based at Atlético Mineiro’s Cidade do Galo training complex, a state of the art facility, which was voted the best training centre in South America in 2010 and occupies 244,000 square metres, complete with four full size pitches, a full scale medical department with physiology and physical therapy rooms, heated swimming pools and a hotel complex encompassing 20 luxury suites.

The Mineirão Stadium, Belo Horizonte’s newly renovated, 62,500 seated, multi-purpose venue that will host six matches including a semi-final during the tournament, will also play host to the Argentina v Iran game on 21st June 2014.

The Chilean squad are using reigning Brazilian league champions Cruzeiro’s training headquarters known as ‘Toca da Raposa’ [The Fox Hole], which is also regarded as one of the best training centres in Brazil. It occupies 8,300 square metres and is complete with four full sized football pitches, a heated swimming pool and an on-site 25 room hotel with restaurants, games rooms, a movie theatre, administrative offices and a media centre.

Uruguay will be stationed at the Arena do Jacaré which is based in Sete Lagoas, just outside of Belo Horizonte. Arena do Jacaré was the temporary home for matches between Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro while the Mineirão stadium was being renovated ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking about the football teams’ arrival in the city, The Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Marcio Lacerda, said:

"We are honoured to welcome to Belo Horizonte such a great selection of prominent players from football clubs around the world. We believe that our world-class training facilities will provide the perfect setting for some of the best players in world football to prepare themselves and train for the World Cup. We are equally excited about hosting the game between Argentina and Iran on 21st June at our recently remodelled Mineirão stadium and witnessing first-hand the football skills of one of the greatest players in the world, Lionel Messi.

"We hope that the presence of the Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan teams, and their supporters, in our city helps to further strengthen our good relations with our neighbouring countries."

Camillo Fraga, Municipal Secretary for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, said:

"It is a genuine pleasure to receive our Latin American neighbours to our city and we wish them a prosperous tournament. Today brings us a little bit closer to our World Cup moment and we are looking forward to celebrating a fun-filled festival of football in Belo Horizonte with fans from all over the world."

For more information:

VERO Communications

Robert Fawdon

Tel: +44 [0]20 7379 4000

Mob: +44 [0]7769 216 649

Em: rfawdon@verocom.co.uk

Tw: @robertwfawdon

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