COURTESY FIFA: The events building up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup GermanyTM will get underway in Frankfurt am Main during the first week of December, with the highlight of a packed programme being the Preliminary Draw at Frankfurt Festival Hall on 5 December.
Prior to this great gathering of the football family, meetings of several FIFA standing committees are set to take centre stage (cf. programme attached). On Wednesday, 3 December, the debates of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World CupTM will focus on the final preparations for the Preliminary Draw and the approval of the draw procedure for each of the geographic zones.
Also on the agenda will be the format for the play-off matches between representatives of the four confederations that have been allocated half qualifying places for the finals – AFC (Asia), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America) and OFC (Oceania).
Casting an eye ahead to the final competition itself, the committee will discuss the match schedule as well as ticketing and accommodation matters.
Convening on 4 December, the FIFA Executive Committee will consider a range of issues regarding the 2006 FIFA World CupTM, examine a number of points relating to other FIFA competitions and ratify various standing committee decisions. The FIFA General Secretary will provide an update on the bids for the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. Furthermore, in connection with the new FIFA Statutes, due to come into force on 1 January 2004, organisation regulations for the standing committees and for the FIFA administration will be submitted to the executive for approval.
On Friday, 5 December, the attention of the global football community will fall firmly on Frankfurt, where the Preliminary Draw ceremony will begin at 17.05h CET in a live television broadcast. Six-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher is just one of the celebrities who will be on hand to offer their assistance. Two famous names will carry out the draw for each continental zone. The only exception is South America, where the qualifying competition has already begun using a league system on a home-and-away basis. The first draw conducted will be for the Asian zone, followed by Oceania, CONCACAF, Africa and finally Europe.
GENERAL PROGRAMME FOR THE PRELIMINARY DRAW
Mon. 01 Dec 2003
09.00 Accreditation Centre opens – Congress Centre – Level C0
09.00 Media Centre opens – Congress Centre – Hall Harmonie
Tue. 02 Dec 2003
13.00 Press Conference of the LOC Germany 2006 – Congress Centre – Harmonie
14.00 Meeting FIFA Finance Committee – Congress Centre – Maritim III
Wed. 03 Dec 2003
10.00 Meeting Committee for Security Matters and Fair Play – Congress Centre – Maritim III
13.00 Meeting Organising Committee for the 2006 FIFA World CupTM – Congress Centre – Maritim III
16.00 Media Briefing – Congress Centre – Harmonie
Thu. 04 Dec 2003
09.00-16.00 Meeting Executive Committee – Congress Centre – Maritim III
16.30 Post FIFA Executive Committee Press Conference – Congress Centre – Harmonie
Fri. 05 Dec 2003
15.30 Pre-Draw Cocktail Reception – Forum
16.30 Opening of the Festival Hall (Festhalle) – Festival Hall
17.05-18.45 Preliminary Draw – Festival Hall
18.45-21.00 Mixed zone – Forum
19.15 Press Conference of the LOC Germany 2006 – Congress Centre – Harmonie
Sat. 06 Dec 2003
Departure National Associations
12.00 Media Centre closes