Qatar unveils new World Cup stadium
VIDEO SHOWS: VARIOUS FOOTAGE OF NEW WORLD CUP STADIUM UNVEILED IN QATAR / INTERVIEW WITH COMMITTEE MEMBER / STILL PICTURES OF NEW STADIUM
SHOWS: AL RAYYAN, QATAR (UNKNOWN) (SC MEDIA - EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (MUTE)
1. VARIOUS FOOTAGE OF THE NEW AL RAYYAN STADIUM
AL RAYYAN, QATAR (UNKNOWN) (SC MEDIA - EDITORIAL USE ONLY)
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SC SECRETARY GENERAL, HASSAN AL THAWADI, SAYING:
"The fact the stadium is 5km away from Education City I think represents the fact that it is a compact World Cup and we've always made that commitment to the fans. And I think that the nature of the compact World Cup, the best way of describing it is it's the Olympic Spirit but within the World Cup environment. I think fans will be able to watch more than one match a day - it's a very unique offering. Fans will not have to worry about changing accommodation to follow their teams. And they truly will be able to enjoy and experience what really matters, which is celebrating the world coming together for the World Cup and at the same time celebrating football on the pitch."
AL RAYYAN, QATAR (UNKNOWN) (SC MEDIA - EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (MUTE)
3. VARIOUS STILL PICTURES OF THE AL RAYYAN STADIUM
AL RAYYAN, QATAR (UNKNOWN) (SC MEDIA - EDITORIAL USE ONLY)
4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SC SECRETARY GENERAL, HASSAN AL THAWADI, SAYING: "Excitement, pride, sometimes anxiety. But overall I think it's anticipation. We're very, very excited and, you know, we're waiting, eagerly awaiting the start of the World Cup where we welcome everybody from different corners of the Earth to celebrate as one this great moment."
AL RAYYAN, QATAR (UNKNOWN) (SC MEDIA - EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (MUTE)
5. PROMO VIDEO SHOWING START TO FINISH OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AL RAYYAN STADIUM
STORY: Qatar inaugurated the fourth of eight 2022 World Cup venues, the Al Rayyan Stadium, when the country hosted the Amir Cup final between Al-Sadd and Al-Arabi on Friday (December 18).
Al-Sadd, coached by former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez, beat Al-Arabi 2-1 to lift their 17th Amir Cup title after Algeria forward Baghdad Bounedjah scored twice.
"It is a wonderful football stadium," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
"The atmosphere is incredible, with the seats extremely close to the pitch... I am sure this will be a perfect football arena in 2022 when it hosts matches during the World Cup.
"The country is very well prepared for the next FIFA World Cup and on track to host a memorable instalment of the tournament – the first in the Middle East and the Arab world."
The Amir Cup final's date coincided with Qatar National Day and the country is scheduled to host the 2022 World Cup final in exactly two years' time.
The 40,000-capacity venue will host seven World Cup matches up to the round of 16.
After the World Cup, the precinct surrounding Al Rayyan, which includes six training pitches, will be transformed into a regional sporting hub for the local community.
Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City are the other three World Cup venues which have already been unveiled.
(Production: Francis Maguire)
