Final draw starts count-down to UEFA Women’s EURO 2013

Genève, 30-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The UEFA European Women’s Championship 2011-13 final draw will take place on 9 November in Gothenburg, Sweden. The list of the finalist teams Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and hosts Sweden was completed last week with Iceland, Russia and Spain, who qualified through the play-off round. The final tournament will be played from 10 to 28 July 2013 in Sweden.

UEFA President Michel Platini said: “The UEFA Women’s EURO is the ultimate stage for women’s national team football in Europe. I would like to thank the Swedish Football Association for its dedication towards making this draw and next summer’s final tournament a success. The UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 will serve as a showcase of UEFA and its member associations’ commitment for women’s football.”

The draw ceremony will start at 18.30CET and Member of the UEFA Executive Committee and Chairwoman of the UEFA Women’s Football Committee Karen Espelund will give a keynote speech on behalf of UEFA. The draw will be conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, who will be assisted by UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 ambassadors Steffi Jones and Patrik Andersson.

Germany won the competition in 2009 and the German Football Association (DFB), represented by General Secretary Helmut Sandrock, will, at the draw ceremony, hand the UEFA Women’s EURO trophy back to UEFA President Michel Platini. He will subsequently entrust the trophy to the hosts of the 2013 tournament, the Swedish Football Association (SvFF), for safekeeping until the final tournament.

Karl-Erik Nilsson, the President of the Swedish FA, said: “Women’s football is gaining ground in Europe, as well as internationally, and the Swedish FA is proud to be hosting UEFA’s flagship women’s national team competition this July in Sweden. We are confident the tournament will have impeccable organisation and provide an unforgettable experience for fans, players, teams, officials and other guests, with the beautiful Swedish summer as its backdrop.”

The official adidas match ball will also be launched at the draw. A product by adidas, the number one football manufacturer in the world, the ball is of the highest technological specification and it will be used at all matches during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2013 final tournament. The ball design has been specially created with yellow and blue branding to reflect and celebrate the host nation, Sweden.

The draw will be preceded by a press conference with Karen Espelund, Karl-Erik Nilsson, Tournament Director Göran Havik, Steffi Jones and Patrik Andersson, at 17.00CET.

Media representatives wishing to attend the draw and/or the press conference are requested to apply via email to fame_accreditations@uefa.ch before 18:00CET on 8 November.

The draw will be broadcast live on UEFA.com, Eurosport and TV4 Sweden.

For more information about the draw procedure and the seedings, please go to UEFA.com.

For all information related to women’s football in Europe, see the women’s football section on UEFA.com: http://www.uefa.com/women.