Baku, Azerbaijan, May 3
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
SOCAR brand will appear at all 51 Euro 2016 matches in France after signing up as a
top-tier sponsor with UEFA, New Zealand Herald wrote.
"From Sept. 7, the name SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) will feature on pitch-side advertising at most 2016 European Championship and 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Europe," according to the article.
And Azerbaijan's top aim could be achieved on Sept. 19 if UEFA chooses Baku among 13 host cities for Euro 2020.
"We think that will be the biggest target we can achieve for now," Elkhan Mammadov, general secretary of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) said in an interview.
"Football is important in the country and is supported by the government and by the president himself," Mammadov said. "The president signed a decree order for the development of Azerbaijan football between 2005 and 2015 which covers development of the infrastructure, and youth and women's football."
Baku will host the first European Games in June 2015.
The Games will be held in a number of sports complexes in Baku and Minchechevir region of Azerbaijan. The largest sports complex (Baku Olympic Stadium) accommodates about 68,000 people. The first European Games "Baku-2015" will open on June 12 and close on June 28, 2015. The expected number of guests and visitors is 54,000 people.
"Slowly we can become a sports hub in Europe," Mammadov added.