Socceroos call Vitoria home for 2014 FIFA World Cup

The Socceroos will prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Vitoria, Brazil after accepting an offer by the Governor of the State of Espirito Santo and the Espirito Santo State Football Federation.

The Socceroos will prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Vitoria, Brazil after accepting an offer by the Governor of the State of Espirito Santo and the Espirito Santo State Football Federation to use the coastal city as its base camp.

The announcement was made today in Vitoria by the Governor of the State of Espírito Santo, Renato Casagrande, Football Federation Australia Chief Executive Officer David Gallop and the President of the Espirito Santo State Football Federation, Marcus Vicente.

As part of the base camp agreement, the State of Espírito Santo and the Espirito Santo State Football Federation will invest heavily in the Estádio Engenheiro Alencar de Araripe (Socceroos training base), which will then be left as a legacy to the people of Vitoria.

The team will stay at the Hotel Ilha do Boi, which sits on top of a small island offering sweeping views over the coastline of Vitoria, which is home to 1.8million Brazilians in the greater metropolitan area.

“We are extremely pleased to have secured Vitoria as our base for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” Gallop said. “We would like to thank the Governor of the State of Espirito Santo and the Espirito Santo State Football Federation for their hospitality and dedication to give the Socceroos the best possible preparation for the tournament.

“Vitoria is a safe and welcoming city with beautiful beaches and travelling Australian fans will have a good time while following the Socceroos on our World Cup journey.”

Vitoria offers the Socceroos a quiet and relaxed base to prepare for its group stage matches against Chile (June 13), the Netherlands (June 18) and Spain (June 23).

“Now that we know our game venues Vitoria is the ideal place for us to prepare for the challenges ahead as we get ready for our 4th World Cup,” Gallop said. “Ange and other FFA executives visited Vitoria last week and we-re pleased that with some investment we will have first class facilities for our preparations that will leave a legacy for the locals.

“We-ll work with the local authorities over the next few months to ensure the facilities are world class and Vitoria feels like a slice of Australia. It will be our home for the best part of a month and we-re comfortable it will be a good place for the team and also the Aussie fans who join us in Brazil.”

The Socceroos will stay in Vitoria from the moment they arrive in Brazil through to the completion of its tournament with the State of Espírito Santo embracing not only the team but the Australian supporters who are expected to flock to the city.

“The local community in Vitoria and the State of Espirito Santo will embrace the thousands of Australian supporters that will travel to Vitoria to follow the Australian Socceroos during the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” said the Governor of the State of Espírito Santo, Renato Casagrande.

“We want to make all Australians feel welcome and safe in our city so they leave Brazil with happy memories from their time in Vitoria.

“It is our honour to help Australia prepare for the FIFA World Cup by giving them the best facilities, which will then be left for the people of Vitoria and the State of Espirito Santo to enjoy for many years to come.”

Australia-s 2014 FIFA World Cup matches June 13: Chile v Australia at Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba. 6pm kick off (local time) June 18: Australia v Netherlands at Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre. 1pm kick off (local time) June 23: Australia v Spain at Arena da Baixada, Curitiba. 1pm kick off (local time)