The certification of Antonio Maceo Stadium in Santiago de Cuba by the International Football Federation Association (FIFA), which authorizes venues to host international matches, is a motivation to continue working for the development of football, the world’s most universal sport, in the country.
In this regard, Granma spoke with José Yulier Herranz, head of the Cuban Football Association’s (AFC) Development Office. Regarding the criteria that stadiums must meet in order to be approved, he explained, "First, the turf must be in good condition. It can be natural or artificial, but must meet specifications governing the field’s cut, relief, drainage and irrigation system.
"In addition, the infrastructure around the field is taken into account. That is to say, to be certified and host international matches, it must have a dressing room for each team, for the referees, a press room and another for press conferences; also, four main exits and six evacuation exits," added Herranz, also in charge of competitions for Cuban soccer.
He noted that all this was possible thanks to any investment by FIFA and the government of Santiago de Cuba.
"For this project, FIFA assumed the cost of the synthetic blanket and its transportation, as well as the irrigation system, the hydraulic pump and maintenance tractor, valued around 800,000 dollars. For its part, Santiago de Cuba, using its budget for the maintenance of stadiums, covered the cost of earth moving, dressing rooms, bleachers, painting, investing some 20 million Cuban pesos," he explained.
Regarding La Polar, which "is the oldest project that the AFC has in operation," he noted, "About a million dollars have been approved for the infrastructure, while the government of Havana will assume the civil works. We are currently in the technical description process, which is already in the hands of FIFA," he said.
Although an exact date for the completion of the stadium is not yet available, Herranz commented, "We believe that the infrastructure of La Polar will be finished this year."
