Yana Churikova and Andrey Malakhov to present FIFA Confederations Cup draw - FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP
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| FIFA.com |
In just three weeks’ time, TV presenters Yana Churikova and Andrey Malakhov will be the hosts of the Official Draw for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 in Kazan on 26 November. The colourful show will reveal the final match schedule and also showcase Russia and the four host cities: Kazan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Sochi.
The artistic part of the draw show will be produced together with Russia’s Channel One, as it was done for the FIFA World Cup™ Preliminary Draw in July 2015
“I am very glad that the big football festival in Russia will begin in 2017,” said Churikova, who recently became an ambassador for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and presented the opening ceremonies of both the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2013 Universiade in Kazan. “To use music terminology, which is close to me, the FIFA Confederations Cup is the same ‘headliner’ as the FIFA World Cup. It will be just amazing to watch the world champions and the best national teams from different parts of the world. I am looking forward to the draw in Kazan, and once the schedule is known I will immediately begin to plan my holiday.”
‘I am very glad that I will be one of the presenters of the draw, which precedes the big tournament,’ said Malakhov, who is also a presenter on Channel One and hosted the 'Tonight' show that announced the 2018 FIFA World Cup host cities back in 2012. ‘I love to watch good football in good company at the stadium, so I will do my best to attend FIFA Confederations Cup matches. I will already start to make my plans while I am in Kazan – and I hope that the Russian team will qualify from the group and bring joy to the whole country."
The FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 will take place from 17 June to 2 July 2017. For the first time in the history of the tournament it will be held in Russia. It will be attended by world champions Germany, hosts Russia, and the champions of all six confederations – Australia (AFC), Chile (CONMEBOL), Mexico (CONCACAF), Portugal (UEFA) and New Zealand (OFC), with Africa’s representative to be determined in February 2017.
The draw will see the eight teams divided into two groups of four. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be held in Kazan and Sochi, while the final will take place in Saint Petersburg.