[Troupe]

Portie, on Sep 12 2009, 06:57 PM, said:

If FIFA doesn't let this bid have 2 stadiums in more than 1 city, I bet that city will be Lisbon.
Estádio Alvalade XXI is a UEFA 5star stadium, and I don't think it would be good to let it out of the bid. Because its a 5star stadium, and because its quite new.

Yes, of course, but it would be a pity to leave a brand new 5 star 73,000 stadium in Madrid too, that's why I want someone to make this rule clear.

Portie, on Sep 12 2009, 06:57 PM, said:

I didn't know about the 12.
If so, I would put the 10 I said before, and then would try to put stadiums that can do a bridge between the two countries. Galiza, Extremadura, Andalucia and Castilla y Leon would be the regions... But mainly Galiza and Extremadura!

Well, Badajoz is certainly the closest city to Portugal and in fact I think that is the main and only card of their bid, their stadium would have to be practically built from scratch and it would a white elephant afterwards, their main club is in Tercera División! Salamanca was bidding on the same ground and had to pull out. One of the two stadia in Galicia would be certainly included, also because Bilbao can't be the only host in northern Spain. Valladolid would be possible (only city of real importance in inner Spain apart from Madrid and Zaragoza), but I don't know if it feels close enough to Portugal.

I'm thinking, without one city-two stadia limits:

Portugal
1. Luz, Lisbon - OPENING GAME, SEMI-FINAL
2. Alvalade, Lisbon
3. Dragão, Porto
4. Algarve - (bridge to Spain)

Spain
1. Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid - FINAL
2. Camp Nou, Barcelona - SEMI-FINAL
3. La Cartuja, Seville - (bridge to Portugal?)
4. Nou Mestalla, Valencia
5. La Peineta, Madrid - if there isn't any one-city/two-stadia limit
6. New San Mamés, Bilbao
7. San José, Zaragoza
8. Riazor, A Coruña - (bridge to Portugal)

9. Nueva Condomina, Murcia OR La Rosaleda, Málaga OR José Zorrilla, Valladolid

Bonus idea: Separate opening show somewhere in Spain, what Germany had thought to do at the Olympiastadion in Munich. Maybe at the Roman Theatre in Mérida, Extremadura. Seriously.

[Portie]

Troupe, on Sep 12 2009, 07:31 PM, said:

Yes, of course, but it would be a pity to leave a brand new 5 star 73,000 stadium in Madrid too, that's why I want someone to make this rule clear.



Well, Badajoz is certainly the closest city to Portugal and in fact I think that is the main and only card of their bid, their stadium would have to be practically built from scratch and it would a white elephant afterwards, their main club is in Tercera División! Salamanca was bidding on the same ground and had to pull out. One of the two stadia in Galicia would be certainly included, also because Bilbao can't be the only host in northern Spain. Valladolid would be possible (only city of real importance in inner Spain apart from Madrid and Zaragoza), but I don't know if it feels close enough to Portugal.

I'm thinking, without one city-two stadia limits:

Portugal
1. Luz, Lisbon - OPENING GAME, SEMI-FINAL
2. Alvalade, Lisbon
3. Dragão, Porto
4. Algarve - (bridge to Spain)

Spain
1. Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid - FINAL
2. Camp Nou, Barcelona - SEMI-FINAL
3. La Cartuja, Seville - (bridge to Portugal?)
4. Nou Mestalla, Valencia
5. La Peineta, Madrid - if there isn't any one-city/two-stadia limit
6. New San Mamés, Bilbao
7. San José, Zaragoza
8. Riazor, A Coruña - (bridge to Portugal)

9. Nueva Condomina, Murcia OR La Rosaleda, Málaga OR José Zorrilla, Valladolid

Bonus idea: Separate opening show somewhere in Spain, what Germany had thought to do at the Olympiastadion in Munich. Maybe at the Roman Theatre in Mérida, Extremadura. Seriously.

I agree with you on Extremadura... So, the "Portugal of the North" (=Galiza) should the big bridge between both countries with the Algarve.

Then, I don't agree that the Opening Game and the Semi-Final are in Luz...
What I would think it's fair:
Opening: Alvalade XXI
Group Stage + Round 16: Divided in Portugal and Spain
Quarter-Finals: 2 in Portugal + 2 in Spain
Semi-Finals: Luz and Dragão
Final: Madrid

I think that would be fair for the two countries!

[Filipe_Golias]

Portie, on Sep 15 2009, 02:31 PM, said:

I agree with you on Extremadura... So, the "Portugal of the North" (=Galiza) should the big bridge between both countries with the Algarve.

Then, I don't agree that the Opening Game and the Semi-Final are in Luz...
What I would think it's fair:
Opening: Alvalade XXI
Group Stage + Round 16: Divided in Portugal and Spain
Quarter-Finals: 2 in Portugal + 2 in Spain
Semi-Finals: Luz and Dragão
Final: Madrid

I think that would be fair for the two countries!

There's no way a WC opening ceremony would be held in a <60,000-seated venue...

I also find unlikely for Portugal to host both semi-final matches - I'd bet one semi-final and third-place match.

[aluz]

Filipe_Golias, on Sep 15 2009, 08:18 PM, said:

There's no way a WC opening ceremony would be held in a <60,000-seated venue...

I also find unlikely for Portugal to host both semi-final matches - I'd bet one semi-final and third-place match.

FIFA requires 60.000+ stadium for the Opening game and 80.000+ stadium for the final.

[Tutankamon]

aluz, on Sep 16 2009, 01:21 AM, said:

FIFA requires 60.000+ stadium for the Opening game and 80.000+ stadium for the final.

Now Spain and portuagl need World Cup, Spain now is stronger cause we lost olympics!

[cslopes54]

Madrid can still build the Olympic stadium but for the world cup!

[Troupe]

cslopes54, on Oct 3 2009, 09:23 PM, said:

Madrid can still build the Olympic stadium but for the world cup!

They are building it anyway, it is expected to be the new ground of Atlético de Madrid from 2013.

[aluz]

Tutankamon, on Oct 3 2009, 03:17 PM, said:

Now Spain and portuagl need World Cup, Spain now is stronger cause we lost olympics!

Don't bet on it. If Samaranch had sold it cheap, he might get an agreement with Havelange, but I did not seem so. If Madrid was out before there might have been some exchange of favours.

[Filipe_Golias]

Tutankamon, on Oct 3 2009, 02:17 PM, said:

Now Spain and portuagl need World Cup, Spain now is stronger cause we lost olympics!

I don't think that will be an argument strong enough to stop the WC from returning to England in 2018. The Olympics and FIFA World Cup hosting history and geopolitics are distinct things with their own evolution, that sometimes happen to coincide. If England doesn't host it 52 years later because another European bid pipped theirs, under this system it will have to wait a further 12... Hmmm, don't think so.

[RobH]

I think this was the best result possible for a Spain/Portugal World Cup. You've shown your sporting strength by getting to the final two, something hardly anyone expected, but you didn't get the Games, something which would have really harmed your world cup chances. Spain/Portugal 2018 comes out of Copenhagen stronger I think.