By Mark Baber
October 18 – The slogan for UEFA EURO 2016 was announced in the Marseille city hall, after being approved by the tournament’s steering group. The new slogan is ‘Le Rendez-Vous,’ which represents the organisers’ desire to bring together the best of football, of Europe and of France.
The announcement of the official slogan is another milestone on the road to Euro 2016, with important dates to come including the qualifying draw on 23 February 2014, the first sales of hospitality packages next spring, the start of the qualifiers in September, the inaugurations of new and renovated stadia and, of course, the much anticipated launch of the official mascot – for which we have to wait until next autumn.
UEFA President Michel Platini, French Football Federation (FFF) president Noël Le Graët, and president of EURO 2016 SAS Jacques Lambert, Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin and French sports minister Valérie Fourneyron were on hand as the new slogan was unveiled.
According to the UEFA web site, “The competition slogan – Le Rendez-Vous – aims to evoke the importance of the UEFA European Championship and to make it a succession of festivities not to be missed. The slogan fits snugly with the competition’s visual identity, which was unveiled to the public on 26 June in Paris, and whose central message is ‘Celebrate the art of football’. The logo expresses the beauty of the game, the passion, the celebration of football and France’s cultural and artistic heritage.”
Jacques Lambert, took up the task of explaining the meaning of the slogan, saying, “With this slogan, UEFA is sending a message to all football lovers throughout the world: get ready to come to an outstanding tournament starting on 10 June 2016 and to share in some unforgettable celebrations. With 24 teams at the top of their game, everything will be in place to make this the summit of footballing excellence in 2016.”
For Lambert, “Le Rendez-Vous is much more than a reminder of dates – from 10 June to 10 July 2016 – and venues – the ten French host cities. UEFA is sending out an invitation to football fans throughout the world and to lovers of major events, an invitation to meet up and share the emotions of an elite-level tournament. It is also an invitation from France to visitors from the rest of Europe and all over the world to come to this meeting and discover the wealth of tourist and cultural attractions on offer in EURO 2016’s host country.”
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