March 1997 – N°23 – News – ENGLISH

One stadium, many “stadiers”

The general delegation for the French language has provided an answer to the question raised by the Interministerial Delegation for the World Cup (DICOM): out of respect for their language and culture, the French should no longer use the word “steward,” but “stadier,” with the feminine version “stadière.” Similarly, for the word “stewarding,” DICOM suggests keeping the expressions “accueil et contrôle” (reception and supervision) and “assistance stadiaire” (providing assistance in the stadium).

Stade de France sponsors

An imaginative operation entitled “le mur des noms” (the wall of names) has been launched, with the aim of drawing a large section of the general public into the everyday life of the Stade de France. It offers individuals the opportunity of having their name engraved on the main façade of the Stade de France at Saint-Denis. The procedure is simple: for FF 1,000, anyone can become a Stade de France sponsor, and as such will have his/her name inscribed on the most celebrated sports building in France. Gaètan Desruelles, on the left of the photo, and Pierre Parisot, respectively General Manager and President of the Stade de France consortium, placed the first plaque in the wall of names on 28 February this year.

FRANCE 98 budget

A forecast of considerably increasing revenues – due notably to the successful launch of ticket sales to the public in France, a more focused appreciation of expenses and a reaffirmation of its objective of breaking even: these are the principal features of the new CFO budget, approved on 6 March by the Board of Directors. The latest of the regular up-dates that have formed part of the budget strategy from the very first World Cup budget in 1995, its object this time was to make the adjustment necessary to the latest increases in receipts and expenses fifteen months away from the event. The new budget now stands at FF 1,968 million, a progression of 17.8% compared with the budget estimated in 1996. The next up-date is set for July 1997.

The ambassadors

After their travels in France’s overseas territories a few weeks ago, Fernand Sastre and Michel Platini, Presidents of the French Organising Committee, are continuing their adventures as FRANCE 98’s “ambassadors” elsewhere in the world. First Michel Platini went to South America, from 11 to 19 March.

He accompanied the French President, Jacques Chirac, during his official Latin American visit, which took in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina successively. Fernand Sastre, for his part, played ambassador for FRANCE 98 to the islanders of Mayotte and Reunion, from 17 to 21 March.

The Kaiser in Paris

Franz Beckenbauer, lately appointed ambassador for Germany’s bid to host the 2006 Football World Cup, inaugurated his new job by meeting Fernand Sastre, Michel Platini and Jacques Lambert at the CFO headquarters on 28 February this year. The former German player and team coach was accompanied by Horst Schmidt and Wolfgang Niersbach, respectively Secretary General and spokesman for the DFB (German football federation), and declared that “the path chosen by France seems a perfect model to follow (…); we have gathered a great deal of useful information from our encounter.”