The European University Sport Association (EUSA), the Spanish University Sport Committee (CEDU) and the Organizing Committee of the European Universities Football Championship is already preparing the greatest sporting event held in the province since 2005 Mediterranean Games, and the most important sporting event until now in the University of Almería (UAL). With this championship, over 500 athletes, all of them students from different European universities, will come. Almería will receive the European universities men's and women's champions from all Europe. Up to 16 universities representing countries from all Europe will take part in the competition in each category.

As the Rector of the UAL Pedro Molina has explained during the presentation of this event at the Press Conference on December 14, the importance of the championship goes beyond the academic field. It will get together more than 600 people (athletes, officers, referees and staff) for 8 days. It supposes almost 5000 overnight stays for the city, with the economic consequence it has. Besides, we have to keep in mind the economic effort that will be made by the organization in terms of transport, material, visits and tourist activities that will be offered to everyone during their stay. In addition, several promotional activities will be carried out in different schools of Almería and with football teams from the entire province.

The European Universities Football Championship 2013 will be held between 23rd and 30th June next year. The County Council, the Andalusian government Junta de Andalucía, the City Council of Almería and the Royal Spanish Football Federation collaborate with the UAL on the organization. Their representatives have also attended today the press conference.

The University of Almería has already organized several important universities sporting events. In 2008, it was the venue for the Spanish Universities Handball and Swimming Championships. The following year it hosted the Spanish Universities Football, Volleyball and Triathlon Championships. In 2010, it organized the Spanish Universities Volleyball, Karate and Taekwondo Championships, and this year it has been the venue for the Spanish Universities Basketball and Golf Championships.

The Spanish University Sport Committee, aware of the organizing ability of the UAL, supported the candidacy of the University of Almería from the start. Finally, the European University Sports Association decided to give Almería the organization of the European Universities Football Championship 2013, at a meeting of its Executive Board in Warsaw. In addition to this, this championship will take place in a very special year for the University because in 2013, the UAL will celebrate its twentieth anniversary. For this reason, it is being prepared an interesting program, which will have different activities, including this championship.

Regarding the competition venues, the main one will be the UAL football field that received recently the approval of the Royal Spanish Football Federation because of the quality of its artificial grass. It will host men's and women's competitions. Two football fields of the city of Almería will also be competition venues. These are the Local Sports Complex of Los Angeles, which will host men's and women's competitions, and the Stadium of La Juventud, for men's competitions. The Sport Center of Viator, located in the metropolitan area of our city, will be another venue for men's competitions.

In addition to the previous institutions, private companies such as Coca Cola and Cruzcampo are joining the project. Some weeks ago, the UAL signed a collaboration agreement with Coca Cola. Some others will join this project soon.

The registration to the EUC Football 2013 is now open at EUSA webpage, and the first deadline is already 01.01.2013. More information at www.football2013.eusa.eu.