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Sochi – the Russian Riviera
Located in the centre of Sochi and only 200 metres from the Black Sea coast, the Hyatt Regency Hotel will be a base camp of the Poland national football team during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. "It is all that we could have asked for". Head coach Adam Nawałka is very happy with this choice. "We will have everything we need," assures Maciej Sawicki, the Secretary General of the Polish Football Association.
Modern, air-conditioned rooms with balconies overlooking the sea plus a private bathroom with a bathtub and a shower. Well-equipped spa, swimming pool and gym, spacious conference rooms. These are the conditions in which the Poland national football team will live during the World Cup in Russia. The Hyatt Regency Hotel is situated in the heart of a legendary Black Sea resort, along the first shoreline, and right next to the famous beachside promenade of Primorskaya Street. Sochi Airport is located only 20 kilometres away from the hotel.
"The national team will have some peace and quiet but it will not be isolated from the world. This is what we wanted. Training and hotel facilities are excellent in Sochi. I think our team will feel great there," says Maciej Sawicki.
The Poland national football team will use Sputnik-Sport Stadium facilities located 13 kilometres away from the hotel. It takes approx. 25 minutes to get to them. Journeys from Sochi to the cities where the White-and-Reds will play their group matches will not take long either. "We have checked all distances that we have to travel to get to Kazan, Moscow, and Volgograd to play our matches. The longest flight will take 2 hours and 10 minutes," works out the Secretary General of the Polish Football Association.
Sochi has long been one of the most popular and attractive tourist destinations. Also known as the Russian Riviera, Sochi is home to 400,000 residents and is the longest city in Europe and second longest city in the world (the shoreline is over 145 kilometres). The northeastern part of the city is surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains.
The largest and most popular Russian resort gained even more importance four years ago when the 2014 Winter Olympics was held. In June, Sochi will be home to sports emotions again. Apart from Poland, Sochi will also be a base camp of the Brazil national football team.
Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi was constructed specially for the 2014 Winter Olympics - it served as the venue for its opening and closing ceremonies. Before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the venue was modernised and adapted to host matches as part of the World Cup. Four group stage matches (Portugal – Spain; Australia – Peru; Germany – Sweden; Belgium – Panama), one match in the round of sixteen, and one quarter-final will be played there.
Paweł Drażba, Jacek Janczewski
FOT: East News
