Chattanooga It is compared in the city’s local press to the effects caused by the Liverpool group in the 60s. “For soccer fans in Chattanooga, the arrival of the Spanish team is like waiting for the arrival of the Beatles for a teenager in the 1960s. Instead of John, Paul, George and Ringo, these stars are Lamine, Nico, Rodri, Pedri…”reads the Chattanooga Times.
The mayor of the city, Tim Kelly, who will receive the team at the airport, figure in $600,000 the expenses generated by the arrival of Spain, which he assures are not a direct payment from the Spanish team, but rather a new item in the city budgets that will be covered with the income from hotel taxes generated by the presence of Spain in the city.
“The money will be used to cover the overtime of the police officers who coordinate the movements of one of the most famous teams in the world,” explains the independent mayor of the city, for whom European football, soccer, is something special because he is co-founder of the city’s team of this sport: the Chattanooga FC.
Spain’s arrival in the city is scheduled for two or three hours. Local institutions have invited citizens to give a warm reception to the team: “Fans and the media are invited to line up in front of the Embassy Suites to show their support and give a warm welcome to the team in Scenic City.” But it is warned that the interaction of the players with the fans is not ensured.
The welcome reception at the airport will feature the Mayor of Chattanooga, the Mayor of Hamilton County, Weston Wampand some officials of the Chattanooga Football Club.