Panama fans will need creativity to see World Cup games

Win or lose in their first appearance in World Cup finals, Panama’s national football (soccer) team will not earn time off for stay at home fans to watch games.

When Panama qualified for the event by defeating Costa Rica in the final qualifying game, President Juan Carlos Varela, in the middle of the night spontaneously declared a public holiday, leaving businesses to foot the extra cost, and raising the ire of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture and similar bodies.

On Friday, June 1   Varela who will be Russia bound and is already facing criticism  over $100,000  transferred to cover his  group’s expenses while there, said that he will not declare free days when the national team plays.

“I already gave the day off for  qualifying,and  as you know, in Panama there is no re-election, so in the next classification the next president of the Republic will make the decision. I already took it, it was not easy, they questioned me a lot, but it was a chance for the people to be happy and the country was happy with its day off, “said the president.

“What the Government will do, is to call on the public and private sectors to look for creative mechanisms so that Panamanians can see the three matches of the national team “ in Russia, said Varela.

“The important thing is that all Panamanians can see all three games, and hopefully more than three, without affecting the economic and social development of the country, “he added.

Varela said, in addition, that the Ministry of the Presidency has already taken “creative” measures so that  officials  can enjoy the matches in  the meeting rooms of the Cabinet Council, and  Security Council.

He added that he will accompany the team in its  first match.

The national team, directed by Colombian coach Hernán Darío Gómez, opens on

June 1 8  the Fisht Stadium in the city of Sochi, against Belgium, in Group G starting at 10:00 a.m. “Without a doubt, I will be with them in Sochi the night before the game.

Varela said  that on his trip to Russia he will be accompanied by a minister (he did not reveal his name) and the Vice Foreign Luis Miguel Hincapié.

He said that the bilateral meeting with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, would be the on June 14  June in the afternoon, and said  that they will also have a meeting with executives of the Aeroflot airline.