First visit by a FIFA committee to Syria since 2011

Damascus,  (Prensa Latina) A committee of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) visited Syria, considered the first trip of its kind since the start of the war in that country in 2011.

According to local media reports, the delegation visited the capital, monitored the elections of the Syrian Football Union and also toured a number of sports facilities to assess the situation of sport in the country.

According to a FIFA report quoted by Syrian television station al-Khabar, the impact of the war has diminished and football is improving with a strong system of men's football.

There are 14 teams in the first league and they play their matches in the cities of Damascus, Latakia, Aleppo, Hama and Homs, and the number of fans exceed 30,000 in each match, the report noted.

For its part, the Syrian Football Union demanded that the embargo imposed on the country's stadiums from 2011 be lifted and that the national team be allowed to play its international matches at home.