French organizers of Euro 2016 said that it is their intention that the tournament will galvanize more of the French youth into playing football and that "through improved facilities the tournament will leave a sustainable legacy," according to Samindra Kunti of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Euro 2016 organizers "are aiming for more than just a successful competition, but want French football to benefit directly from the tournament to entrench the sport more profoundly in French society and culture." French Football Federation Deputy GM Victoriano Melero said, "We hope we can change the image of football, to show people the importance of grassroots football, and that it is not just about billionaire players." A program "has been set up to introduce football to children" aged six to 10 years old. At smaller clubs across France, the FFF is investing £33M ($50M) in the modernization of facilities. For the professional game, modernized venues "must catapult French football into the 21st century and make it compete with the top leagues in Europe." Local authorities and a limited number of private investors "have pumped up" to £1.2B ($1.8B) into the stadiums, with an additional £291M ($447M) "spent on surrounding infrastructure." FFF Stadium Strategy Committee Head Alain Belsoeur said, "The Germans used the World Cup stadium program to build their football fan base, and we are hoping for this effect this time round. ... We hope that the new stadiums will bring in people who may not be football fans, but who are casually interested in football, such as happens in England or Germany" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/22).
