SOCCER-RUSSIA/WORLD CUP-ST. PETERSBURG Construction underway in Russia's St. Petersburg ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup

Record ID: 146475

  • Title: SOCCER-RUSSIA/WORLD CUP-ST. PETERSBURG Construction underway in Russia's St. Petersburg ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup
  • Date: 21st July 2015
  • Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (JULY 20, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEW ZENIT STADIUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOUNTAIN NEAR STADIUM CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN MECHANICAL LIFT VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AND OFFICIALS WEARING HARD HATS WALKING UP STADIUM STEPS VARIOUS OF METAL PARTS OF STADIUM UNDER CONSTRUCTION JOURNALISTS AT CONSTRUCTION SITE ROWS OF SEATS VARIOUS OF METAL CONSTRUCTION PARTS
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAB1AI80WL1VJVNW2UWMTTKNM4C
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Russian city of St. Petersburg in the county's north-west is preparing for its turn to host soccer matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in a new state-of-the-art stadium on Krestovsky island.
    The stadium which will be the home arena for FC Zenit St. Petersburg will seat 69,000 people. The project was designed by Japanese architect, Kisho Kurokawa, and is expected to become one of the most expensive stadiums in the world.
    The building of the stadium has been mired somewhat, with a number of corruption scandals reported by Russian media.
    The stadium, which does not have an official name yet and is widely known as New Zenit Stadium, is expected to be opened in May 2016.
    FC Zenit are one of the most successful Russian soccer clubs and are playing in 2015-2016 Champions League.
    Argentina international Ezequiel Garay, who also plays for the Russian Premier League champions, said Russia has a long way to go ahead of the World Cup and that one of the issues that should be addressed is racism.
    "This doesn't happen everyday - it takes a long time to bring it (the World Cup) to life. And as it's Russia's turn, they should make the most of it, and the important thing is not your nationality, or where you're from, but to respect one another," he said.
    The comment comes only a day after Brazil and Zenit St. Petersburg forward Hulk said racist comments are made by spectators at almost every match played in Russia and he fears "gross and ugly" racism could mar the 2018 World Cup finals.
    Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong was subjected to monkey chants at a match last Friday (July 17) in Russia; but Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the incident should not be "inflated into a big scandal".
    Soccer's governing body FIFA has said it will ask the Russian Football Union to provide details of the incident in last Friday's match between Spartak Moscow and Ufa, after which Frimpong was sent off for raising a finger to the crowd.
    Hulk, whose real name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza, has also complained in the past of monkey chants and other racist abuse during matches in Russia.
    President Vladimir Putin wants the 2018 finals to showcase Russia as a modern state and hopes to avoid the bad press that marred the run-up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which included protests about the treatment of homosexuals in Russia.
    St. Petersburg with a population of about 4.9 million used to be Russia's capital and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, attracting over six million tourists each year according to the city's governor Georgy Poltavchenko.
    The city was founded in 1703 by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great and is famous for its architecture, as well as picturesque rivers and canals.
    Poltavchenko said he believed the World Cup would propel the city further on the world map.
    "I believe that quality preparation and hosting of the 2018 World Cup will allow us to attract even more tourists and to show our city to the whole world, not only as a cultural capital of the Russian Federation but also as a sports capital," he said.
    Other Russian cities to host World Cup matches in 2018 are Moscow, Kaliningrad, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The games will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums, two of which are located in the Russian capital.
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