Russians cap prices for 2018 World Cup hotels
February 17 – Football fans looking for cheap accommodation at the Russia 2018 World Cup are unlikely to find it in Moscow or St Petersburg, but could find value in Kaliningrad and Rostov.
Russia 2018
Mutko says Blatter and Platini will be both be welcome at Russia 2018
February 9 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will both be invited to the 2018 World Cup in Russia but in what capacity they would be permitted to attend is still not clear.
Russia unveils Confed Cup 2017 branding with 500 days to go before kick off
By Paul Nicholson
February 4 – With all the noise around FIFA presidential elections and reform you could be forgiven for forgetting that the Confederations Cup, the warm-up for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is just 500 days away. That is unless you were in the GUM department store by Red Square in Moscow yesterday.
Putin orders football reforms, World Cup speed up, and a team play with ‘dignity’
By Mark Baber
December 10 – Russian president Vladimir Putin called for an overhaul of the current system of administration of Russian football, for a speeding up of work on infrastructure projects for the 2018 World Cup and for the national squad to represent the country with dignity. He made his comments at president’s council for sports and the 2018 World Cup organising committee.
Mutko says Russia 2018 World Cup security will be beefed up
November 25 – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko says security will be tightened at the 2018 World Cup following the Paris massacre and the growing threat of terrorism generally.
Russia’s Sorokin questions any 2018 vote deal and trial by ‘finger pointing’
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 20 – Alexei Sorokin, the man running the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has spoken out for the first time in public about Sepp Blatter’s remarkable claim of a pre-vote deal that cast growing suspicion on how both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were won and lost.
Russian cash crisis eased with Novatek deal, St Petersburg readies for 2016
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – The financial crisis that engulfed the Russia’s Football Union (RFU) and saw Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko return as federation president in September, eased slightly with the announcement of gas company Novatek coming on board as a main sponsor. No figure was announced for the deal which will go through until the end of 2018.
Volgograd launches 2018 legacy campaign with fan and club initiative
November 11 – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko may be facing the hardest few days of his sports career internationally over the doping scandal that has rocked athletics and the Olympic movement, bit at home in Russia World Cup 2018 plans are progressing with an emphasis on bringing more participants and fans into the game.
Russia 2018: Luzhniki ahead of schedule, Kazan to open, Nizhny dig deep
By Paul Nicholson
November 2 – Russia’s 2018 preparations are ramping up with reports that the redevelopment of the Luzhniki stadium which will host the opening match and the final is ahead of schedule while elsewhere infrastructure projects are gathering pace with the Nizhny Novgorod regional government announcing it has allocated Ruble 1.9 billion for a subway link to its stadium.
Russia 2018: October Island stadium gets OK but World Cup budgets kept tight
By Paul Nicholson
October 23 – Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Alexander Rolbinov, the cost should not exceed Ruble18.5 billion ($296 million).,
Russian Central Bank looks to get minted for 2018 World Cup
October 21 – It may not end Russian economic problems when it comes to the ruble to dollar exchange rate, but the Central Bank of Russia is determined to take advantage of the 2018 World Cup in the country and issue commemorative currency.
Russia builds World Cup bases and makes plans for stadium beer sales
October 15 – Spartak Moscow, already playing in a new stadium (the Otkritie Arena) that has been built for 2018 Russia World Cup, is to also get a new training base in Tushine at a cost of RUB1 billion ($16 million), according to the club’s owner Leonid Fedun.
Russia fights 2018 World Cup fires, and puts its stadiums on the map
October 12 – Russia has officially named the 12 stadia in the 11 cities that will host the 2018 World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 – and eight of them are named after the cities in which they will be held.
Palestine fury as FIFA takes away right to home World Cup qualifier vs Saudi
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Palestinian football authorities are crying foul after being ordered by FIFA to play a crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on neutral ground.
1000 days to go: Smertyn denies Russian racism, players say otherwise
By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – Despite a string of examples of racism in Russian football and resultant sanctions by the game’s authorities, former national team captain Alexei Smertin (pictured) insists it is not an issue in his country.