Indications that Volgograd will retain host status for the Russia 2018 World Cup "could not have been stronger" with the announcement that the Zenit sports complex in the city will receive 56M rubles ($1.5M) for reconstruction, "enabling it to become one of the training centers" for the tournament, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. There was speculation earlier this week that "the funds allocated for the build of a new stadium in Volgograd, to be sited next to the current stadium, would not be enough to complete the build." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko "stepped in quickly saying that the budgets had not been fixed by government inspectors and that their report needed to be received first before any decisions were made." The reconstruction of the Zenit Sports Complex "will see the venue upgraded to include self contained power lines, gas boiler, a covered grandstand for 500 seats, rooms for press conferences, new changing rooms, parking, fencing and a security system" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 8/7).
