Russia's moves to reduce construction costs as it prepares for the 2018 World Cup in the face of a collapse of the ruble against the dollar "have resulted in more proposals for stadium cost-cutting and a reduction in the number of training sites for teams that qualify," according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. Rostov Region Minister Nikolay Bezuglov said that the currency crisis has resulted "in proposals being made to cut the cost of Rostov's stadium construction" by 3B rubles ($48M). Bezuglov said that this amount of cost cutting "could be achieved by withdrawing the solid embankment of the stadium turning it into terracing, as well as simplifying the roof structure." The stadium's capacity "will be reduced by 10,000 following the World Cup to 35,000." By changing the construction specification, it "is expected that cheaper materials can be sourced." The final decision on cost-cutting "is pending with Russia's Ministry of Sports." The number of training sites being prepared for teams in Russia in 2018 is "being reduced from 48 to 37." The document, specifying the changes, "was agreed with the Russian Sports Ministry, FIFA and signed by Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 3/3).
