Despite Russia's financial crisis, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko insists the 660B rubles ($12.4B) budget for venues and infrastructure "has not changed," according to Pinelli & Bisson of WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER. The FIFA exec committee member and head of the Russia 2018 organizing committee said that about 330B rubles ($6.3B) was "allocated from the federal government," with 100B rubles ($2B) from regional budgets and the remainder "coming from the private sector." Mutko: "Around 50 percent of resources within it is allocated to transport infrastructure -- that is restructuring airports in the 11 cities." Mutko added that there "would 'absolutely' be a new airport in Rostov." Commenting on the Fisht Olympic Stadium in the Black Sea resort that hosted last year's Winter Games, Mutko "confirmed it would be upgraded from 40,000 to 45,000 seats for the World Cup." Mutko said that the removal of the roof and stage and other elements of the revamp to "meet FIFA regulations" are set to cost around 3B rubles ($56M) (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 4/22).
