Menu
Facilities

Russia Kicks 2018 World Cup Construction Plan Into High Gear

Construction for the 2018 World Cup "is gaining momentum in Moscow and cities across Russia," even as FIFA faces corruption probes in the U.S. and Switzerland, according to Paul Sonne of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Some Western officials have called for Russia and Qatar, the 2022 host, "to lose the World Cup." But Russia's mass preparations "are well under way, rendering any decision to strip the country of the tournament a potential geopolitical, legal and financial quagmire." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, "It makes no sense to rock this boat." The six-year, $12B budget Russia has devised for the World Cup includes 436.8B rubles ($8.1B) of federal and regional money. Roughly 60% of the budget is "slated for allocation by the end of this year, according to the decree’s timeline, with more than 37% distributed already." State news broadcasts have "sought to reassure Russians that preparations remain on track." State-controlled First Channel said, "There are three years left before the start of the World Cup, not a lot of time to move the tournament to another location and organize it well there." A few of the 12 selected host stadiums are ready, "including the main arena in Kazan and a recently opened stadium in Moscow." The rest of the venues are under construction. Some of the "biggest immediate concerns have arisen in Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave where the main contractor for the stadium went bankrupt." Amid the "economic crunch, state news is underscoring the benefits of new stadiums, roads and airports." First Channel said in a recent report, "The dust on these construction sites is a salve for the hearts of Russian soccer fans" (WSJ, 6/16).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/06/18/Facilities/Russia-WC.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2015/06/18/Facilities/Russia-WC.aspx

CLOSE