Russia has reduced the budget for the 2018 World Cup by almost $80M, less than five months after Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko "ruled out further spending cuts," according to James Ellingworth of the AP. The latest cuts, announced in a government document Thursday, "come at a time of cuts to public spending across the board as the low oil price starves the government of revenue." Thursday's changes bring total spending down to $8.15B, funded by removing the int'l broadcast center in Moscow from the plans. The World Cup organizing committee said this was because it would "save money by basing the broadcast center in an existing convention center on the outskirts of Moscow rather than using a purpose-built site." World Cup organizing committee spokesperson Anton Lisin said, "There's no need to build a new venue, a new building for that. You just need to spend a little bit to have all the facilities necessary within the existing facility." Also cut "was a planned renovation of a football academy which produced Russia midfielder Alan Dzagoev" (AP, 2/25).
