Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is overseeing World Cup preparations, said on Tuesday that there are some delays at certain stadia, although there is no concern raised.
Mutko, who is the chair of Russia’s organising body for next year’s World Cup, said that “there are certain delays on various facilities, but the overall situation is under control and we aren’t too worried by it,” in comments reported by Russian agency R-Sport.
He specified that Samara Arena (pictured) has a “very difficult engineering structure,” and is one of the grounds that has yet to have its pitch laid.
“Intensified work is currently underway at all facilities,” Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), said in an interview with Russia’s Rossiya-24 television channel.
“We need to be now extremely attentive and in strict compliance with the schedule, which we came up with previously,” Mutko added.
Fifa recently reported that eight of the 12 World Cup stadia in Russia are yet to be finished, with eight months to go before the tournament kicks off.
Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, which is scheduled to host the opening match and the final, is ready to host 78,000 fans at an international friendly next month.
While Mordovia Arena, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Samara Arena, Rostov Arena, Volgograd Arena, Kaliningrad and Ekaterinburg Arena are still a work in progress.
The four stadiums that hosted the Fifa Confederations Cup 2017 during the summer, Spartak Stadium, Kazan Arena, Saint Petersburg Stadium and Fisht Stadium, are ready to welcome fans at Russia 2018.
Three of them are already hosting the home games of Russian Premier League clubs in Moscow, Kazan and Saint Petersburg.
Image: LOC
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