Newly-promoted Russian Premier League football club Krylya Sovetov has admitted it is still unsure as to the terms of its future tenancy at Samara Arena, one of the new stadia built for the 2018 Fifa World Cup.
Krylya is due to open its 2018-19 Premier League campaign at its new home with a game against CSKA Moscow on July 30, but the terms of its agreement to play at Samara Arena are yet to be fully determined.
The 44,918-seat Samara Arena staged the last of its six World Cup games on Saturday, as England defeated Sweden 2-0 to book its place in the semi-finals. Krylya deputy chief executive Zurab Tsiklauri said the club has received assurances from the government that it will be able to play its first Premier League game at the venue, but admitted that it still does not know how much the state-owned stadium will cost to rent.
“Until recently we had been playing on the old stadium (Metallurg Stadium) that was built in the 60s,” Tsiklauri told Goal.com. “To be honest it doesn’t fit any norms or standards anymore. Therefore it’s such an amazing thing that we have this new modern stadium built in Samara.
“I think this stadium would be an extra motivation for increasing the number of spectators coming to watch the Premier League games of our club. If the team will play well and the club will show good football we would easily see 25,000 to 30,000 people in the stands.
“As far as I am concerned, after the end of the World Cup, we are supposed to move into the new stadium and start playing there. On July 30, we have a game with CSKA scheduled here at the new Samara Arena. So we’ll do our best to make our fans happy, even though it’s not that easy to do.
“Honestly, I know all the details about the sport part but not the construction or renting part. We are expecting the final answer. I hope that there won’t be any problems for the club. However, I have heard that for some time the government would be in charge of everything, but after a period, the stadium is supposed to go under club ownership. That’s what I’ve heard and that’s what we are expecting.”
Image: Serega2363
