Putin backs Russia’s World Cup bid

MOSCOW (AFP) – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday gave his wholehearted backing to Russia’s World Cup bid, as he met FIFA inspectors evaluating the viability of it hosting the showpiece for the first time.

He added that Russian authorities were ready to put into action a visa-free regime for the participants and the guests of the event. Russia is hoping to host either the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.

Russia’s first deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov, the head of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Sergei Fursenko and the country sports minister Vitaly Mutko also took part in the meeting with the FIFA six-man board, led by the President of Chilean Football Federation Harold Mayne-Nicholls.

The Russian strongman said that Russia would do everything to hold the World Cup at the highest possible level, if FIFA decided to entrust Russia with the holding of the football’s biggest extravaganza.

“If FIFA grant us the honour to hold the World Cup we are ready to provide them with all possible government guarantees,” Putin said.

“That means we are ready to put into action visa-free regime for the participants and the guests of the World Cup.

“Russia will hold the event at the highest possible level,” the prime minister added.

“I have no doubt that it will be interesting for both the participants and the guests of the event and they will enjoy it.”

Putin added that construction and reconstruction works at the country’s possible World Cup facilities would take place even if Russia’s bid to host the 2018 tournament failed.

As Russian president, Putin headed the country’s delegation at an International Olympic Committee meeting in Guatemala that resulted in the southern resort city of Sochi winning the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

FIFA inspection chief Mayne-Nicholls replied that he was delighted to see the Russian government was fully supporting the country’s World Cup hosting bid.

“It was very important for us to recognise that the country’s government supports the plans of construction works that are needed for holding the World Cup,” he said.

“The possibility of the introduction of a visa-free regime is also very important.”

On Wednesday the inspectors, who arrived to St Petersburg on Monday, are set to visit Kazan, the hometown of Russia’s reigning football champions Rubin and Sochi.

On Thursday the FIFA inspectors will return to Moscow to hold a news conference before their departure.

Russia’s bid book, which was sent to FIFA on May, suggested the World Cup would be staged by 13 cities grouped into four clusters, which are situated mainly in the European part of the country.

Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg were included into the northern cluster, while Moscow and Moscow region towns formed the central cluster.

Volga river cluster consists of Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kazan, Saransk and Volgograd, while southern cluster was formed of Rostov, Krasnodar and Sochi.

Yekaterinburg city in the country’s Ural region was also included into the possible host cities list.

Russia is the inspectors’ fifth stop in their tour of nine countries that are bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments.

The FIFA delegates are also expected to visit England, Spain and Portugal, who also prepared a joint bid, the United States and Qatar and will draw up reports on the feasibility of each bid.

Japan, South Korea, Australia and Qatar — all members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) — have submitted bids for 2022 only, while the others are seeking to host either 2018 or 2022.

FIFA’s 24 executives will choose the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts on December 2 in Zurich.