World Cup 2018 Bid Profile: Part3
Russia
Russia is calling itself the sleeping giant in the bid to bring the tournament home, and arguably has the biggest bid in every aspect. The country will have to spend more money, and will have to build even more facilities to knock out its rivals. With a
population of 145 million and having nine different time zones, it will be a great achievement for a nation that is home to almost 180 different nationalities.
The Russian bidding team claims that FIFA and its great commercial entities will have the best opportunity to map an unchartered territory in a footballing perspective. They believe that the tournament will open up new markets, and will surely leave behind
a legacy.
Russia have slowly become favourites to land the mega event, a mantle that was initially held by England, following bribery revelations after an investigation by the BBC.
Russia bid’s chief executive Alexey Sorokin made comments about the England bid and discussed London’s problems regarding crime, after which England launched an official complaint with FIFA.
The World Cup in South Africa broke new grounds, and FIFA might find the idea to give Russia the World Cup very attractive. Russia has put forward a once in a lifetime investment on the infrastructure, which could change the shape of football in one of the
largest nations in the world.
Russia plans to build 14 new stadiums, and work has already begun on six of them. Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has personally guaranteed that all 14 stadiums that will cost $6 billion, will be built on time. In a very bold stance, the Russian Government
has guaranteed free train travel for all fans travelling between the host cities.
After giving South Africa the nod for 2010, and then awarding Brazil the tournament in 2014, FIFA might just think about going for a country that will be an easier ride in terms of stadiums, knowledgeable fanbase and good transport systems.
Russia has very little experience when it comes to hosting a major event, but they will have some practice during the Winter Olympics in 2014 at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Russia has a somewhat reserved culture as compared to other European nations, but the country has planned to bridge these social gulfs, and to make travel visa-free during the course of the tournament.
There have been many questions raised regarding Russia’s ability to provide smooth transportation, and their lack of infrastructure.
In its report FIFA indicated that the vastness and remoteness of Russia, combined with a high speed train network will put a lot of pressure on air traffic, and a further delay in completion of projects could affect FIFA’s tournament operations.
Bidding star
Unlike England and Netherlands/Belgium, Russia’s 2018 bid doesn’t have global icons like David Beckham, Ruud Gullit or Johan Cruyff.
Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin is the only global superstar that Russia has for now, but they do have a more significant personality that has connections and knows how to generate goodwill.
In Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, Russia has a great ambassador and he has put in his own money to fund the bid. He is a very influential figure in football, and his presence just might turn out to be a great asset for the Russian bidding team.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that he was impressed by the Russian bid, and acknowledges the fact that even though the country is immense in terms of size and population, it has big plans to expand.
In contrast to the Belgium/ Netherlands bid, Russia has both political and financial backing to host the World Cup in 2018, and that might be enough for the sports governing body to swing their vote in Russia's favour.
Tags: