Wednesday 25 May 2016, 18:22

FIFA carries out stadium visits in Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad

Earlier this week FIFA’s Director of Competitions Colin Smith carried out stadium visits in Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad accompanied by representatives of the Local Organising Committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.

During the visit to the Saint Petersburg stadium project, FIFA expressed its concern in relation to several construction matters and highlighted the necessity for tighter project coordination. Following the site visit, Saint Petersburg’s city authorities reiterated that the completion date will be maintained by end of December of this year. FIFA expects feedback from the city’s authorities over the next two weeks on key areas of concern. Given that St. Petersburg is playing a key role in the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017, FIFA will be closely monitoring.

FIFA noted that construction of the Kaliningrad stadium is progressing according to schedule but did draw attention to the challenges relating to presence of ground water in the precinct area. City authorities have reassured FIFA that the construction projects in all areas will be delivered on schedule and any potential difficulties will be addressed accordingly. FIFA will keep monitoring the situation.