MOSCOW (Sputnik) — As many as five Russian cities, including Moscow, have finished the preparation of all facilities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko.
"We are currently at the final stage of preparation. The majority of programs in the regions are at the final stage of completion. We have got very tight deadlines, we have to complete all the work by April 1. From April 1 to mid-May the organizing committee must visit all the facilities [and assess them] from the point of view of creating temporary infrastructure and security. It means that all the facilities must be handed over to the FIFA organizing committee in mid-May," Mutko said.
According to the official, the schedule is very tight, but much of the work has already been done.
Mutko called on all the other cities hosting the cup to expedite the preparation for the event.
"Speaking about the training grounds, I stress one more time, we have completed the construction work, seeded the lawns, and it is extremely important for us that they are handed over in time. We should take into account that our colleagues from the international football teams are visiting the training grounds and, of course, when they see large-scale construction work, they are troubled," Mutko said.
Russia will host its first FIFA World Cup on June 14-July 15, 2018. The games will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Sochi.
