Stadiums must not turn into markets: Putin
Moscow, June 7: President Vladimir Putin firmly told regional leaders on Thursday not to turn World Cup stadiums into flea markets once the football showpiece wraps up next month.
Space around stadiums such as Moscow’s Luzhniki became bustling hubs that sold everything from fruit to clothes during Russia’s post- Soviet economic crisis in the 1990s.
The money helped pay for the land — but also fed crime- driven and unregulated trade.
The authorities tore them down once growth picked up and Moscow acquired Western- style shopping centres.
The one in Luzhniki only closed its doors in 2011.
Putin told an annual televised phone- in that the World Cup kicking off next Thursday must leave a lasting sports legacy in which the new arenas play an integral part.
“I want to address colleagues from the regions — no matter what, you cannot allow these venues to suddenly turn into some sort of markets like those in the mid 1990s,” Putin said.
“That is categorically inadmissable.”
Russia has spent at least $ 4 billion either building or refurbishing 12 arenas in 11 host cities for the month- long celebration of the world’s most popular sport.
The World Cup’s entire budget adds up to more than $ 13 billion and the world football governing body Fifa is keen to make sure the money does not go to waste.
The question of what happens to the huge arenas after the July 15 final has been hounding Russia since it won the hosting rights over England in 2010.
Host city Sochi did not even have a football club a second division side was moved there this week.
Others are home to teams that have not played top flight football for years and draw just a few thousand people a game.
“We spent a lot of money and we need to make sure that all this infrastructure works first and foremost for the development of sport,” said Putin.
“And it has to be popular sport, children’s sport. We have to create children’s and youth teams, leagues and organised competitions.”
Putin stressed that the stadiums have to become “self- sufficient”.