Russia scrambles to save face with Cup looming
MOSCOW, May 24, (AFP): The new World Cup stadium in Saint Petersburg was meant to boast a state-of-the-art pitch and be a showcase for Vladimir Putin’s Russia when it hosts the 2018 football bonanza.
Instead the $800 million venue, which took a decade to build, has caused more embarrassment than pride as Russian authorities scramble to salvage its pitch less than a month before it hosts the opening match of the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up tournament.
Uprooted chunks of turf and bald spots on the playing surface in the first match last month at the 68,000-seat arena — a 2-0 win by home team Zenit St Petersburg over Ural Yekaterinburg — sparked concern that the stadium would be unsuitable for Russian Premier League matches, let alone the 2018 World Cup.
While officials played down the situation, the stadium received wide-ranging criticism including from Zenit manager Mircea Lucescu.
Now, less than a month before Russia face New Zealand at the venue on June 17, workers have begun replacing the turf in a desperate battle against time.
It is the latest chapter in a decade-long saga of spiralling bills, missed deadlines and scandal surrounding the World Cup in Russia.
“We were supposed to receive a fairytale stadium, the best in the world, in ideal condition,” opposition firebrand and anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny said in an April video post.
“It was one of Russia’s most important construction projects, and money was stolen nonetheless.”
Last year the former deputy governor of Saint Petersburg, Marat Oganesyan, was arrested over a fraud scheme with a firm that was supposed to provide the stadium with a video scoreboard.
Even before the issues with the grass, problems with the stadium’s retractable pitch made the playing surface vibrate and threw doubt on whether it could host games.
Then when officials gave the go-ahead for Zenit — eventually expected to move into the stadium — to play games there, even those trial attempts had to be abandoned. LONDON, May 24, (RTRS): Newcastle United signed midfielder Christian Atsu on a four-year deal from Chelsea on Wednesday after he helped Rafael Benitez’s side return to the Premier League during a loan spell last season.
Newcastle activated the option to sign the 25-year-old Ghanaian who scored five times in 32 league appearances to help them secure the Championship title.
“Christian has been a key part of our promotion campaign and he wants to help us to build something for the future,” Benitez said in a statement.
“He’s shown us that he’s a good professional and someone who is very keen to learn and improve.”
Atsu joined Chelsea at the start of 2013-14 season but failed to make an appearance at the club. He was loaned to Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, Bournemouth and Malaga before arriving at St James’ Park.
Premier League club Burnley have released midfielder Joey Barton, a month after he received an 18-month ban from the English Football Association (FA) over a charge for breaking rules concerning betting on matches.
Barton was released from Scottish side Rangers in November after multiple suspensions
Atsu
related to disciplinary and betting issues. He rejoined Burnley on a short-term deal in January and scored once in 18 appearances before being banned.
Midfielder Michael Kightly was also released by the club after being loaned out to Championship side Burton Albion in January.
“Joey leaves us for the obvious reasons after he has again been a big part of what we have achieved this season,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche told the club’s website. (www.burnleyfootballclub.com)
“Equally, ‘Kights’ has been a great servant of the club and always a tremendous person to have around the group.
“Both players have had a big effect on what we have done during their time at Turf Moor and we wish them well, as we do all those leaving this summer.”