With a year to go, Russia’s World Cup faces challenges http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/with-a-year-to-go-russia-s-world-cup-faces-challenges-062717
More details on the Russian doping story here: http://www.sportschau.de/fussball/international/doping-russia-english-version-100.html
Fifa ‘toxic’ brand to cost it 25% of World Cup sponsor target, expert says https://www.irishtimes.com/business...orld-cup-sponsor-target-expert-says-1.3136003 From the article: "...next summer’s tournament would be the first to have reduced sponsorship than its predecessor. “There needs to be a change,” he said. “It’s clearly going downwards and they’re certainly not going to get anywhere near their targets for Russia. “It will probably be the first World Cup which has got less rather than more. If it continues like this it will be a spiralling downward decline, which is not helpful for anyone. “Russia will cope because it still has good revenues coming in. But it’s clear for the first time ever that things are on the decline. It’s not terminal but, without change, it’s the beginning of the end.” In response to queries on sponsorship, a spokesman for Fifa said: “We still have a few spots to fill and the sales process is ongoing.”
Worth keeping in mind when people complain about Confed Cup attendance: Russians just aren't going to football matches in droves in general. Also, you'd have to be either incredibly brave or desperate for a last-minute accommodation to set up camp in Chechnya
My guess is 2022 will be even worse for sponsorship, as the Qatar bid is generally perceived as being more corrupt than the Russia bid. It remains to be seen if the new FIFA leadership can get past this and recover for 2026.
What's even worse about this from FIFA/Infantino's standpoint - is the quote in the article posted by Southern Man. So...on June 6th of this year Infantino stood next to Putin and said (according to the article): “There is almost no doping in modern soccer, first of all thanks to the careful work of regional associations. We cooperate with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in some directions, but we can’t trust the organization which is writing hundreds prescriptions for drugs. I can’t understand how is it possible to allow not just drugs for enhancement of sport results, but even to consent to the use of prohibited substances. The sick person shouldn’t play soccer, and drug addict must be constantly supervised by doctor”, the FIFA president declared. So...not only did Infantino downplay doping in soccer, he questioned the 'trust' of WADA. How freaking stupid is Infantino looking now? I love WADA chief quote: "There has been an institutional denial of doping in football for years ... I've seen too many presentations by FIFA, straight out of fantasy land, about how they don't have a problem. They absolutely have to take this case seriously." Kind of how many of us feel about a lot of presentations by FIFA. FIFA continues to have a real problem.
Not that I'm suggesting it for your next vacation but the most dangerous group in Chechnya right now is the local authorities.
World Cup 2018 organisers offer FREE transport to fans with new scheme ahead of Russia tournament http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/2018-world-cup-organisers-offer-10736033
Got to give it to them, rep for the russians. As many of my friends in Chile who went to the Confed cup, told me, they passed a wonderful time while being there. Despite language barrier (not many russians speak english or spanish), most russian people proved to be very hospitable, and none felt any sort of discrimination against them coming from local citizens. Some said, that the only problems while being there (which really weren't that many either), usually were among our own fans from diferent local clubs, after having drank a bit too much.
Interesting that the Final is scheduled for about 6pm local time. The BBC is complaining because that is 4pm London time which could conflict with the Wimbledon Final. For those of us in the USA it is a bit earlier than usual too. It will be about 11am Eastern.
Yeah, that sucks for us on the US west coast even more. It's an 8:00 AM Sunday kickoff here. in 2014 the Final was a massive party here in San Diego. Bars were packed and they shut down a street in a major bar area for a huge viewing party. Some of us are used to getting up early on Sundays to watch English football, but most people aren't. I'm sure there will still be a good scene, but it won't be like 2014. A lot of people won't get up early and go to a bar that early. Also for us, the R16s and Quarterfinals kickoff at 7AM and 11AM and the Semifinals (on a weekday) kickoff at 11AM. Group Stage games at 5AM/8AM/11AM. A lot of morning football for us west coasters.
Russia, FIFA still far apart on money for a TV deal: https://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/mutko-outlines-disparity-russian-world-cup-tv-rights-talks
McDonald’s adds to FIFA sponsor concerns with rumours it is going cold on Russia 2018 http://www.insideworldfootball.com/...nsor-concerns-rumours-going-cold-russia-2018/
Ah yes! McDonald's those paragons of virtue. Perhaps they could put up with Russia so FIFA have some confidence to update their website which at present is more appropriate to a Garden Fete with 11 months to go.
From an objective POV, 6pm Moscow time pretty much maximizes the amount of people across the globe that can watch the WC final at a civilized hour of the day. BBC can suck the big one. Move Wimbledon! Simple solution. Do they need more than 18 months advance notice or something? 16h00 London is the same time that the big EPL matches typically kick-off.
I think the 2002 final was at like 3am. I was the only one who watched it out of a group of 12 because everyone else got drunk and couldn't stay awake.
I would be very surprised if the BBC were very worried about it. If they were that fussed I am sure they could bring the Wimbledon final earlier to 1.00pm giving them a 3 hour start. Nothing is sacrosacnt as shown by teh tournement being moved a week later this year.
6PM Sunday evening Moscow time works out to 1AM Monday morning my time. I wouldn't call that civilised. I'm used to a 4AM Monday morning kickoff.
I probably would on a saturday night, but as Monday is a working day for me and I leave home around 7AM the 4AM was pretty good. 1am means that to get enough sleep (us old folks need our sleep) I have to go to bed and try and get a few hours in before one, then try to get another two or three (depending on if the game goes to extra time and then penalties) before going to work. 4AM just meant I got up a bit earlier and if it went as far as penalties I could still watch it all before leaving for work. All the confed cup games for Australia kicked off at 1AM and as its not that important a tournament I never got up to watch any of them live.
Thats a good point, I wasn't thinking about work. If there's a 4am game or even a 1am I want to watch work ain't happening the next day or it's getting tivoed.
Russian police plan to suppress 'half-naked' fans during World Cup https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/07/15/russian-police-2018-world-cup-half-naked-fans