By Mark Baber
January 18 – Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Sergei Ivanov, has stated that nobody will stop the construction of the Zenit football stadium in St Petersburg and it will be ready for the World Cup in 2018.
Speaking to RSport, Ivanov, who is one of the Kremlin inner circle, criticised Russian football for the fact that the atmosphere in the stands, including the use of pyrotechnics, made it inhospitable for women and children, whilst arguing that the delays to the Zenit stadium project and cost overruns were largely due to its ambitious design and numerous upgrades to the design during the construction process.
Construction on the new stadium began in 2007, but the plans were revised in connection with the bid for the 2018 World Cup to make it consistent with FIFA requirements in terms of capacity and safety. The capacity was increased from 62,000 to 68,000.
The construction is estimated to be 34.4% complete with the current estimated cost of completion being 44 billion roubles. Ivanov, who was Russia’s Defence Minister from 2001-07, compared the cost overruns and design changes to those often met in defence procurement in the process of building a warship.
A recent Auditors Chamber inspection of the Zenit stadium construction project found some violations of the law, including those relating to the revenue receipts of St. Petersburg from the sale of materials after removing the former Kirov stadium, use of returned materials in the construction of the new stadium and the improper storage of 63,0000 special “anti-hooligan” seats for spectators (they were left out in the open and covered with snow) which rendered them useless and resulted in a loss of 287 million roubles.
Moreover, it was discovered that in the period 2006-2008 works were carried out without a building permit and in 2010-2012 without the approved project documentation.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said last year that the repeated delays and cost increases “look disgraceful”. However, the stadium is scheduled to open in 2015 and it appears the political will is in place to ensure that the arena will be ready to host a World Cup semi-final in 2018.
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