Ilsur Metshin: "We deserved this victory!"

(KZN.RU, December 2, Elena Chembaeva). "We deserved this victory!" - Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan commented the decision about the host country of the Football World Cup 2018 taken by the Federation International Football Association (FIFA); this country will be Russia and the FIFA World Cup matches will be held also in Kazan.

FIFA’s choice was announced an hour ago by Joseph Blatter, the head of the Federation International Football Association.

"I think we deserved this victory, and maybe even begged for it. This is a fair solution, it is worthy of the Soviet, Russian football from the merits of Lev Yashin, Rinat Dasaev, Vagiz Hidiyatullin till the Rubin victories; this is the only club that won the victory over Barcelona in three matches", Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan stressed in KZN.RU comments portal.

Ilsur Metshin expressed his deep gratitude to the leadership of Russia and Tatarstan who made great efforts to achieve this victory. The Mayor of Kazan also noted the fact that the President of Tatarstan has supported Russia's bid in Zurich was a considerable significance.

Recall that Rustam Minnikhanov became a member of official delegation of Russia announced the bid of our country at the headquarters of FIFA.

"I want everyone, Russians, and Kazan citizens congratulate on the victory. We deserved it”,  Ilsur Metshin said.

The Mayor expressed confidence that Kazan will be certainly ready to host the Football World Cup in 8 years. "We are now ready", he said. And in 8 years, according to Ilsur Metshin, all cities of Russia where it is planned to conduct matches of WC 2018 will be also ready.

For the record: on March 18, 2009 FIFA said that they received 9 bids for holding the championships 2018/2022 years which were filed by: Russia, Australia, England, Indonesia, Mexico, USA, Japan, Portugal and Spain (joint bid), Belgium and Netherlands (joint bid). At the same time, South Korea and Qatar announced participation in the election of WC 2022. Later, in accordance with the current regulation of FIFA on the rotation of the continents (two consecutive World Cups can not be held on the same continent), the race for the tournament in 2018 dropped out the representatives for Asia, America and Australia. Respectively Russia dropped out of the struggle for the right to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
From the outset of the struggle for the right to host the 2018 World Cup Russia's bid was considered among the favorites. It is noted by the members of the bid committee of FIFA visited our country with numerous checks. The apogee of our bid campaign was a bold statement of Sergei Fursenko, the President of the Russian Football Union that Russia will be a champion of the World Cup 2018.
Spainwith the Netherlands and the motherland of football – England were considered as the main competitors for our bid. Leading betting companies gave the same ratio to Russia and Britain, which were ranked as the main contenders for victory. However closer to the top of voting quotations Russia began to plummet.

Nevertheless the best video presentation of our country and a brilliant emotional speech of Igor Shuvalov, the first Vice-Premier did not leave no chance to the rivals and Joseph Blatter, the FIFA president has taken today from the treasured envelope a sheet with a brief, but capacious inscription - "Russia".

InRussia's bid there were 12 cities: Sochi, Krasnodar, Rostov-na-Donu, Moscow and Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Samara, Volgograd, Saransk, Ekaterinburg.

The geography of the regions will be divided into three groups: North-Centre, South and Volga regions. FIFA requires that travel by air will be no more than two hours between cities.

Besidesunder the FIFA rules, we need 10-12 stadiums for 40000 people. The opening match and the final should be played in stadiums with a capacity of 80,000 spectators. In addition it necessary to have the television broadcasting of the highest quality, information technology, and most importantly - the transport infrastructure and a good hotel fund.  All of this can be fully provided by Kazan.