FIFA inspects World Cup stadiums in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg: A FIFA delegation arrived here to examine the progress on the construction of the city`s much maligned Zenit Arena which will play a major role in hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The construction of the stadium on the Krestovsky Island has been rocked by a series of corruption and mismanagement scandals and looks set to cost over $1 billion once finally completed in 2015. Despite the setbacks, the commission, headed by organising committee chairman Jurgen Muller, was satisfied that the stadium and supporting infrastructure would be ready in time and would meet FIFA standards. Once completed, the new Zenit Arena is also set to become the new home of local club Zenit St. Petersburg.