SOCHI, January 28. /TASS/. Russia’s classical pianist Denis Matsuev, an Ambassador of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, due in Russia in 2018, during the mundial will play both on the stage and on the football field. He told TASS about these plans on sidelines of a conference, devoted to gifted children.
"I shall play both in my standard position - on the stage, a day before the championships at a concert in Red Square, and also during the championships: both on the stage and on the football field," he said on Sunday.
At a meeting with the conference participants in Sochi, he said that in childhood he played football in the yard. "" I continue playing football," he added.
The pianist told TASS that as the championships’ ambassador he would like to tell everyone who will come to Russia that "we live in a wonderful country" where we have very kind and hospitable people.
"To the left from us is Fisht (a stadium, which hosted the 2014 Games in Sochi - TASS), and I can never forget the atmosphere at the games. I have been to six Olympic Games and I know with what to compare - ours had the most wonderful atmosphere. Our people were the happiest people on Earth and we proud to host the Games, our fans were supporting fully, even the direct competitors, because they were proud for those who competed there. Of course, the FIFA World Cup is even bigger, since the Games were in one city; but without doubt every city will welcome (guests) at the highest possible level," Matsuev said.
Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.
The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.