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Russian deputy PM says Confederations Cup proves successful

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be more difficult to host, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko noted

German football team after winning 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup final match against Chile at St Petersburg Arena Stadium Alexander Demianchuk/TASS

German football team after winning 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup final match against Chile at St Petersburg Arena Stadium

© Alexander Demianchuk/TASS

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. The Russian-hosted 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup has proved successful but the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be more difficult to host, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Local Organizing Committee Chairman Vitaly Mutko told TASS.

The Confederations Cup took place between June 17 and July 2 in four Russian cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan. Germany won tournament defeating Chile 1:0 in the final match.

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Apart from 2014 FIFA World Cup Champions Germany and 2015 Copa America Champions Chile, participants in the 2017 Confederations Cup were hosts Russia, 2015 AFC Asian Cup Champion Australia, 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico, 2016 UEFA Euro Cup champs Portugal, OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) Nations Cup victors New Zealand and 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Champion Cameroon.

Average game attendance at the Russian-hosted Confederations Cup was 39,269, which is the third-best number in the tournament’s history.

"We are yet to sum up the results," Mutko said. "The final match has been played, but we still have much work ahead of us - as soon as the participant teams leave Russia, we will be able to assess the outcome," he added.

According to the Russian deputy prime minister," everything was organized well, the teams and fans are satisfied, the atmosphere was excellent - this is what a good football tournament needs." "I am glad that everybody has seen it and fans had a chance to see great games," Mutko said.

When asked if he was concerned over the FIFA World Cup that Russia was to host in 2018, the deputy prime minister said that "if one has no concerns, it means they can quit any activities." "The Confederations Cup is only a prelude, while the World Cup is a far more important tournament," he went on to say. "A total of 32 teams will participate in it, matches will be played in 11 cities, so there will be more difficulties. But if we do everything in the same way we did at the Confederations Cup, it will be a success," Mutko pointed out.

Read also

World Champs Germany clinch 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup trophy after 1-0 win over Chile

"We will hold a number of meetings to assess the results of the recent tournament, and after that, preparations will begin for the World Cup," he said.

The FIFA World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15, 2018, in 11 Russian cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don.

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2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

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