MOSCOW, July 16: President Vladimir Putin said Russia could be �proud� of its hosting of the football World Cup, judging it a success �in every respect� after final.
�We can surely be proud of how we organised this tournament,� Putin said in televised comments after France�s victory against Croatia yesterday.
�We have made this grand event a success in every respect,� he added.
�We have done it for our supporters, for Russians who are passionate about sport and for all those who love sport across the world.� Putin thanked the foreign fans who came to Russia for the tournament.
Before it started a month ago, there had been concerns due to the memory of violence between Russian and English fans during the Euro 2016 tournament in France. Fans at this World Cup however �showed that sport and football can manage not to divide people and not lead to fights and disputes, but unite people on the basis of common values,� Putin said.
�People tried to scare us by saying the English would come and commit hooliganism... But everyone behaved in a most exemplary manner.�
Putin said foreign visitors holding �fan ID� cards for the World Cup could have visa-free entry to Russia for the rest of 2018. The fan IDs which permitted ticket-holders to enter Russia during the World Cup had initially been due to expire on July 25.
Now, �foreign supporters who currently have fan IDs will be able to benefit from multiple entries into the Russian Federation without a visa until the end of the year,� Putin said.
Despite high diplomatic tension between Moscow and the West, world football officials and personalities as well as world leaders have lined up to praise Russia�s hosting of the tournament.
Russian leaders revelled in last night�s dramatic match after French players lifted the trophy. The game was watched by Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Putin said he had congratulated both leaders.
�A score of 4-2 in a final � I can�t remember seeing a score like that and few people could,� Putin said.
�Both teams were magnificent... I am sure everyone liked the way they played, and so did I.� � AFP
MOSCOW, July 16: President Vladimir Putin said Russia could be �proud� of its hosting of the football World Cup, judging it a success �in every respect� after final.
�We can surely be proud of how we organised this tournament,� Putin said in televised comments after France�s victory against Croatia yesterday.
�We have made this grand event a success in every respect,� he added.
�We have done it for our supporters, for Russians who are passionate about sport and for all those who love sport across the world.� Putin thanked the foreign fans who came to Russia for the tournament.
Before it started a month ago, there had been concerns due to the memory of violence between Russian and English fans during the Euro 2016 tournament in France. Fans at this World Cup however �showed that sport and football can manage not to divide people and not lead to fights and disputes, but unite people on the basis of common values,� Putin said.
�People tried to scare us by saying the English would come and commit hooliganism... But everyone behaved in a most exemplary manner.�
Putin said foreign visitors holding �fan ID� cards for the World Cup could have visa-free entry to Russia for the rest of 2018. The fan IDs which permitted ticket-holders to enter Russia during the World Cup had initially been due to expire on July 25.
Now, �foreign supporters who currently have fan IDs will be able to benefit from multiple entries into the Russian Federation without a visa until the end of the year,� Putin said.
Despite high diplomatic tension between Moscow and the West, world football officials and personalities as well as world leaders have lined up to praise Russia�s hosting of the tournament.
Russian leaders revelled in last night�s dramatic match after French players lifted the trophy. The game was watched by Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Putin said he had congratulated both leaders.
�A score of 4-2 in a final � I can�t remember seeing a score like that and few people could,� Putin said.
�Both teams were magnificent... I am sure everyone liked the way they played, and so did I.� � AFP
