Thursday, August 18, 2022
  • Login
CEO North America
  • Home
  • Business
    • Entrepreneur
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Management & Leadership
  • CEO Interviews
  • CEO Life
    • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    • Environment
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Multimedia
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
    • Entrepreneur
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Management & Leadership
  • CEO Interviews
  • CEO Life
    • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
    • Environment
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Multimedia
No Result
View All Result
CEO North America
No Result
View All Result

Russia scandals before World Cup

in Business, Management & Leadership
- russia scandals before world cup
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Today Russia has a lot of dust under the carpet, but that is not a problem for Putin.

Vladimir Putin rarely speaks English in public, but he made an exception in 2010, when Russia won the right to host the World Cup in 2018. “From bottom of my heart, thank you,” he told the FIFA organizing committee. For Putin the tournament, like the Sochi Olympics in 2014, offered a chance to showcase Russia’s revival under his leadership. “We want to show to the world the new Russia, open and hospitable in every sense,” said the sports minister at the time, Vitaly Mutko.

Since then Russia’s actions on the world stage have been anything but friendly. Its annexation of Crimea in 2014, the war in eastern Ukraine and military intervention in Syria have cast a pall over relations with the West. Mutko himself landed at the center of the Sochi Winter Olympics doping scandal. (Putin rewarded him with a promotion to deputy prime minister.) The poisoning of a former spy, Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury earlier this year led to calls from the British government for officials to boycott the World Cup.

Last month, Dutch-led investigators implicated Russia in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine. Yet as the cup kicks off, the world seems willing to look past politics. Although the Russian team —the lowest-ranked of all the competitors— will be lucky to make it beyond the group stage, Putin stands to reap a PR victory.

More than 1m foreigners are expected to visit Russia during the World Cup, taking advantage of simplified visa procedures. Among foreigners, Americans have bought the most tickets to games.

Russia has spared little expense to present a friendly face, putting some $11bn towards infrastructure and a host of shiny new stadiums. (Corruption and overruns have been widespread, though not nearly at the level of the $50bn Sochi Olympics.) Wide pedestrian walkways and lush greenery greet visitors to Moscow, the product of years of renovation. The center boasts nearly universal wifi coverage and a plethora of craft-beer bars.

Smaller regional host cities will have sparser amenities but have also been spiffed up. Hordes of English-speaking volunteers have been recruited; taxi drivers have been encouraged to brush up on their language skills, too. Even typically surly train conductors are being taught to smile at customers.

To preserve the festive atmosphere, the Russian authorities will have to contend with several difficulties. One is the threat of clashes. Violence between Russian and English hooligans in Marseille marred the European Championship in 2016.

Russian police have cracked down since, rounding up rowdy fans and warning local hooligans that there will be no tolerance for disturbances. Another peril comes from terrorism. With 11 host cities, and 2,500km separating the farthest-flung, Russia’s World Cup offers an attractive target for lone-wolf attacks. The Islamic State (IS) group made explicit threats ahead of the tournament, posting propaganda images with popular footballers in orange jumpsuits.

The Kremlin will also have to keep attention away from its own repression at home.

As the fans arrive, cinemas have been showing “Leto”, a new film directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, who has been under house arrest on trumped-up corruption charges for nearly a year. Russia’s leading opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, will also spend the opening ceremony behind bars after leading anti-Putin protests last month. Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director jailed on fabricated terrorism charges, has been on hunger strike since May 14th, demanding the release of other Ukrainian political prisoners. Once the fans depart later this summer, they will remain. The beautiful game can offer only a temporary respite from ugly realities.

Tags: PutinRussiaWorld Cup

Related Posts

Beyond “agree to disagree”: why leaders need to foster a culture of productive disagreement and debate
Management & Leadership

Beyond “agree to disagree”: why leaders need to foster a culture of productive disagreement and debate

International tourism consolidates strong recovery amidst growing challenges
Business

International tourism consolidates strong recovery amidst growing challenges

From tailwinds to turbulence
Business

From tailwinds to turbulence

Developing a digital mindset
Innovation

Thinking about investing in the metaverse? Let history be your guide

How financial institutions can win the battle for trust
Industry

How financial institutions can win the battle for trust

Five steps to get industries on track for net zero
Environment

Five steps to get industries on track for net zero

Global m&a industry trends: 2022 mid-year update
Industry

Global M&A industry trends: 2022 mid-year update

Zero-based transformation: the big reset
Industry

Zero-based transformation: The big reset

How has covid-19 reshaped the way americans want to work?
Industry

How has COVID-19 reshaped the way Americans want to work?

How to make blockchain and nfts work for your company
Industry

How to make blockchain and NFTs work for your company

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • U.S. existing home sales fall for sixth straight month
  • U.S. streaming overtakes cable TV viewing for the first time
  • Why people and AI make good business partners / TED
  • How the CEO’s leadership in digital transformation can tip the scales toward success
  • Retail sales flat in July amid fall in gas prices

Recent Comments

    Archives

    Categories

    • Art & Culture
    • Business
    • CEO Interviews
    • CEO Life
    • Editor´s Choice
    • Entrepreneur
    • Environment
    • Food
    • Health
    • Highlights
    • Industry
    • Innovation
    • Issues
    • Management & Leadership
    • Multimedia
    • News
    • Opinion
    • PrimeZone
    • Printed Version
    • Travel
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    CEO Latin America | ES

    • CONTACT
    • GENERAL ENQUIRIES
    • ADVERTISING
    • MEDIA KIT
    • DIRECTORY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

    Editorials – george.hatfield@ceo-na.com
    Editor-in-Chief - paul.imison@ceo-na.com
    Advertising – media@ceo-na.com

    AUSTIN

    600, Congress Avenue
    14th Floor
    Austin, TX.
    78701
    USA
    +1 512 649 0340

    NEW YORK

    110 Wall St.,
    3rd Floor
    New York, NY.
    10005
    USA
    +1 212 432 5800

    CEO Latin America | ES

    • CONTACT
    • GENERAL ENQUIRIES
    • ADVERTISING
    • MEDIA KIT
    • DIRECTORY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

    Editorials –
    george.hatfield@ceo-na.com
    Editor-in-Chief -
    paul.imison@ceo-na.com
    Advertising –
    media@ceo-na.com

    AUSTIN

    600, Congress Avenue
    14th Floor
    Austin, TX.
    78701
    USA
    +1 512 649 0340

    NEW YORK

    110 Wall St.,
    3rd Floor
    New York, NY.
    10005
    USA
    +1 212 432 5800

    CEO North America © 2022 - Sitemap

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Business
      • Entrepreneur
      • Industry
      • Innovation
      • Management & Leadership
    • CEO Interviews
    • CEO Life
      • Art & Culture
      • Food
      • Health
      • Travel
      • Environment
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Multimedia

    © 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    Are you sure want to unlock this post?
    Unlock left : 0
    Are you sure want to cancel subscription?