VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
“We need to train a strong competitive national team for the world cup. This laborious work should begin at the youth and junior team levels. We still have seven years to go so it will be these sportsmen who will be playing for Russia at the world cup”.
“I’m convinced that the Russian Football Union needs to actively interact with the public and football fan associations and organisations. We have given a promise to FIFA and the entire international community to hold the world cup properly, based on the principles of tolerance and benevolence. And we must deliver on this promise”.
“The FIFA World Cup is much greater than simply a sporting event. This month-long football marathon leaves a significant cultural and material heritage which will be used by the country and the people in decades to come. I’m referring to the aggressive development of the sport, transport and hotel infrastructure, the creation of new production facilities and jobs, new international and personal ties. Tens of thousands of people from all over the world will come to see a modern, dynamically developing and open Russia”.
“Physical education needs improving, and teachers should take advantage of new methods to make lessons interesting and useful. For these purposes, it is necessary to introduce new programmes and modernise schools’ sports infrastructure. A construction plan for a new school building must include a gym and a swimming pool. We also need to expand the network of fitness complexes and junior sports clubs.”
“You can take my word for it that the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be up to the highest standards. New modern stadiums and facilities will be built in time, and to perfection. We are eager to do our best to secure the comfort and safety of our guests. We also have a couple of offers. You know about it. Visa-free entry and free of charge trips between cities to watch football matches. Besides, you can get to know Russia, a unique country with a long history and rich culture. Not bad, not bad at all.”
“First of all, we need to show that Russia is an open country, that it is open to the whole world. People will understand what Russia is when they come here. There are still a lot of stereotypes left over from the past. But the more contacts we establish, the faster these stereotypes will dissipate.We can move this process forward by hosting major sporting events such as the World Students Games, the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. Moreover, they will ensure that, at least in Europe, there are not any visible or invisible Berlin Walls.”
“We ask all our friends to support us in our World Cup bid. Germany is among the first of our friends. <..> But we understand that FIFA members must make this decision on the basis of many factors that come into play regarding holding the World Cup in one country or another, and proceeding from the strategic aim of developing football worldwide. I believe that the fact that Eastern Europe has never held a world championship is an important motive for deciding in Russia's favour.”
“Millions of people across Russia eagerly followed the World Cup, empathising with you and the teams. An estimated 6 million Russians play football, but the number of football fans is certainly much higher. That is why we decided to put our bid in to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In addition, hosting such an important sports event would boost sports infrastructure and football infrastructure in any country, and maybe even more so for Russia. As I understand, this is certainly in line with FIFA's philosophy with regard to organising this kind of event.”
“I hope that our Olympic athletes won't let us down, and we'll get some really good results. But sport is sport. These are open completions, and as you know anything can happen in sport: tragic defeats and glorious triumphs. In any case, we must do our best to create the best conditions for training, and then we can expect good results and victories.”
“I have already mentioned the importance of technical, scientific and medical support for the athletes. All the recent advances should be applied here, while keeping in mind that honest competition and drug use are incompatible. In Vancouver, the Russian team gave us no cause to doubt its strict adherence to this rule. Let's keep it that way going forward.”
“There is another important point I would like to make. After our unimpressive showing in Vancouver, I've heard people say that we will prepare for the Sochi Olympics, but being a top medal winner should not be a priority; a good showing is good enough. I do not share this view. One does not compete at this level to sweat; one competes to win. Millions of fans in Russia expect our team to win. In Sochi, our team must be among the leaders.”
“Russia's regions must also have a greater role in training our Olympic reserve team. Fifty regions have already adopted their own sports programmes; others must follow suit as soon as possible. It is usually grassroots sports that pave the way for serious achievements.”
“In 2009, about 200 government-funded sports facilities were opened. We need to continue to improve our sports infrastructure at all levels, from community sports fields to major stadiums. We need cutting-edge training facilities for athletes in all sports without exception. Let me repeat that - all sports without exception, including the new categories.”
“We need to revise the payment system for coaches and specialists working with our national team. We have created a fund with the help of major companies that will provide substantial funds to support our leading national athletes and specialists. We will need to keep an eye on how it works and where the money goes. Ideally, every leading athlete should be paid a substantial monthly allowance. Let me repeat that: every leading athlete. We need to make sure that this is being done. We may also create a special system for awarding government grants.”
“Additional steps need to be taken to train coaches and to choose and foster new athletes. We have developed a policy that will provide financial incentives to our athletes, but it is more important to find promising athletes in the first place. Vancouver has shown us that we don't have enough internal competition in certain sport in Russia. We don't have strong benches, and in some cases we don't have a bench at all. We need to take all the best ideas from the Soviet training system and combine them with modern international methods.”
“Systemic problems we have managing elite sports. This may be the result of the limited authority of our sports federations. I would like to hear more about this today and for you to formulate the problem precisely. Or maybe they lack a sense of responsibility? The federations' work should be transparent and more open to the public, so that they can see who is responsible for what.”
“The Sports Ministry must do more than distribute funds. And once it distributes the funds, it must actively participate in programmes to prepare and train athletes and have a vote in key issues such as appointing coaches.”
“Of course I have to mention what's on everyone's mind: the performance of our national Olympic team in Vancouver. We certainly hoped for more. However, there is no reason lose heart or beat ourselves over the head about it, and it certainly gives us something to think about. We must review our performance, draw our conclusions and perhaps change the way we do things. The goal of this review is to fix our problems and do what's necessary to help our Olympic team train for and succeed at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.”
“"At present the «Krylia Sovetov» club is in a difficult financial situation, though it is one of the oldest in Russia and has never been eliminated from the Russian Premier League since its establishment. It has many traditions and fans, so we should do something to support the club.”
“We have decided to officially submit our application to host the 2018 World Cup. We wanted to inform you about this today. A week ago, on October 9, I signed an executive order making our application official.”
