FIFA today shrugged off hooliganism and pitch fears for the Confederations Cup in Russia this June, insisting the World Cup warm-up event will be a "festival of football". "We trust in the arrangements that the authorities are going to put in place for the Confederations and the World Cup," Colin Smith, the head of FIFA's operational commission, said after a four-day tour of venues. Fears of fan violence at the Confederations Cup this year and 2018 World Cup were heightened by clashes involving Russian supporters at Euro 2016 in France. Inspectors last year said the retractable pitch at the 68,000-seater Saint Petersburg Arena -- which is set to hold the opening and final games of the Confederations Cup -- was unstable and not fit for matches. (This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Source: dna March 02, 2017 16:52 UTC