MOSCOW – Russia has reduced the budget for the 2018 World Cup by almost $80 million, less than five months after the sports minister ruled out further spending cuts.
The latest cuts, announced in a government document Thursday, come at a time of cuts to public spending across the board as the low oil price starves the government of revenue.
Thursday's changes bring total spending down to 620.9 billion rubles ($8.15 billion), apparently part-funded by removing the international broadcast center in Moscow from the plans.
The World Cup organizing committee did not respond to a request for clarification on how this would affect broadcasts.
Also cut was a planned renovation of a football academy which produced Russia midfielder Alan Dzagoev. It had been due to serve as a World Cup training ground.
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