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The flags unfurled in Kazan ahead of France vs Argentina | RFN

Summer Madness

The city of Kazan went into the 2018 World Cup as one of the most prepared, on paper. The city’s stadium, the Kazan Arena, had been completed for over four years, and in the build-up to the World Cup, the city had hosted three major sporting events in the 2013 Summer Universiade Games, the 2015 FINA Swimming World Championships and the 2017 Confederations Cup.

During the tournament, Kazan hosted six matches – four in the group stages, one knockout round tie and one quarter-final. Some of the biggest countries involved in the tournament were drawn to play there, with France, Germany and Spain visiting during the group stages. The knockout stages saw a thrilling match involving France, once again, and Argentina, before Brazil and Belgium turned up for the quarter-finals.

Due to the shocking nature of the results occurring at the stadium, Kazan earned the nickname “the graveyard of Champions”, with Germany, Argentina and Brazil all falling afoul and exiting the tournament here. With Colombia, Iran, South Korea and Australia also visiting the city during the tournament, a multitude of fans from all over the globe flowed through the Tatar capital, enjoying stunning weather, a boiling-pot of Islamic and Russian Orthodox cultures, and warm hospitality.

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Stadium Legacy

Following the World Cup, the stadium went back to use for domestic Russian football, becoming the home of Rubin Kazan, again, after they had initially moved in during the 2014 season. Rubin, twice former Russian Premier League champions, have not seen good times for a number of years now – their last venture into European football in 2015 – and have struggled financially since a wild spending season under the management of Javi Gracia in 2016.

Javi Gracia had a doomed season in Russia in 2016/17 | rubin-kazan.ru

This last season has been no better, with a good start ruined by player departures during the winter transfer window, which saw them drop down the league, having been challenging for a European spot in the first half of the season – though a ban from European football for FFP violations may have proved problematic. A bottom half finish was the best that Rubin could really expect this season.

While Rubin’s attendances for the last couple of years had been historically poor, there was, with most stadia, a spike at the start of the season. However, the post World Cup fever did not last long due to the lacklustre performances on the pitch. According to figures collected by statistician Stanislav Chudin, Rubin had a season-high attendance of around 26,000 (62% capacity) with an overall average home attendance of just 10,000 (23% capacity).

Compared to the average attendance at every other World Cup stadium this season, it ranks as the 3rd worst on average, and the lowest of all the RPL teams using World Cup stadiums. Long term, this could prove very problematic for the legacy of the stadium. According to Sport BO employee and Rubin Hoods editor Andrey Martynov, Rubin have complaints that the rental price of the stadium is too high.

“Rubin and the stadium have no interaction. They work like two different organisms. Currently, the stadium costs more than in Rostov or Samara.”

As a result of the sub-par attendances, authorities are looking elsewhere to make use of the stadium, in direct conflict to Rubin’s own interests.

They are trying to make money with the stadium by any means. For example, the 2019 Worldskills tournament will be held here soon and Rubin will have to play again at the Central Stadium. Rubin fans criticize them for it. They want to see a fan shop, a club museum, good food and drinks, like during the World Cup. But this is unlikely.

The situation in Kazan certainly seems dire for the near future and the relationship between the level of performance on the pitch and fan attendances seem closely linked. While fans would like to see the stadium improved back to how it was in the World Cup, the authorities see no sense in doing so until the attendances improve, and so in a vicious circle, one group will have to give in to help the other.

If performances on the pitch can improve, likely to only come with investment – which Rubin do not have – then things will certainly improve in the stands. But from a base level, it needs to be understood that Kazan, in the most simple terms, not a footballing city. Hockey is the main sport in the city, and football is a clear second, and there will always an uphill battle being fought, with attendances likely to be driven by results rather than loyalty. As Martynov told us:

No one wants to watch the team fighting for survival and playing defensively. Kazan remembers matches against Barcelona, ​​Inter, Tottenham and Chelsea. Now, Rubin struggle against Orenburg and Yenisey. Therefore, the matches are only attended by 5-6 thousand of the most loyal fans.

The Central Stadium in Kazan | RFN

It’s arguable that the Kazan Arena’s location in the north-east corner of the city is a contributing factor to the faltering attendances, as it makes it difficult for fans to easily access the stadium, compared to the Central Stadium. Rubin’s former ground and historical home, is, as the name suggests, is in a great central location of the city, with excellent transport links on the metro and bus routes. But compared to results on the pitch, it’s really a negligible issue in a small city, with a drive from the Central Stadium to the Kazan Arena lasting around 10-15 minutes.

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Life After Football

Kazan has long been thought of as one of Russia’s main cities, and it’s scenic location on the Volga River, combined with it’s idyllic Kazan Kremlin World Heritage Site, means it’s been a location for foreign tourists for many years already. However, the World Cup was something entirely different.

The Kazan Kremlin is an unmistakable part of the city skyline | RFN

Before, it would have been largely Eastern Europeans, Scandinavians and Central Asians fuelling the tourist industry in the city. The World Cup saw South Americans, Western Europeans, Far East Asians and Australians visiting, and it’s given residents an eye-opening glimpse to the outside world. Regarding Russian relations with the outside world, Martynov said:

Russia has very strong TV propaganda, which is against the European Union and the United States. Therefore, many old people are biased against foreigners. But the World Cup showed that foreigners are just the same as we are.

At ground level, the city has seen improvements since the end of the tournament. Parks and streets have been refined, car parks have been built near the stadium, and there are plans to add more public leisure spaces, including on the grounds where the FIFA Fan Fest was based, on the north bank of the river. By and large, however, Kazan was not in great need of development.

The infrastructure in the city was there already. There were already popular pedestrianised areas with craft bars, swanky restaurants and clean open spaces for residents to relax, in locations like Bauman Street, the south bank promenade and the Kaban Lake, which were all popular hotspots for fans to explore during the World Cup.

The Kazan Promenade, as seen from the walls of the Kremlin, is a central part of life in the city and is often bustling late into the evening | RFN

It’s the impact on the people that will be noticed the most. The number of English speaking Kazan residents is far lower than in Moscow or St Petersburg, like in most provincial cities. However, in this post World Cup era, people are seeing the need for a second language, particularly English, to help with future tourism.

Elvira Zarifova is a student at Kazan Federal University and an English tutor on the side. During the World Cup, she worked at the Kazan selling refreshments in one of the many stalls and spent her free time mingling with the fans exploring the city. Since the World Cup, she has seen more students and a change in attitudes among them.

My students have realised that their level of English was very bad, and more adults need English for their jobs, so it’s becoming more popular for me as a tutor.

It’s this kind of effect which will be one of the real legacies for Kazan and Russia. A cultural impact which sees the people of Russia leave their comfort zone and change. Among the younger generation, it was already happening to an extent, but this tournament has given the people of Kazan a glimpse of life in one of the metropolitan cities to the west, even if it’s just as far as Moscow. Kazan is changing, and the World Cup has paved the way for it to catch up to the Capital.

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The Future

Next season, in terms of footballing legacy, it’s hard to be optimistic for the Kazan Arena and Rubin Kazan. Without some real investment in the team, the attendances will remain poor, as will the state of the play on the pitch. As long as they can retain their RPL status, there will always be optimism, and so avoiding relegation is a huge priority to prevent the stadium from becoming a white elephant.

If the authorities deem it necessary to host further events, expos and sports championships at the stadium, then so be it. There are rumours that Kazan will apply to host the Europa League Final in the coming years, in what would be a welcome boost, while there is also talk of an international, pre-season, football tournament taking place in Kazan in the coming summer, along the lines of the Emirates Cup at Arsenal. Rubin would, of course, play host, but the idea is to bring three other clubs from Europe to Kazan, all expenses paid, to try and get the fans back to the stadium and supporting their team. However, those with allegiances to Rubin, like Martynov, do have worries

After the World Cup, there was increased interest in Rubin from people who don’t normally attend matches. However, the poor performances scared them off. Football here is dying, but the city continues to develop.

The Kazan Arena ahead of Germany vs South Korea | RFN

The state of the city, in general, is good. It’s other sporting teams, Ak Bars Kazan (ice hockey) and Zenit Kazan (volleyball) have been winning trophies and championships in recent years, the latter have won volleyball’s Champions League for the past four years. The standard of living remains relatively high, while costs remain cheap, far cheaper than the rest of Europe, and almost half of the cost than in Moscow. Kazan’s universities attract students from all over the world, and people from all walks of life and mix and live in harmony here. Zarifova, while not interested in football, shared Martynov’s optimism for the future of the city:

The World Cup hasn’t changed my interest in football, but Kazan has a big future from my point of view. It’s something I’ve heard from other people too, especially regarding business. I think in the city, business, tourism and maybe exchange programs will develop more in the future.

The hope for Kazan is to bring football back to the forefront again, use the terrific stadium in Europe’s top competitions and bring fans back to the stadium. In the short term, it looks like a herculean task, but at least it seems as if the local authorities are trying to make things happen. As for the city, Kazan will continue to grow. While not a top tourist destination, Russia’s increasing openness could make it a viable city break for westerners in the years to come, and the locals are trying their best to make sure they can take advantage of whatever comes their way.