“St. Petersburg will become the pearl of the tournament”: Sorokin on preparations for Euro 2020, the pace of ticket sales and WADA sanctions

- How is the preparation process going?

- The tournament opening date is approaching, and preparation is entering the final stage. The current European Championship will be unique and unprecedented, as it will be held in 12 cities. Let's hope that St. Petersburg will become his pearl. We love our Northern capital and understand how much it can offer our guests. It is already known which teams will play their matches here as part of the group tournament, so we have a guideline.

- Does the Commission of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) also have questions for Gazprom Arena?

- Yes. The stadium is in full alert. He has repeatedly hosted matches of the highest level, so our colleagues do not cause any worries.

- What cultural program does the organizing committee offer guests of the European Championship?

- We will do everything to make the fans comfortable, so that they have the opportunity not only to enjoy the matches, but also to join the culture of the country. Together with the Ministry of Culture, we have planned many events, including a big concert, which will open the Russian part of the tournament on June 13. Negotiations are underway with maestro Valery Gergiev. There is already a clear plan for holding an interactive exhibition in the Hermitage, although all the museums of St. Petersburg will be involved in the program in one way or another. The organizing committee will do everything to ensure that the tournament program is not limited to football.

- You have experience in organizing the 2018 World Cup. What are the main differences between the preparation processes for these two tournaments?

- Firstly, a slightly different scale. Four matches will be held in the framework of the continental championship in Russia, there were 64 on the world championship. Of course, this should not be relaxing, since in sports you can make mistakes on the last meter of the distance. Like two years ago, we make every effort to ensure that everything went at a high level. Secondly, an important difference will be the availability of electronic tickets, under which the access system to the stadium will be rebuilt. In this case, Fan ID will remain. It will facilitate entry into the country, as well as provide free travel around the city on match days.

- Are you satisfied with the pace of ticket sales?

- Yes, sales are going well. I can say with confidence that on this indicator we occupy one of the leading places. Therefore, the occupancy of stadiums is not a concern.

- How does the organizing committee fight with resellers?

- It’s hard for me to judge this, because other bodies deal with this issue. Of course, there is speculation; no country is immune from this phenomenon. Fan ID is a fairly reliable protection, but does not give a 100% guarantee, since the ticket holder has the right to transfer it to other hands. Therefore, it is necessary to consider each case separately.

- After the verdict of the World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA ) against Russia, many expressed concern about international competitions in the country. Will this decision affect Euro 2020?

- Not. The WADA ban on the tournament does not apply, as it is continental and non-multisports. In general, it should be noted that our athletes passed a large number of tests both during the last World Cup and in the Euro 2020 qualifying round, and there were no problems with doping. I think it will remain so.

- Do you have any fears last year’s clashes between fans and law enforcement at the Zenit matches?

- Football is a whole universe in which different things happen. Therefore, fears from past internal events cannot be transferred to the upcoming tournament. If we analyze the totality of international matches that have been held recently in Russia, no serious troubles have been identified. Therefore, I am sure that everything will be at a high level.

- What difficulties did the organizing committee encounter during preparation for Euro 2020?

- I really want to answer that they were not there ( Laughs ). After the Confederations Cup and World Cup, we have a proven experienced team. The city understands how it feels to take big football, to cope with the influx of fans. It is adapted to the visit of tourists. Fortunately, we did not have to build a temporary infrastructure. The only thing, some surprises can bring a "supportive" attitude of our partners. We encountered such examples during the World Cup, when videos about stray dogs and other problems began to appear, and we had to react to them.