The latest Russian stadium has just received highest praise from the domestic football federation. Just in time, opening is planned later this week!

On Friday FC Krasnodar have received a letter from the president of Russian Football Federation (RFS), regarding the club’s new stadium. It’s officially approved for domestic football. Even more, the building received the highest possible certification.

It’s also no doubt that the building will meet international requirements of both FIFA and UEFA, no less than Category 4 (highest nominal rank). This will allow Stadion Krasnodar to hold not just international games, but possibly become a training venue for the 2018 World Cup or bid to host the UEFA Supercup. Anything more, like finals of Europa League or Champions League, is beyond reach due to capacity of 33,000 seats, falling short of these events’ minimum.

While capacity is limited, it should be well enough for ticket demand of FC Krasnodar, a club with little tradition in a city with one large competitor, FC Kuban. It should be expected that the new arena will sway many people in FC Krasnodar’s favour, at least in the short and medium term.

The venue became Russia’s most expensive private stadium, priced at over RUB 20 billion ($320 million). Its stands will be heated and the field can be both heated and cooled, depending on weather. The entire seating bowl is surrounded by one-of-a-kind ribbon-shaped giant screen, spanning across 4,800 m2.

Opening of this long-overdue stadium is scheduled for this Sunday, Oct 9. On that day Russia will play a friendly against Costa Rica. Key tenants FC Krasnodar are to move in for October 20’s Europa League clash against Schalke 04.