SARANSK, Russia — A large white banner hangs above a stand covered in peeled paint flakes and discarded sunflower seeds: “The Best Start Here.”
The Start Stadium in Saransk may not look like much, but it’s the jumping-off point for hundreds of young Russians’ dreams of football stardom.
Few will make it, and the world’s largest country has struggled for years to develop enough world-class players. Russia stormed to the European Championship semifinals in 2008 but FIFA now ranks it 66th, the second-lowest at the World Cup.
Continue reading SARANSK, Russia | Hard road to World Cup dream for Young Russian Players at STL.News.