Moscow stadium needs reconstruction for World Cup

MOSCOW - The Luzhniki stadium in Moscow would undertake major reconstruction in preparation for the 2018 World Cup, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Sunday.

The official refuted rumors that the sports arena, with a holding capacity of 80,000, would be demolished and rebuilt at another site.

"Luzhniki is a sacred place. The stadium will remain in its current location," Sobyanin said, adding the stadium needs a "considerable reconstruction" in preparation for the World Cup.

In a live interview with local TV channel on Sunday, the mayor said Luzhniki was a well-known place with convenient public transportation and other sports facilities surrounding it.

The stadium was built in 1956 and refurbished for the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko once said it would be cheaper to build a new stadium at another location than to redecorate the existing structure.