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Vitaly Mutko to take control of Russian football and strengthen Putin’s power Vitaly Mutko to take control of Russian football and strengthen Putin’s power
(about 2 hours later)
Vladimir Putin’s grip on Russian football is likely to tighten with predictions that the Fifa executive committee member and 2018 World Cup chief, Vitaly Mutko, will take over as the president of the Russian football union.Vladimir Putin’s grip on Russian football is likely to tighten with predictions that the Fifa executive committee member and 2018 World Cup chief, Vitaly Mutko, will take over as the president of the Russian football union.
On Sunday the RFU voted to kick out the president, Nikolai Tolstykh, before the end of his term and Mutko, a close associate of Putin who was placed in charge of Sochi’s winter Olympics in 2014, is favourite to take over. Mutko spearheaded the charm offensive for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup, reportedly persuading Putin to support the bid and meet with many of the members of the Fifa executive committee. On Sunday the RFU voted to kick out the president, Nikolai Tolstykh, before the end of his term and Mutko, a close associate of Putin who was placed in charge of Sochi’s Winter Olympics in 2014, is favourite to take over. Mutko spearheaded the charm offensive for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup, reportedly persuading Putin to support the bid and meet many of the members of the Fifa executive committee.
While many expect Mutko would be able to deal with the football union’s huge debts, the sports minister has frequently been mired in scandals, most recently in connection with US and Swiss investigations into corruption at Fifa. Mutko has sat on Fifa’s executive committee since 2009, and it was previously reported that he would be one of the officials questioned by Swiss investigators. Mutko later denied that he had been called for questioning. Putin, in a dramatic intervention into the Fifa scandal, last week called the US investigation an “attempt to de-rail Mr Blatter’s re-election”. While many expect Mutko would be able to deal with the football union’s huge debts, the sports minister has frequently been mired in scandals, most recently in connection with US and Swiss investigations into corruption at Fifa. Mutko has sat on Fifa’s executive committee since 2009 and it was previously reported he would be one of the officials questioned by Swiss investigators. Mutko later denied he had been called for questioning. Putin, in a dramatic intervention into the Fifa scandal, last week called the US investigation an “attempt to derail Mr Blatter’s re-election”.
Speaking in his notorious, thickly accented English, Mutko told reporters in Zurich on Thursday that there had been “no criminality” in the selection of Russia to host the World Cup. Mutko told reporters in Zurich on Thursday there had been “no criminality” in the selection of Russia to host the World Cup.
After Tolstykh, who played nine seasons as a midfielder for Dynamo Moscow during the Soviet era, was ousted in a 235-196 vote at an RFU congress on Sunday, his deputy, Nikita Simonyan, became acting president. A new head is expected to take over in the coming weeks. Mutko has so far declined to say whether he will run for president, but a string of high-ranking officials including Sergei Pryadkin, the head of the Russian Premier League, have already called for him to resume the position he held from 2005-09. After Tolstykh, who played nine seasons as a midfielder for Dynamo Moscow during the Soviet era, was ousted after a 235-196 vote at an RFU congress on Sunday, his deputy, Nikita Simonyan, became acting president. A new head is expected to take over in the coming weeks. Mutko has so far declined to say whether he will run for president but a string of high-ranking officials including Sergei Pryadkin, the head of the Russian Premier League, has already called for him to resume the position he held from 2005-09.
“I think there will be lots of candidates to head the Russian Football Union. Among those who in theory could head it, I would highlight Vitaly Mutko and Igor Lebedev,” Igor Ananskikh, head of the sports committee in the Russian Duma, said in answer to a question from the Guardian at a press conference on Monday. “Both are strong in managerial capacities and also in sport, and right now a crisis manager is needed.”“I think there will be lots of candidates to head the Russian Football Union. Among those who in theory could head it, I would highlight Vitaly Mutko and Igor Lebedev,” Igor Ananskikh, head of the sports committee in the Russian Duma, said in answer to a question from the Guardian at a press conference on Monday. “Both are strong in managerial capacities and also in sport, and right now a crisis manager is needed.”
Artur Petrosyan, the editor-in-chief of Sport-Express.ru, said he was “99%” certain Mutko would take over the RFU. “He probably won’t be the official president, but he will control it,” he said.Artur Petrosyan, the editor-in-chief of Sport-Express.ru, said he was “99%” certain Mutko would take over the RFU. “He probably won’t be the official president, but he will control it,” he said.
Mutko is very much the biggest fish in the small pond of Russian football, and has the same St Petersburg pedigree as many of the country’s top officials. He got his start in politics as a district bureaucrat in Soviet Leningrad and in 1992 was appointed vice-mayor in St Petersburg, where Putin was also climbing through the ranks. In 1997, he became the president of Zenit St Petersburg, and took over the RFU in 2005. Mutko is very much the biggest fish in the small pond of Russian football and has the same St Petersburg pedigree as many of the country’s top officials.
He was appointed minister of sport, tourism and youth policy by Putin in 2008, but his first international test in this role was marred by scandal and poor results. Despite huge spending on athletes, Russia won only three golds and 15 medals in total at the 2010 Winter Oympics in Vancouver. The president at the time, Dmitry Medvedev, even ordered an audit that found huge misspending and graft, putting the cost of each medal at $12.4m. According to the audit, Mutko ordered 97 breakfasts costing a total $4,500 during his 20-day stay in Vancouver, ran up a hotel bill of $32,000 and flew his wife out to see the festivities, all on the Russian government’s tab. He got his start in politics as a district bureaucrat in Soviet Leningrad and in 1992 was appointed vice-mayor in St Petersburg, where Putin was also climbing through the ranks. In 1997 he became the president of Zenit St Petersburg and took over the RFU in 2005.
He was appointed minister of sport, tourism and youth policy by Putin in 2008 but his first international test in this role was marred by scandal and poor results.
Despite huge spending on athletes, Russia won only three golds and 15 medals in total at the 2010 Winter Oympics in Vancouver. The president at the time, Dmitry Medvedev, even ordered an audit that found huge misspending and graft, putting the cost of each medal at $12.4m. According to the audit, Mutko ordered 97 breakfasts costing a total $4,500 during his 20-day stay in Vancouver, ran up a hotel bill of $32,000 and flew his wife out to see the festivities, all on the Russian government’s tab.
With the Russian economy contracting this year amid western sanctions and low oil prices, Mutko has had to scale back the planned $12bn budget for the World Cup by cutting luxury hotels and other expenses.With the Russian economy contracting this year amid western sanctions and low oil prices, Mutko has had to scale back the planned $12bn budget for the World Cup by cutting luxury hotels and other expenses.
According to Alexei Sorokin, the head of the World Cup 2018 organising committee, Tolstykh’s ousting will not affect preparations for the tournament. Football commentators agreed, adding Mutko would be better positioned than Tolstykh to deal with the $25m in debts the RFU has accrued.According to Alexei Sorokin, the head of the World Cup 2018 organising committee, Tolstykh’s ousting will not affect preparations for the tournament. Football commentators agreed, adding Mutko would be better positioned than Tolstykh to deal with the $25m in debts the RFU has accrued.
Under Tolstykh, who was known for being independent and unwilling to bend to the demands of other football figures, the union did not pay Capello for eight months last year, admitting that it did not have the money to cover his estimated wages of €7m a year. Russia’s richest man, Alisher Usmanov, ended the tense situation with a £3.9m loan, but Capello’s manager recently said he had not been paid for April. Under Tolstykh, who was known for being independent and unwilling to bend to the demands of other football figures, the union did not pay Fabio Capello, Russia’s head coach, for eight months last year, admitting that it did not have the money to cover his estimated wages of €7m a year.
Russia’s richest man, Alisher Usmanov, ended the tense situation with a £3.9m loan but Capello’s manager said recently he had not been paid for April.