Gazzaev treats Mutko's football development programme as populist one

At the election of the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), the Russia's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko presented an unfinished and non-specific development programme of Russian football, Valery Gazzaev, his rival and a State Duma MP from North Ossetia, has stated. Valery Gazzaev, who has already been putting forward his concept of Russian football for three years, was supported by authoritative Russian coaches Kurban Berdyev, Gadji Gadjiev, Oleg Romantsev, Yuri Syomin and Georgy Yartsev. Meanwhile Mutko was supported by major football clubs.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today Gazzaev has lost the race for the post of the RFU president to the incumbent Vitaly Mutko. Gazzaev has blamed the Ministry of Sports for using the administrative resource and threats addressed to the RFU delegates, who participated in voting.

By the moment of election, the draft football strategy for the period of up to 2030 was not finished. Finally, it was decided to adopt it only in 2017.

Mr Gazzaev has stated that the strategy presented by Mr Mutko is a populist one and will bring no real reform to Russian football. His special criticism was pointed to Vitaly Mutko's assertion that with his programme the Russian national team will be in the top 10 of the FIFA ranking (now it takes the 38th place there, – comment of the "Caucasian Knot").

The Gazzaev's concept envisages a strict control over football financing by the state and attraction of private investors to the construction of sports infrastructure. The budget funding, on the contrary, should be strictly targeted; and clubs should strain their efforts to become self-financed.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.