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Russian minister of sport says state ready to have its say in situation around football

Vitaly Mutko underlined that the Russian Football Union must draw a lesson from the defeat of the national team at Euro-2012
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

ALEKSIN, Tula region, June 19 (Itar-Tass) — The state is ready to have its say in the situation around football in Russia, but the Russian Football Union must draw a lesson from the defeat of the national team at Euro-2012, Russian Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko said on Tuesday.

“An open dialogue between all parties concerned is needed on the problem of Russia’s national football team, of the entire Russian football, rather than behind-the-scenes talk. As a matter of fact, even myself, despite my 15-year experience in this sphere, have a wage idea of where football is going. Now, I think we shall make a pause to see what kind of conclusions the federation draws, whether it is capable to sort things out. If it fails to solve the problem, we shall get involved,” the minister said.

“The state must find tools to influence the situation,” he noted. “Regrettably, after the Vancouver Olympic Games, all efforts to pass a law on sports federations have failed. It looks like the law has too many opponents, those who say the state should not interfere with their affairs. A federation must get is clear that it is not a bogus company, that it is better to play with the national emblem on the shirt than with an unknown home-painted bird, and not to withdraw into the shadow.”

“I think this year we will be able to push the law holding a sports federation responsible for a defeat and vesting the state with the right to have a say in appointing a chief coach of a national team. Now I have no such authority,” Mutko added.