MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Pro Russian football clubs should have to pay a tax if they hire foreign coaches, the way they had to years ago, member of the executive committee of the Russian Football Union and chairman of the national association of football coaches Mikhail Gershkovich told TASS.

From 2013 to 2015, any Russian football club that hired a coach from abroad had to pay a tax for doing so.

"I believe we need to bring back this tax on foreign coaches," Gershkovich said. "It played a very big role in its time - those people who came in droves then, including handball coaches, immediately ceased being a factor. Such a tax system should be introduced again. If a leading club hires a prominent professional, the tax compared to the contract is not even one percent. I think this issue needs to be looked at," the functionary said.

"It was ten million rubles ($111,000) at that time - I think this is a fairly reasonable figure. At the same time, all the money that came in at that time was spent to develop youth clubs; our organization did not get a cent. The money can be spent, for example, on training youth and professional coaches. This conversation should be started again," he added.

In the past, the tax on foreign coaches covered football clubs of the Russian Premier League and the First League. Eight foreigners helmed Russian Premier League clubs last season.