Head coach insults veterans and Baby New Year by complaining about wage arrears, says Soccer Union President

The head coach of Russia’s national soccer team, Fabio Capello, says he is “deeply troubled by the impropriety and wild remarks” by Russian Soccer Union President Nikolai Tolstykh, who said it would be ill-timed to discuss raising Capello’s salary ahead of the Victory Day celebrations.

“My father spent more than a year in a concentration camp and came out after the war weighing just 48 kilograms [105 pounds]! So, please, Mr. Union President, don’t lecture me about the May 9 holiday. A person who respects himself, other people, and his own responsibilities has no right to say such things, if he’s of sound mind,” Capello said, addressing Tolstykh.

“I’m not asking for anything more than what’s written in my contract, which they all signed, too, and I’m not trying to tie this latest delay in my paychecks to this great holiday, which is honored all over the world, in Italy, and in my own home,” Capello said.

TASS

• Capello’s son and agent, Perfilippo Capello, recently complained about the most recent wage arrears, saying Coach Capello hasn’t been paid since April.
• In response to the complaint about unpaid wages, Tolstykh advised the coach and his son “recognize that their concerns are negligible in comparison with the great holiday [Victory Day] celebrated by the entire Russian people,” adding, “Why don’t these two Italian citizens, who have lived to a ripe age and earned about 370 million rubles [$7.3 million], try comparing their income with the average salaries of Russians their own age.”
• In December 2014, Tolstykh once before refused to discuss Capello’s wage arrears, saying it would be inappropriate to discuss a financial matter while families were preparing to celebrate the winter holidays. “Everyone is preparing to greet the New Year, and we’re going to talk about salaries? What is this—the main event in the life of the nation?” Tolstykh asked.