| Kavazashvili does not envy himself or Abramovich Yesterday the first official candidate for the post of president of the Russian Football Union was registered. It was the famous former goalkeeper of Spartak and Torpedo Anzor Kavazashvili, who was nominated by the All-Russian Football Association.
“Yes, I entered this fight, but I will not envy myself or anyone else who will become president of the RFU,” Anzor Kavazashvili told Vremya Novostei yesterday. - But I am concerned about the state of our football. Children's football has collapsed, there is essentially no national team, there is no mutual understanding between the head coach of the national team and the club coaches, who are only concerned about their own problems, and not the prestige of the country. All this made me nominate my candidacy.” The veteran of Soviet football, having become the first and so far the only official candidate, at this stage was ahead of Senator Vitaly Mutko, as well as other possible competitors. Including Roman Abramovich. As the BBC news service reported yesterday, Abramovich does know that the Amateur Football League (LFL) plans to nominate him. Moreover, the owner of Chelsea does not seem to mind taking part in the elections. “If someone wants to nominate him for the post of president of the RFU, then he himself is not against it,” the BBC quotes “a source close to Abramovich.”
Vremya Novostey's sources confirm that Mr. Abramovich not only knows about the LFL initiative, but is also ready to shoulder the football burden. But the LFL has not yet officially nominated Roman Abramovich. In order to finally decide, the Amateur Football League wants to invite Roman Abramovich, as well as Vitaly Mutko, to its meeting. But even if Abramovich does not come, he must at least give his written permission to participate in the elections.
I’m not against the boss taking a high post in the RFU, and in London. Chelsea is run by professionals of the highest caliber and Abramovich does not necessarily have to spend a lot of time on the club's affairs. Accordingly, he can pay attention to other projects. The interests of Chelsea and the RFU will not come into conflict if Abramovich is elected president,” says a Reuters source.
It is worth remembering: numerous critics of the oligarch after his acquisition of the Chelsea club pointed out that, they say, it would be better for him to support domestic football. In this sense, the appearance of Mr. Abramovich in the RFU would be a logical step. Moreover, one can hardly suspect him of wanting to “get his hands on” the money circulating in Russian football. However, as it turns out, Abramovich also has his shortcomings.
“Russian football should be led by a patriot. And a person who buys a club with which our clubs may have to compete, and I believe in this, is unpatriotic at the very least,” Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said yesterday. He himself supports Vitaly Mutko, whom he considers “a patriotic man with a deep understanding of the complexities of football.”
“They say Abramovich is nominated at the suggestion of Koloskov,” said Anzor Kavazashvili. - But I have not yet been able to contact either Koloskov himself, who is now on a business trip in Italy, or Bauer, the president of the LFL, the organization that is going to nominate Abramovich. Vitaly Mutko is a Kremlin candidate. But if he is a football person, if he is ready to listen to veterans and not forget about the traditions and roots of our football, then I am ready to be friends with him and support him. But it is now impossible to predict the outcome of the elections. Regional federations, which elect the president of the RFU, can vote for any candidate after Koloskov leaves.”
In turn, the RFU does not seem to have much faith in the prospects of Roman Abramovich as a candidate for the presidency, more considering this to be the personal initiative of Vladimir Bauer. And before flying to Italy, Vyacheslav Koloskov said that he once asked Abramovich if he planned to run. Abramovich did not plan. Andrey VDOVIN |
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