And Cappella

The situation in Russian football was not easy. The Russian team is fighting for access to the final part of the European Championship in 2016. On November 15, Russians will meet in Vienna with rivals from Austria. The Austria national team, I recall, leads in the standings, gaining 7 points, Russia from Russia, and in the case of defeating a particular team, the changes will be significant: either Austria will “go on a gap”, or Russia will head the group.

On the other hand, around the head coach of the national team, Italian Fabio Capello erupted an ugly scandal. Capello has not received money under his contract for 5 months, in addition to the members of his coaching staff Christian Panucci and Massimo Neri have no contracts, and this threatens Russian football with serious problems.

The fact that salaries are delayed in Russia are not news. However, Capello’s contract is a special thing: under it is the signature of the head of the Russian football union Nikolai Tolstoy and the visa of the Minister of Sports of Russia Vitaly Mutko . That is, the contract is guaranteed by high officials.

This contract was signed before the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, at which the Russian team performed extremely unsuccessfully . It seems that find the RFU such an opportunity, after the championship no one would extend the contract with Capello. It seems that this contract is generally part of the war, which is conducted by strong leaders of professional Russian clubs against Tolstoy. The contract of the head coach of the national team was signed in a situation that drove the head of the RFU in Tsugtswang, speaking of the chess language: any of its moves seems bad. Pay Capello - means leaving the RFU without money for current expenses. Do not pay - and even worse, the scandal is already a terrible one now unfolds.

Suppose the enemies of the RFU head will achieve the resignation - and what, the team will play, as in the best years? Very doubt: the musicians are all the same, so why should music change?

Why signed a knowingly bond contract? Apparently, the strong administrative pressure was exerted on the Tolstoy. Now he says that some non -poor people gave the contract guarantees, here, they say, even if they pay. But the pressure is good that does not leave material traces: the signature of Mutko does not mean at all that its department is obliged to pay Capello, and apparently there are no other signatures of Tolstoy. The Chairman of the RFU, however, says that he has a certain “compromise”, but so far no such information has been presented. Maybe thick and waiting for a convenient moment, but so far his words are not impressive. Links to the fact that the clubs have money do not understand: why on earth would the clubs pay by contact that they did not sign?

The other day, other respected people added oil into the fire. Regarding Panucci and Neri, disappointed with the situation in the national team, the Vice-President of the RFU Nikita Simonyan spoke extremely ugly. Literally he said the following: "We did not come - and God with them!" And besides, he called one of the specialists "Panucci-Smanucci", speaking in the spirit of the rude humor of the head of the Russian state. Member of the RFU Executive Committee Sergei Stepashin commented on the situation as follows: “I responsibly declare that the RFU simply does not have money for paying the salary of Capello. It’s not a thing when the main coach of the Russian team is not paid. But when the contract was signed, it was necessary to think about the sources of its financing. And today these sources should be sought. In general, I, as a former chairman of the County Chamber, believe that I should pay for the time The result is called the effectiveness of the use of funds. "

Vitaly Mutko is going to go to Vienna for the Austria - Russia match, apparently to arrange, if not all, then many points over I. It is not clear why the Minister of Sports on difficult days for the Russian economy spend money on an event that is easy to spend in Moscow. But, as they say in Russia, "having removed their heads, they do not cry through the hair" ...

So, where is the way out of this unpleasant situation ?

Formally thick and its organization must pay. There is a contract. Perhaps the head of the RFU will be able to present some documents from which it will follow that the money was guaranteed by a certain high person. Honestly, Vitaly Mutko really does not seem to be a serious participant in this game, one or more more influential figures are clearly behind him. But what does it change for Capello? While he suffers, but in principle, until the end of 2014, the coach can apply to the Committee on the Status of the Players of the International Football Federation (FIFA), where the decision - by formal signs - will clearly not be beneficial for the RFU. Perhaps this is exactly what the Fat Fores are conducting the case: in case of non -fulfillment of the FIFA decision, Russian football will suffer the most serious organizational and reputational damage, but it will still be necessary to pay. Not to mention the fact that Tolstoy will be forced to leave their post ahead of schedule. And according to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, non -payment of wages in more than two months is a criminal offense ...

They say that the fate of the Tolstoy is a foregone conclusion: until the end of the year he will leave the RFU. But, of course, the game of the team under Capello from such a scandal will not improve - but for now it does not exceed a very average level shown by the team in Brazil. Tolstoy guilt is a little. But, let's say, his enemies of the resignation of the head of the RFU will achieve - and what, the team will play, as in the best years? Very doubt: the musicians are all the same, so why should music change?

And in conclusion - about the heading. And Cappella is a musical term meaning "choral singing without instrumental accompaniment." For music, this is a completely normal matter. But in relation to football, especially to Russian football, the times of Fabio Capello, this is a failure: after all, the national team cannot play "on its own", there is a whole organizational structure around it, and without its "instrumental accompaniment" no music will work. And when in Russia, for the sake of capturing the football authorities, the national team drives the bureaucratic impasse ... no singing a cappella will help.

Alexey Kuznetsov - Sports Observer Radio Liberty