The Premier League will be able to expand no earlier than February

RFU President Vyacheslav Koloskov once again spoke about the expansion of the Premier League from sixteen to eighteen teams. According to him, in order for these initiatives to become a reality only only the desire of clubs - a number of barriers need to be overcome.

At first, the RFU Executive Committee on December 6 must vote for the issue of expanding the Premier League to be put on the agenda of the meeting. In the case of a positive decision, the topic will be discussed, and the issue of expansion will go to the vote. However, even if members of the executive committee vote for, it will not mean that 18 teams will play in the Premier League in 2005.

The number of participants in the highest division was approved by the RFU conference in 2001, and only another conference can change it. You can collect the conference only two months after the approval of its agenda, that is, not earlier than February 6, 2005. Then the decision of the conference will become final, Kommersant reports.

Koloskov also added that the RFU does not see the need to increase the clubs playing in the Premier League. In addition, the Premier League and the RFU have already approved the project of the Russian Championship in 2005 with the participation of 16 teams.

The proposals to increase the number of participants in the Russian championship appeared in the fall, and they emanated not only from departure candidates. After the championship was graduated, when the two teams transitioning to the first league were determined, the Premier League Council spoke up for expanding the Premier League from 16 teams to 18. On November 30, the Premier League sent a request to the RFU to consider increasing the teams playing in the next meeting of the RFU Executive Committee, which will be held on December 6. If this proposal is adopted and approved, having occupied the last two places of Kuban and Rotor will remain in the Premier League next year.

In this regard, the statement of the Honorary President of the Rotor President Vladimir Goryunov, who had departed from the Premier League, made that his team will remain in the highest division and for the next season, as the Premier League itself will be expanded. “I promised that the“ rotor ”would remain in the Premier League. I did it,” Vladimir Goryunov said in his election speech in the struggle for the place of the Governor of the Volgograd region.

However, later it became known that the Rotor could not take part in the Premier League, even if a decision is made to expand it. According to Viktor Gruzdev, Deputy General Director of the Russian Football Union, if the Volgograd Club will not be allowed to speak in the Premier League in connection with huge financial debts.

According to ITAR-TASS, the Rotor did not pay off debts until October 1, when the deadline was scheduled. The leaders of the club could not fulfill the rules, even despite the personal guarantees of the authorities of the Volgograd region.

The participation of the "rotor" in the championship of the country of the first division, however, does not threaten nothing, since Gruzdev specified, a licensing system has not yet been introduced for clubs of the first division. It is expected after at least a year.