Mutko out in the cold? Russians leaning towards Zenit’s Dyukov to lead RFU

October 16 – Any hopes that Vitaly Mutko (pictured), for years one of FIFA’s most influential administrators, might have had of returning to the forefront of Russian football appear to have been dashed, with Alexander Dyukov likely to be appointed as head of the national federation.

Earlier this year, the once all-powerful Russian football supremo stepped down as chief organiser of the World Cup having previously relinquished his role as Russian Football Union (RFU) president following mounting global criticism of his alleged involvement in the Russian doping scandal.

Mutko had already been removed from the ruling FIFA Council because of a conflict of interest but in recent months it had been rumoured that he could make a comeback.

That has now been effectively ruled out with Dyukov, for nine years president of Zenit St Petersburg, reportedly the favoured candidate of the RFU executive committee though there has, as yet, been little official information.

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