October 17 – Has he made a comeback after all? According to the website of the Russian Football Union, Vitaly Mutko has regained the RFU presidency despite reports that he had been overlooked because of his alleged role in the recent doping scandal.
The former Russian Sports Minister, currently number two in the government, earlier this year stepped down as chief organiser of the World Cup having previously relinquished his role as RFU president following mounting global criticism.
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 be on his way back.
That seemed to be ruled out when Alexander Dyukov, for nine years president of Zenit St Petersburg, was reported in the Russian media as being the favoured candidate of the RFU executive committee.
But intriguingly Mutko’s name has suddenly been inserted as president on the official RFU website without any explanation.
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