By Richard van Poortvliet
February 6 – The idea resurrecting the Soviet Top Football League or ‘Vyshaya Liga’ is growing in popularity.
The latest supporter of league is Valery Gazzaev, president of Alania Vladikavkaz, a side who would lose out significantly if such a championship was created stated.
“The level of football in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan will increase dramatically. It may not be the strongest league in Europe, but it will definitely be up there and the winners will have a great chance being able to challenge to win the Champions League or the Europa League.”
Shakhtar Donetsk are another supporters of creating the CIS league. They lack competitiveness in their domestic Ukranian competition having dropped just two points out of a possible 53 this season after 18 games.
To be successful in the UEFA Champions League they feel they need to be playing against top class opposition, week in week out.
It is also off the pitch were the real benefits for the clubs can be found.
Sergey Stepashin, head of Russia’s audit chamber, believes the clubs could start to compete with their wealthier rivals from around Europe.
“According to our calculations, the top five clubs could earn in the region of 100 million dollars annually. Just to give you an example, this is the total budget of the Dynamo Moscow football club,” said Stepashin.
But there is significant opposition to the reforming of a CIS league.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in January in St. Petersburg that creating a multinational league in the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States is impossible and “goes against the principles of FIFA”.
With the World Cup coming to Russia in 2018, the Russian authorities will be less inclined to go head-to-head with football’s international governing bodies.
Read new columnist Richard van Poortvliet on the prospects for a CIS league in insideworldfootball.com tomorrow.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734793459labto1734793459ofdlr1734793459owedi1734793459sni@o1734793459fni1734793459