September 12 – The World Football Forum 2014, to be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, November 13, has added former Russian footballing legend Aleksei Smertin to the panel discussion on the implications of UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP). Smertin will be on the panel led by the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club, Ron Gourlay. Chelsea were one of the clubs Smertin played for.
Insideworldfootball is partnering with organiser Eventica and delegates receive a 7% discount if they quote IWF on registration. They also receive a free six-month subscription to the soon to be launched Insideworldfootball archive.
The forum will be the first time the Russian market has been opened to the world’s football business since the Brazilian World Cup and the country finalised plans for the infrastructure build for 2018.
Financial Fair Play has become a hot topic in the Russian market that has seen an exodus of high priced overseas players as budgets have tightened and a proposed revamo of the domestic game has placed an emphasis on home-grown players.
Three of Russia’s big spending teams were sanctioned by UEFA under FFP regulations last May. Zenit St Petersburg were fined €12 million, Rubin Kazan €6 million, and the free-spending but recently relegated Anzhi Makhachkala were fined €2 million
Smertin has first hand experience of the FFP regulations as they affect Russian clubs – he swapped his boots for a role working in top Russian clubs at boardroom level. He is currently an advisor to the president of Dynamo Moscow.
As a player Smertin had a glittering career, achieving major honours at all the clubs he played for, including Chelsea FC, Bordeaux , Lokomotiv Moscow and Dynamo Moscow. He was the captain of the Russian national team, earning 55 caps from 1998 to 2006 and representing Russia at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004.
To register visit the official website http://worldfootballforum.org/ Alternatively ku.oc1734836342.acit1734836342neve@1734836342ofnIl1734836342iame1734836342 or moc.l1734836342labto1734836342ofdlr1734836342owedi1734836342sni@t1734836342catno1734836342c1734836342. When registering do not forget to use your IWF code and get your discount and free six-month subscription to the Insideworldfootball archive.