November 21 – Sergei Fursenko, the former President of Zenit St Petersburg and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has emerged as a serious contender to become the new head of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has been forced to give up the Presidency of the RFU following a directive from President Dmitry Medvedev, who has decreed that all Government officials in-charge of various national sports bodies should be replaced by professional officials.
Sergei Kapkov, a close friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, emerged as the early favourite but Fursenko is now seen as a serious challenger.
Fursenko, 60, is the chairman of Lentransgaz, a Gazprom subsidiary, and under his control Zenit rose to become one of the most successful clubs in Russia.
They won the Russian League in 2007 and the following year lifted the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
The star of their side was Andrei Arshavin, who joined Arsenal in February for £15 million.
Fursenko’s brother, Andrei, is Russia’s Minister of Education and Science and is close to Putin, who is now the Prime Minister.
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