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Russia not planning to hold soccer matches in winter
yet
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Photo RIA Novosti
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MOSCOW - Russian soccer authorities currently have no plans
to change the league calendar and hold matches in the period from autumn
to spring, the country's minister for sport has told the Sovetski Sport
daily.
"We are not considering a move to autumn-spring yet," said Vitaly
Mutko, who is also the head of the Russian Football Union.
"However, we are moving in that direction," he continued, adding
that, "it should be understood that it is only possible to play soccer
in Russia from the middle of March to the middle of November. There are
also the first and second divisions to consider. This is a complex issue."
The Russian season presently runs from March to November, but there have
been calls to bring the calendar in line with European norms to attract
investment and give the top clubs a better chance in European competitions.
However, given Russia's harsh winters, it is as yet unclear as to how
this would work in practice.
While winters have become milder in recent years in the European part
of the country, regions such as Siberia continue to experience Arctic
like temperatures. For example, in Tomsk, home to Premier League side
Tom Tomsk, the temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit)
on Wednesday.
RIA Novosti,
December 17? 2008
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