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MUTKO PICKS UP HIS HIGHLIGHTS
Vitaly Mutko has picked up his highlights from the past 12 months of
football season.
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Vitaly Mutko Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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As the New Year approaches, the Russian Minister of sport,
tourism and youth policy Vitaly Mutko assessed the football season.
Referees. The first thing that comes to my mind is that our referees failed
to participate in the European championship. Many referees, who have been
included into UEFA and FIFA lists, didn't justify our hopes. On the other
hand I should note that they worked at a very good level in our domestic
championship, and we even managed to cope without invitation of foreign
referees.
Supporters. Support of Russian national team at Euro-2008 was really fantastic!
We can be proud of our supporters, who defended their country's honour
in Austria and Switzerland.
Spring/autumn or autumn/spring system? I am convinced that quality of
Russian football won't be changed if we switch to new system. Of course
it's great to synchronize our championship with European leagues, however
we should remember that our football doesn't include only Premier League.
In order to change our system we need to switch more than two thousands
clubs at once, that requires improved infrastructure. Russian football
league won't move to a new system within several next years.
Euro-2008. Continental championship became a great event in history of
Russian football. It helped our people change attitude to the national
team, while representatives of regional football understood importance
of national football.
Limits on foreign players. I know that many clubs want to change the situation
with limits on foreigners under the pretext of financial problems. I should
say that next season these limits will be toughened and team will have
no more than six foreigners on the pitch at once.
Stadiums. If we really want Russian football to enter an absolutely new
level, we need to make improve situation concerning quality of many Russian
stadiums. But clubs should invest much money into it, that is hard to
do in crisis situation. But it doesn't mean that there won't be new stadiums
at all. I think we will get around ten new stadiums in the coming 4-5
years.
UEFA and FIFA. Our positions in these organizations are very firm. We
keep in contact with them, while a number of Russian representatives enter
their committees and commissions. UEFA and FIFA bosses will visit the
Commonwealth Cup in January.
Guus Hiddink. Today everybody is interested in Hidddink's salary. Unfortunately
I can't unveil many things, but I can say that our partner, the National
Football Academy fund, changed their attitude to the RFU from partnership
to some kind of instructing.
Sport
Express Daily, 26 Dec 2008
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