It seems as though any article that relates to the state of Russian football, both past and present, cannot begin without some distinction between the close relationship of the sport and the political realm. The two go, somewhat worryingly, hand in hand in a manner that few other European nations could comprehend. In an ideal world the two institutions would not be married quite so closely to one another, however such a utopia is unlikely to exist anytime soon.
Upon Sergei Fursenko’s resignation as the President of the Russian Football Union – following the nation’s disappointing showing at Euro 2012 – a torrent of opinion was unleashed as to where the organisation should turn for their latest figurehead. Names from politics, business and sport have been bandied about within the media and it would seem as though few can agree on which direction the RFU should definitely head in.
This is a pivotal period for the state of Russian football. As Euro 2012 passes into the many volumes of history, the 2018 World Cup comes ever so slightly more into focus. The tournament will be a historic occasion for Russia on many differing levels, and it will no doubt serve to be a driving force behind the rapid modernisation of many cities away from the heavily developed hubs of Moscow and St Petersburg. However as the tournament presently sits a mere 6 years away, decisions that are made today may well serve to have a lasting impact upon how the World Cup will be perceived by those who are lucky enough to be able to spend time in Russia during the tournament. However, for Russia itself, one of the key issues remains as to how prominent a role its own team can have upon the tournament in 2018.
The RFU have attempted to take the responsibility of introducing young, regional talent within the domestic game by enforcing clubs to adhere to a stringent degree of rules which require a certain amount of Russian players to be present within the squad on any given match day. The past 18 months has seen the organisation gradually dilute the previously set guidelines – so now a match day squad need not include a Russian player under the age of 21, while clubs may field 7 foreign players at any given time. However despite the assurances that Russian players will be guaranteed opportunities to gain valuable minutes on the field, there remains a significant dearth of truly gifted individuals who will be capable of breaking into the national team setup prior to opening of the World Cup in 2018.
This is a key issue that any prospective President of the RFU will need to seriously address upon taking the reins of the organisation. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that, at present, the facilities to usher in a new era of Russian football are simply not present, or sufficiently widespread, to make the most of the hefty population that Russia possesses. So the development of talent primarily takes place in the built up metropolises, where the renowned clubs exist. The RFU ultimately need to expand their sights to the more rural environments by seeking to provide suitable facilities for the young players, in such regions, with athletic promise to hone their skills in a positive environment that can benefit the state of the national and domestic game in future generations.
The past couple of months have seen the words ‘footballing philosophy’ come to the fore as Spain have once again maintained their iron grip on European football, however Russia must take heed of the blueprint that they have managed to put forth for youth development. The next RFU President needs to assert a distinct ideology upon the development of youth football across the nation. This is not to say that Russia needs to produce players with an identical mindset of their Spanish counterparts, however a clear footballing identity needs to be implemented for Russian football to truly become the power that it can often threaten to be.
Yes, the RFU requires a clear business roadmap and mentality, and such direction will be provided by the organisation’s next President, however the issues that face Russian football at the moment point heavily toward the development of the game itself, from the grassroots upwards. The financial gains that the RFU will ultimately benefit from thanks to the World Cup in 2018 will no doubt act as a precursor for the gradual inclination of the state of affairs in the domestic game. The RFU will no doubt be looking west at the likes of England, Germany and Spain with envious eyes, in terms of their financial pulling power, as they seek to assert the nation’s game as one of European football’s true hotspots.
It would be easy to make the claim that the head of a football organisation must have a firm standing within the game itself before taking on the role of President of a nation’s footballing governing body. However the difficulty of Russian football means that, by having so many fingers in so many differing pies, the RFU is an organisation that is a hybrid of political, business and sporting institutions – so a one size fits all candidate is unlikely to simply waltz through the door and take the weight off everyone’s shoulders.
With the likes of Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, State Duma chairman Boris Gryzlov, and Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko all linked with the job it would appear as though the RFU are focussed upon appointing an individual who will be able to act as a middleman between football and the political realm. However, calls for Zenit St Petersburg’s experienced midfielder Sergei Semak continue to rumble beneath the surface, despite such a move bordering on the impossible, there remains a desire for a footballing mind to be tasked with leading the nation forward in the World Cup.
Football is no longer a sport of innocence and so for the RFU to naively appoint someone with merely experience of football, at a sporting level, away from the business and political influences could well amount to nothing short of suicide. However steps must be taken to ensure that football remains at the heart of the key decisions that need to be taken in the near future. The benefits of the sport itself must continue to outweigh the potential gains of investors who are simply looking for a quick buck. Football must be the answer to the questions that continue to be asked of the RFU.
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