Thick Nick, Vitaliy Mutko and the RFU’s Merry Dance

At the end of April in a stunning masterclass of understatement the Russian Minister for Sport Vitaliy Mutko admitted there are problems at the RFU, but claimed he is their ‘last supporter’. It has been rumoured that Mutko is eyeing up the position himself as he has become more and more prominent in the public eye regarding the string of PR disasters that have befallen the RFU, and his support for the vote of no confidence in incumbent president Nikolai Tolstykh only fanned the flames. His tenure in the position a few years ago coincided with a stunning performance at Euro 2008 from the national team, as well as groundbreaking UEFA Cup successes for CSKA and Zenit, so he would have no problem finding support if he were to attempt to wrest control of the day-to-day running of football from Tolstykh.

The latest furore arose when details of Capello’s contract were leaked by Novaya Gazeta, with a particularly damaging detail highlighted that appeared to leave the RFU in a very weak bargaining position financially. It is common knowledge that the Italian is the highest paid international coach in the world, but the apparent fact that he has a clause allowing him to sever ties without penalty, unlike his employers, brings into doubt the common sense of the RFU at a time when clubs are struggling to survive. Tolstykh, whose name roughly translates as “thick”, has voiced his displeasure at the revelations, suggesting that the disclosure of the damaging clauses were political rather than accidental.

When he was elected in 2012, ahead of Premier League President (and RFU vice-president) Sergey Pryadkin, he was seen as a chance to break the endemic corruption and mismanagement at the RFU, and was viewed with disdain by some of the biggest clubs who would have preferred an environment where old relationships counted more than ethical standards. Three years later, and the mood is considerably less optimistic for his supporters, as performances on and off the pitch have been embarrassing. Tolstykh perhaps didn’t help himself when discussing Capello’s job security with www.sports.ru a fortnight ago. “The contract provides the RFU with the opportunity to sack [Capello] in case of the team’s poor results. The team’s failure to make it into the Euro 2016 finals will be seen as a breach of contract. But we consider it to be incorrect to stress these conditions ahead of the national team’s crucial matches in Euro 2016 qualifying.” Stating how Capello’s job could be under threat, but then saying it shouldn’t be stated, sends a muddled message.

The stark facts are these: the RFU is in serious trouble financially. Spartak’s owner Leonid Fedun claims he is owed 300 million roubles, while Capello’s contract has only been paid with help from FIFA and a substantial loan of around 400 million roubles from Arsenal FC majority shareholder Alisher Usmanov. Member clubs are dropping like flies, with Torpedo Moscow, Amkar and Rostov the latest clubs to reveal they are days away from being unable to fulfill their obligations to receive a license for next season. It is in this context that the prominent thorn of the dizzyingly irresponsible Capello contract has taken centre stage, when the truth is the much bigger issue is the health of the member clubs is relentlessly on life support. Even if a lower profile coach had been brought in five years ago, the difference in salary outlay would have been a very small slice of the pie when it comes to supporting an entire professional league system.

On the surface, it would seem that Tolsykh’s head has to roll. His name is the one that represents what the Union does, and although he was voted in to bring about change he has simply not been able to deliver. Fedun, however, is not as directly critical as you might expect. “A big financial hole was left by the previous management,” he told state news agency TASS. “It was not closed. The previous president [Nikita Simonyan] is to blame. But Tolstykh was no able to do this all. The RFU needs a strong manager, a financier. I think Mutko will be back, and there will be more order. When he left, everything started going downhill. In my opinion, Mutko is the best candidate.”

On 31 May the RFU Congress will formally discuss Tolstykh’s position with the vote of no confidence in his position the main item on the agenda. After the media pressure has been steadily building for weeks, and with the omnipotent Mutko even voicing his endorsement of the need to review the presidency, it will take some frantic campaigning of the highest calibre to save Thick Nick’s job.

 

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