Vitaly Mutko stands down as president of Russian Football Union ahead of World Cup
Tuesday 26 December 2017 07:55, UK
Vitaly Mutko is standing down as president of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
Mutko is the most powerful man in Russian sport, one of Russia's deputy prime ministers and in charge of the World Cup finals in Russia.
Mutko says he wants to step aside temporarily in order to clear his name after he was accused of running a state-sponsored doping programme.
Three weeks ago, Mutko was banned for life from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee. He says he will appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Mutko's future at the RFU was set to be decided at a meeting of its executive committee on Boxing Day, but he has decided to step down temporarily.
A FIFA spokesperson said: "FIFA understands Mr Mutko's decision which was also taken in the best interest of the FIFA World Cup next summer. FIFA thanks Mr Mutko for this responsible step and for the work carried out so far for the World Cup.
"Mr Mutko's decision will have no impact on the successful staging of the FIFA World Cup next summer, as FIFA, the Russian Government, RFU and the LOC [Local Organising Committee] continue their fruitful co-operation on the preparations for the FIFA World Cup according to plan.
"In the coming days, FIFA will discuss with all relevant parties and agree on the next steps related to the LOC."
It is expected that Mutko will be replaced as RFU president by Alexei Sorokin, the chief executive of Russia 2018.
Mutko was minister of sport from 2008 to 2016.
Earlier this month, an investigation headed by the former president of Switzerland Samuel Schmid concluded that Mutko "had the ultimate administrative responsibility for the acts perpetrated at the time."
