Abramovich rules out running for top Russian post

Chelsea owner Roman Abra-movich ruled out running for the job of Russian Football Union (RFU) president yesterday and said he was backing one of the two candidates who have already come forward. The job is open after government officials, unhappy at...

Chelsea owner Roman Abra-movich ruled out running for the job of Russian Football Union (RFU) president yesterday and said he was backing one of the two candidates who have already come forward.

The job is open after government officials, unhappy at the way Russia's most popular sport being run, last month forced out the RFU's long-standing chief Vyacheslav Koloskov.

Abramovich, the billionaire owner of the English Premier League leaders, had won a pledge of support from Russia's Amateur Football League if he ran for the job but has now scotched talk of his replacing Kolos-kov, who held the post for more than 25 years.

"I am not now and never was planning to take part in the election for the job of president of the RFU," Abramovich told Russia's Ekho Moskvy radio. "I am willing to back Valery Mutko, and will do so if he wants me to."

Mutko, a St Petersburg politician and a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been officially nominated as a candidate, along with former Soviet goalkeeper Anzor Kavazashvili.

The RFU assembly is due to vote for its next president on April 2.

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