"We are negotiating": Dyukov on the search for a coach of the Russian national team, the RPL reform and the limit on legionnaires

RFU President Alexander Dyukov summed up the results of the next meeting of the organization's executive committee.

Among other things, they discussed changes in Russian football.

The functionary said that at the moment we are talking only about the new format of the RPL, FNL and PFL, but not about global reform.

“Of course, the format update is expected to bring about changes.

But this is far from a panacea, because there are many third-party factors.

As for the format, we are working together with Hypercube.

Several options were proposed, a presentation was made today, some members of the executive committee have already formed an opinion.

But we agreed that we will continue to work, we will discuss all the pros and cons.

In the most preferable version, 16 teams will be involved, ”said Dyukov.

According to him, thanks to this innovation, the number of matches will increase, while there will be fewer passing games.

The intensity will increase, and the teams will have more time to organize the training process.

All this should lead to an increase in interest in the championship, including from sponsors and, accordingly, an increase in the cost of television rights. 

Dyukov also said that the RFU is currently negotiating with the government about the limit on legionnaires.

He noted that there is also no consensus on this issue, but he himself is opposed to this restriction.

“Of course, the 8 + 17 system is more effective than the previous one: clubs have become more selective in the search for foreign players, it has become easier for coaches to work, and the playing time of young Russians has increased.

But any limit, no matter how you set it up, has its drawbacks.

The ideal system is when there is no limit, ”Dyukov explained his position.

In addition, he said that the football union consults with Rospotrebnadzor on the admission of fans to the stands in the upcoming season.

“There is no final understanding on admission to stadiums.

Today and tomorrow I will have a conversation with Anna Popova.

We, of course, stand for the maximum allowed number of fans in the stands and support the clubs' initiative on the unhindered admission of vaccinated people and those with antibodies, ”added Dyukov.

The President of the RFU did not comment on the information that appeared in the media that the CSKA players in their entirety refused to be vaccinated.

“On this issue, you need to contact the club itself, we can only recommend getting vaccinated, but we are not going to force anyone.

From my personal point of view, this is the only way to help yourself and reduce risks.

Otherwise, it's playing with fire.

I know a lot of people who were also skeptical at first, and then got seriously ill and realized their mistake.

But everyone must make this decision himself, ”he said.

Another important topic of discussion was the further fate of the Russian national team after the failure at Euro 2020 and the resignation of head coach Stanislav Cherchesov.

Dyukov assured that the RFU is currently looking for a new mentor.

“We plan to complete this work and sign a contract with a new coach before the start of the Russian Championship.

We need to start with two goals - short-term and long-term.

Firstly, this is the entry of the national team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Secondly, the new mentor must continue to create a new team with the prospect of a successful performance at the next Euro.

We are currently negotiating, but for obvious reasons they cannot be public, ”the functionary emphasized.

According to media reports, this post may be occupied by the former head coach of "Rubin" Kurban Berdyev.

At the same time, some experts expressed the opinion that the national team should be headed by a foreign specialist.

However, Dyukov refused to give specific names, only noting that the nationality of the specialist does not matter.

“I understand that now there will be many similar questions, but so far we are in search.

Yes, we have several candidates, but I would not like to give any details until the negotiations are completed.

Again, there are short-term and long-term goals.

And it is desirable to find such a specialist who would be able to build a team for the future, ”explained the President of the RFU.

One of the most important tasks is the formation of the general philosophy of the Russian national teams.

At the same time, according to Dyukov, this does not mean that all teams are obliged to adhere to the same style of play.

“It's not about the entire vertical of the national teams playing according to the same tactical scheme.

If we take international experience, then federations create approaches that are common to all teams, which allows players to quickly adapt when moving from national team to national team.

At the moment, we do not have a clearly formulated philosophy and principles, and we need to do this, ”he added.

The RFU recognized the performance of the Russian national team at Euro 2020 as unsatisfactory and decided to terminate the contract with Cherchesov.

Dyukov confirmed the information that the specialist refused the penalty.

At the same time, he stressed that the coaching staff conscientiously approached the performance of their duties, and therefore there should be no complaints about him.

“Nobody played the fool in the coaching staff, a clear program was prepared, and the training plan was fulfilled.

Yes, the results of the national team's performance are unsatisfactory.

But the executive committee assessed the work as a whole, including the 2018 World Cup, which will remain a bright page in the history of our football.

We thanked Cherchesov for the joint work and wished him success in the future, ”said Dyukov.

He noted that the decision to part with the mentor was made after in-depth analysis, which took time.

In addition, the head of the RFU listed the changes that must occur in Russian football so that such a failure does not happen again.

“In order to achieve a result, it is necessary to change the situation in Russian football, first of all, the approach to youth sports. And we have already launched several projects to develop it. But this takes time. The same Denmark launched its reforms in 2001. Therefore, it is necessary to change what we have now - the training process, the style of play at the club level. If a footballer is used to a certain regime in his team, then it may be difficult for him to readjust to other conditions in the national team, "Dyukov explained.