“We don’t want Fan ID to become a burden”: Dyukov on the arrest of fans, the performance of the national team and the contract with Karpin

- What will be the RFU budget for 2022?

- For three years, despite the pandemic, we managed to annually increase our revenue side, receipts to the RFU.

These funds are needed in order to invest money in the development of grassroots football and the training of the sports reserve.

2021 was a successful year in this regard.

Compared to 2020, the revenue side has become 2.5 billion rubles higher.

We are ending the year with revenues of 9.5 billion rubles.

If we talk about the next year, then we have set ourselves the task of maintaining the amount of receipts and even expect a slight increase.

In 2022, the RFU's revenues will exceed 10 billion rubles.

- December was remembered for the scandal at the match between CSKA and Zenit.

How would you comment on the situation with the detention of fans?

- During the match, there was a massive use of flares. This is an offense in itself, especially in such an amount. Everyone may have their own attitude towards flares, some may like them, but their use is unsafe. Even without an open flame, smoke is harmful and uncomfortable. There are children and people with asthma in the stadium who may be sensitive to such smoke. There may be different opinions, but now it is prohibited by the rules - not only by Russian legislation, but also by UEFA, FIFA. An offense was committed, law enforcement agencies were obliged to react, this is their job. Unfortunately the cameras didn't work. They may have been disabled. To identify the violators, it was necessary to keep those fans who had nothing to do with the offense.

Situations like this, when people are forced to stand outside in cold weather for several hours, is bad, it negatively affects the image of Russian football and scares people away from stadiums. There was different information about what the RPL and CSKA were doing, they did everything possible so that people would go home as soon as possible. No one needs to repeat these situations in the future. We are working with all parties to ensure that this does not happen again. Quite a number of meetings have already been held. Let's hope that the appropriate conclusions will be drawn. The Premier League conducted its own investigation into the cameras, a commission was created, experts were brought in. They determined that outside interference with the video surveillance system was unlikely. The main version is a technical failure or malicious shutdown of cameras by an employee with access.CSKA made a statement on this matter, we are waiting for the end of the investigation.

- Many believe that such an intervention could have been a provocation to introduce Fan ID as soon as possible. Have you changed your mind about this system? Could RPL implement it?

- Let's wait for the results of the investigation. CSKA made a corresponding statement to the law enforcement agencies. We will find out if it happened on its own or was someone's malicious intent. I have already spoken a lot about Fan ID. The decision was made by the government three years ago. Digitalization of all spheres of activity is one of the priorities of state policy. Its goal is to make the interaction between citizens and public authorities more efficient. There is a desire to simplify and make it more transparent. If we talk about Fan ID, then this solution is being implemented within the framework of the state task of digitalization. The decision has already been made by the government, it must be implemented by the league and clubs. The procedure needs to be as comfortable as possible for the fans.

By applying digitalization tools, we want to create a comfortable and accessible environment for fans.

This project is not adding pressure to fans.

Yes, the government was motivated by the desire to improve security, but this is not the only task.

We don't want Fan ID to become a burden.

Clubs and the league must ensure that access to stadiums is easy.

With the introduction of Fan ID, clubs will also receive an excellent tool that can be used in marketing and commercial activities.

- During the FIFA World Cup, there were precedents when fans received a Fan ID rejection without explanation and without the right to appeal.

Isn't this a problem?

- I am sure that there will be no such cases.

If so, then the fans should have the opportunity to appeal this.

- Recently, there was also a tragic incident in Samara, when a fan died during a match.

Is the RFU going to make any amendments to the regulations in connection with what happened?

- There was a tragedy, a sudden cardiac arrest.

It could happen anywhere, but it happened during a football match.

At the moment there is no reason to assert that the assistance that was provided was unqualified.

Everything suggests that the doctors on duty did everything correctly.

It was necessary to provide assistance precisely on the podium, it was not worth moving the fan to another place.

To draw any conclusions, you have to wait until the end of the investigation.

It is being carried out, the circumstances are being clarified, the case is under the personal control of the RPL leadership.

There is an order from the Ministry of Health, everything is clearly spelled out in it.

During public events, there must be an ambulance equipped with all the necessary equipment.

It was all there.

The media wrote that supposedly an ambulance on the field can only provide assistance to football players, this is not true.

Medical staff in each specific situation must provide the necessary amount of assistance.

Conclusions can be drawn only after the end of the check.

We will find out if everything was done correctly and whether the current regulations protect the health and life of the fans.

There was controversy over whether it was necessary to stop the match.

The investigation will end, and if changes are needed in the regulations, they will be accepted.

- What happened around the canceled transfer of the match between CSKA and Arsenal?

- The match took place, so what to discuss?

The clubs came up with the initiative to postpone the match, asked to make a decision in advance.

There were grounds for this, because the temperature forecasts said that on the day of the match it would be below -15 ° C.

But the regulation does not provide such an opportunity, it clearly defines the algorithm of actions under unfavorable conditions, and we were guided by this regulation.

If someone thinks that the regulations are wrong, then we can revise them.

So far, there have been no such appeals.

The clubs are understandable.

Playing in low temperatures is not very comfortable for both football players and fans.

We are guided by the rules, so there was no reason to cancel or reschedule the game.

- The coaching staff of the national team asked to postpone the 22nd round of the RPL to a later date.

When will it take place?

- We would like to thank the clubs for their willingness to postpone the tour.

He is important for our team.

The head coach came up with this initiative, the RFU supported it.

There are several options for postponing the tour, but it is too early to discuss them.

Based on how important the match with Poland is for the whole of Russian football, such a transfer is necessary and important.

He will create additional days for the preparation of the national team.

- Why was it decided to hold both matches of the qualifying tournament at Luzhniki, and not in St. Petersburg or Krasnodar?

- This is the initiative of the national team's coaching staff, we supported it.

Luzhniki is the largest and historically the main stadium in the country.

We have a tangible advantage that the game with Poland will be at home and there will be more fans.

This trump card, which we won during the qualifying tournament, must be used to its fullest.

This is the largest stadium in the country, and we expect to be able to fill it almost completely.

This is important for the national team, it needs the support of the fans.

- After the match with Croatia, Valeriy Karpin made a number of ambiguous statements.

In particular, he admitted that he could leave the post of head coach.

Have you tried to find out what such words are connected with?

- We all understand that the statement you are referring to was made by Valery Georgievich at a difficult moment for all of us. It really was a painful defeat - we were a few minutes away from reaching the world championship, but, unfortunately, we lost. And, of course, worrying when something doesn't work out is normal. How normal then and to doubt. Agree, everyone is faced with this at some point or another - they begin to doubt whether they are doing the same thing, whether it is not worth giving up everything. But not everyone has a camera and a microphone next to everyone at such moments. Today I can say that that situation has remained in the past, and it did not require my intervention. Valery Georgievich continues to work with the national team, we are all looking forward to the upcoming play-offs and believe in a successful final result.

- How would you rate the performance of the national team under the leadership of Karpin?

- The results of the national team in the autumn matches can be considered satisfactory - the second place in the group, a point behind the winner.

We were very close to winning a direct ticket.

But the qualifying tournament is still going on, only after it is over, you can give a final assessment to the coaching staff.

- Is there a decision to extend the contract with Karpin in case of absence from the World Cup?

- The contract is valid until the end of the qualifying tournament.

Now we need to concentrate on the March matches.

If the problem is not solved, the option of extending the contract is possible, but the decision will be made after the games.

- Karpin said that the players did not have enough psychology to defeat Croatia.

Any idea to hire a psychologist for the national team?

- This should be decided by the players and the head coach.

If they come out with such an initiative, then the RFU and I personally will support it.

We have quality footballers who are able to play different football compared to what we saw in Split.

We saw dedication, the guys fought, but basically we tried to interfere with the opponent, but we ourselves could not play football.

It is difficult to say whether the fact that the draw suited him affected, or there was not enough confidence.

Football players must answer the question themselves.

I would like the national team to play daring football.

It's not just checkers bald and running to attack.

This is what Karpin was talking about: try to play football yourself, and not just create problems for your opponent.

- You said that by 2025 Russia should rank sixth in the UEFA coefficient table.

How realistic is this task?

- At the moment, we are not considering the need to adjust this goal.

All clubs that participate in European cups should set the task of being as successful as possible in their tournament and bring the maximum number of points to our piggy bank.

You need to set ambitious goals for yourself.

At the moment, this goal may not look very realistic, but we need to strive for this, we need to work on it.

It is important.

- How would you assess the performance of Russian clubs in European competition this fall?

- For myself, I have not yet determined.

This season, the clubs seem to be performing more successfully, two teams advanced to the spring stage, we retain our ninth position in UEFA.

It is absolutely obvious that a number of clubs that have performed now looked more confident.

Let's hope that there have been certain systemic changes for the better and this trend will continue.

- Was a new chairman of the referee committee appointed to replace the head of the RPL Ashot Khachaturyants?

- This issue has not been discussed, no decision has been made.

The appointment of a new head of the referee committee will be discussed at the next meeting of the executive committee in early February.

- RFU approved the football social responsibility program.

What will it consist of?

- We must create conditions so that everyone who wants to play football has such an opportunity.

This is one of the main directions of the RFU football social responsibility program.

There are other directions as well.

One way or another, we have implemented projects that are on the ESG agenda, but now we are setting the task of transitioning to systematic work.

- Recently Leonid Slutskiy in an interview recalled the match between Krylia Sovetov and Terek in 2009, hinting at its contractual nature.

Will the RFU investigate this case?

- We must be guided by disciplinary rules.

The statute of limitations is ten years.

It is necessary to discuss whether it makes sense to conduct some kind of investigation, because we will not be able to apply sanctions.

At the same time, I want to note that Slutsky said that now there are no fixed matches in the RPL.

If something happened before, then now it is a rudiment that no longer exists.

But we will discuss and make a decision based on what Slutsky said.

- Now there are high-profile cases related to the fixed match of “Chaika” and waste in “Tambov”.

What can you say about them?

- By the way I am informed about the match between Chaika and Chornomorets, events are really developing there.

The criminal case was transferred to the court and is being considered in the Voronezh region.

A decision will be made in the near future.

You must understand that this is the first thing in the history of Russian football.

The pandemic has affected the timing of the investigation and trial of the case.

As for my attitude towards embezzlement in Tambov, we are discussing this.

This is a negative practice and must be dealt with.

For our part, we will continue the policy of tightening regulations and licensing requirements.

We can make decisions about life-long suspension for actions that lead to such situations in football.

This must be fought.

But we are not a law enforcement agency, we do not have the same tools to fight waste and embezzlement.

We will carry on our struggle.

- Is the issue of changing the limit on legionnaires in Russian football discussed in the RFU?

- Today it was not discussed.

We are discussing it with the Ministry of Sports.

There are various options for changes to the existing approach.

We are discussing additional measures to improve the competitiveness of Russian footballers.

The current regulation "8 + 17" still has more advantages than disadvantages in comparison with "6 + 5", but the same problems of non-market wages, loss of motivation for development, and overestimated transfer costs remain.

New solutions are needed to minimize these problems.

This is being discussed with the Ministry of Sports.

We hope that a decision will be made early next year.