Spartak owner rules himself out of Russian FA job

Moscow - Spartak Moscow owner Leonid Fedun Wednesday ruled himself out of the vacant job as the head of the Russian Football Union (RFU).

Fedun, 56, is a member of the union’s executive committee but said he is not interested in the top job, which was vacated this week by Sergei Fursenko after he took responsibility for Russia’s capitulation at Euro 2012.

“One of the shareholders suggested I head the RFU, but I don’t want to,” Fedun said, calling for a “person of the system” to run for the position instead.

The Germans don’t have a footballer in charge of their association, Fedun noted, in reference to Wolfgang Niersbach, a former journalist.

“We should have someone who can build a system, create it, so that we can develop our young footballers,” he said.

Fedun earlier this month proposed restructuring the Russian Premier League‘s limits on foreign players to allow local talent to rise to the top of the game while retaining the stars from abroad.

Spartak finished second last season, securing a Champions League berth.

Former Valencia coach Unai Emery took over from Valery Karpin at the end of the season.

Fursenko, 58, succeeded Vitaly Mutko in February 2010 after his predecessor was made sports minister, and three months later oversaw the hiring of ex-Rangers coach Dick Advocaat.

During his time in charge, Fursenko switched the Russian leagues to a spring-autumn schedule to synchronise with Europe’s major leagues.

Despite containing a three-month winter break, the new calendar attracted criticism that Russia’s pitches were unable to cope with games in sub-zero conditions in December and March.