Vitaly Mutko is tipped to become the only candidate in the upcoming election of the chairperson of the Russian Football Union.

      Valery Gazzaev, former CSKA Moscow coach, has withdrawn his bid saying it doesn’t make sense to put his candidacy forward at this point because the head will serve a term of one year only. The four-year mandate will be at stake during the 2016 election.

      Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has been given the right to serve both as minister and as the football top official.

      After the game against Austria, Vitaly Mutko admitted the situation with football in Russia is so desperate that he may take part in the elections of the Russian Football Union. National team coach Fabio Capello was fired in early July.

      Earlier, Mutko insisted he would not step down as Sports Minister to head the Russian Football Union. According to him, he is the coordinator in charge of the 2018 World Cup to be hosted by Russia so he has to stay in the job to maintain overall control of the project.

      The head of the Russian Football Union was voted out of office after repeated scandals, including over Capello's pay.

      Earlier Russia-IC reported that the head of the Russian Football Union was fined over the Fabio Capello pay delay.

      Rostrud, the governmental labor watchdog, slapped a 4,000 rouble fine on Nikolay Tolstykh, and a 40,000 rouble fine on the union for failing to comply with the Labor Code. According to the Russian law, they are the employer for the coach of the national team.

      Earlier, Russia-IC reported that UEFA President Michel Platini came to Moscow to resolve the Capello pay issue, according to Sovsport.ru, a major Russian sports newspaper.

      Russia’s national team manager Fabio Capello has not received his salary for seven months.