Gia Saralidze. Exclusively to VK
Somebody had to pay for the failure of the Russian national team in Euro 2012. Too strong emotions were caused by the unfair defeat by Greece in the last match of the group tournament. Even those who have a vague idea about football rules were eager to discuss the worthless, lazy and non-patriotic football players.
Sergey Fursenko’s words that the Russian team came to the championship well-prepared and were one of the strongest teams have been met by mockery. However, I’m sure it was true. The Russian national team looked much stronger than its rivals in all three matches of the group stage of Euro 2012. Yes, the team lacked concentration and will in the last match with Greece, but there are no doubts that Russia, from a footballing point of view, deserved to make it to the quarter-finals more than the Czech Republic and Greece. Today it is a national tradition to lynch the national team after any failure at a major international championship. I don’t mean criticism or analysis, but mopping up.
The main characters of the current football auto-da-fe were Sergey Fursenko and Andrei Arshavin. They provided the press with numerous reasons for acrid statements and articles.
As the result, Sergey Fursenko had to announce his resignation under great pressure. He did it in the presence of President Vladimir Putin, which means that the resignation was approved by top officials.
To be honest the resignation is fair. Nevertheless, Fursenko’s leaving won’t change anything. The other fact is amazing: if our defense hadn’t made a mistake in the match against Greece or Dzagoyev had scored the goal at the end of the game, there would be not be any resignation. The national team would enter the quarter-finals and lose there with dignity to Germany – the favorite of the European Cup. In this case the national team would be composedly praised and forgotten for two years; just like four years ago when Hiddink’s team was defeated by Israel and went to Euro 2008 due to a Croatian miracle only. Then there was the semi-final and euphoria all over the country. However, nothing had changed in Russian football household in these years.
At least four candidates will apply for the position of the RFU president.
Along with the former speaker of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, the minister of sport, Vitaly Mutko, the PM and head of the Moscow football club Dynamo, Yuri Isayev and the vice-premier of the government, Arkady Dvorkovich are candidates for the position.
The question on elections of a new president of the football union and choosing a new head coach for the national team should be settled no later than the middle of July.
