Sports minister backed for Russian Football Union presidency

The 56-year-old was put forward by the Federation of Football for the Volgograd Region.

"At the last executive committee meeting the Federation of Football for the Volgograd Region decided unanimously to back the Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko's bid to stand as a candidate for the position of President of the Russian Football Union," read a statement on the website of club Rotor Volgograd (www.rotor-fc.com).

Mutko thanked the Volgograd Federation for supporting his bid.

"I would like to say thank you to the region for their backing. I am happy that they put me forward. I will decide on what steps I will take later," Mutko was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

The former president of the RFS Nikolay Tolstykh was sacked in May following a vote on his position by RFS officials.

Tolstykh had faced criticism for mounting debts under his tenure with the RFS in the red to the tune of 1.4 billion roubles ($24.51 million).

The new elections are due to take place on Sept. 2,

Mutko held the post of the president of the RFS from 2005 until 2009. ($1 = 57.1250 roubles)