Prosecutors Asked To Probe Russian FA

A senior member of Russia's parliament has accused the Russia Football Union of "grossly overspending its budget" and wants the financial records investigated, according to Gennady Fyodorov of REUTERS. Russia State Duma lower house Deputy Speaker Igor Lebedev has "asked the Prosecutor General's office to look into the RFU," including the contract details of new national team Coach Fabio Capello and the organization's former President Sergei Fursenko. Lebedev believes too much attention is focused on foreign coaches instead of "developing the game at the grassroots level." Lebedev: "The RFU has ignored its own rules, taking dubious decisions and spending tens of millions of roubles from the state budget." The RFU "denies any wrongdoing" (REUTERS, 8/22).