Experienced Sports Administrator and former footballer Nikolai Tolstykh was elected as the new president of the Russian Football Union (RFS). He takes the helm after Sergei Fursenko stepped down in June. Russian Olympic Committee CEO Tolstykh spoke of his wish to further develop the game in his country, with a particular focus on the grassroots and the regions. Tolstykh said, "I am happy that my program has won the approval of the Russian football community. We should discuss now with all the regional RFS departments a program for the further development of football in Russia. I am confident that Russia's football development can be advanced by the nurturing of children's and youth football in the regions." The 56-year-old will also have the 2018 FIFA World Cup as a key item on his agenda. Russia was named as host nation for this tournament in Dec. '10, and Tolstykh spoke of the organizational challenge ahead: "Russia has been given the right to stage the World Cup in 2018 – and our aim is to make this event a huge football festival" (FIFA).
