Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was nominated on Tuesday to stand as a candidate to become the new president of the Russian Football Union (RFS). He was put forward by the Federation of Football for the Volgograd Region. Former RFS President Nikolai Tolstykh was sacked in May "following a vote on his position by RFS officials" (REUTERS, 7/8). ... Romanian Soccer Federation Secretary General Gheorghe Chivorchian has "vowed to step down next week after anti-corruption prosecutors launched an inquiry into alleged abuse of power and forging documents" when he chaired a local club in '08. He said in a statement posted by the federation that he was innocent and added, "I will offer all needed information and be at the authorities' command to clarify this case which has nothing to do with the federation" (REUTERS, 7/9). ... Croatia PM Zoran Milanović has called on UEFA to "refrain from severely punishing the country's national team after a swastika pattern appeared on the pitch" during a European Championship qualifier against Italy last month. He said in a letter to UEFA President Michel Platini that "draconian sanctions" would "destroy the national team" and that the swastika incident was directed against the Croatian FA, which has become "embroiled in a dispute with local fans." He added that a "tough sanction" by UEFA "would imprint a permanent scar on the souls of Croatian fans and damage soccer in Croatia in the long term" (AP, 7/8).
