A new limit on the number of foreign players allowed in the Russian Premier League is to be introduced, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said on Tuesday.
From the new season which starts on Friday teams will be restricted to a limit six foreign players on the pitch at any one time.
"A new scheme was adopted almost unanimously, only one member of the executive committee abstained," acting RFU president Nikita Simonyan told reporters.
Under the old system a maximum of seven foreign players were permitted on the pitch.
The RFU announced last year that for the 2015-16 season teams would be allowed to name squads of 25 players, including a maximum of 10 foreigners, and that there would be no limit on how many foreigners could be on the pitch.
But the Russian Sports Ministry opposed the move, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko pointing out that this was against the interests of the development of the national team.
The Ministry recommended that the RFU introduced a 6+5 system, which was implemented at Tuesday`s executive committee meeting.
The bigger clubs, including Zenit St Petersburg, CSKA Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow were not in favor of the proposals.
"The new format will become the end of the development of Russian football," Zenit coach Andre Villas-Boas said.
"When you take away Hulk, Witsel, Javi Garcia, what will the Russian championship be left with? When one of the main players cannot play because of the limit, the others become lazy and do not want to fight for their place.
"The new system is the worst possible decision. It is the end of football," the Portuguese coach added.?
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.