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Russian Sports Minister Backed to Run for Presidency of Football Union

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko attends a news conference in Samara, Russia, June 10, 2015. Maxim Zmeyev / Reuters

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).

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 the Rotor Volgograd club.

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, Nikolai 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 rubles ($24.51 million).

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

Mutko held the post of president of the RFS from 2005 until 2009.

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