Russia: Dmitry Medvedev signs decree that excludes Vitaly Mutko from organising the 2018 World Cup

Russian Prime Minister and former President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree that excludes Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko from the supervisory board of the Local Organising Committee for the 2018 World Cup, according to Russian media reports on 05/01/2018. By virtue of this decree, Alexey Sorokin, executive director of the committee, replaces Vitaly Mutko as chairman.

Vitaly Leontyevich Mutko, Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of sports, announced that he was stepping down from the presidency of the local organising committee for the 2018 World Cup on 27/12/2017. Two days earlier, on 25/12/2017, he had already suspended his duties as president of the Russian Football Federation in order to challenge his ban from the Olympic Games by the IOC because of an institutionalised doping scandal in Russia.

"I asked to suspend my duties (for the presidency of the Federation) for a period of six months," said Mutko, in order to continue "to work as Deputy Prime Minister and to oversee the preparation of the World Cup 2018 in Russia." General manager Alexander Alayev will head the…