Russian football elects oil exec as new chief

Moscow - Russia's Football Union on Friday elected a top oil executive as its new chief following the resignation of a deputy prime minister embroiled in a state-sponsored doping scandal.

RFU representatives voted unanimously to elect Alexander Dyukov, chief executive of Gazprom Neft, to an 18-month term.

As well as leading Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of state-run energy giant Gazprom, the 51-year-old Dyukov also heads the board of directors of Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg.

He was the only candidate in the running to replace Vitaly Mutko, who stepped down as head of the RFU in December.

Mutko was in 2017 banned for life from the Olympic Games for his alleged role in a state-orchestrated doping programme.

He also resigned as chairman of Russia's 2018 World Cup organising committee in the wake of his Olympic ban.

Dyukov said he hoped to use the country's experiences with the World Cup to further development of the game in Russia. 

"We need to use the impetus of the World Cup," Dyukov said in a presentation of his programme.

"We have an excellent opportunity to bring the country's football to a new level."

Dyukov served as president of Zenit Saint Petersburg from 2008 to 2017. During his tenure the club won national league titles in 2010, 2012 and 2015, Russian Cups in 2010 and 2016, and a UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2008.