Mutko replaced on Russia's World Cup organising committee

Embattled Russian minister Vitaly Mutko has handed over control of the World Cup organising committee as he fights doping allegations.

Published : Dec 27, 2017 20:27 IST

FIFA praised Mutko earlier this week after he temporarily stepped down from the Russian Football Federation.
FIFA praised Mutko earlier this week after he temporarily stepped down from the Russian Football Federation.
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FIFA praised Mutko earlier this week after he temporarily stepped down from the Russian Football Federation.

Vitaly Mutko has stepped down from his role on the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup as he fights allegations relating to Russia's state-sponsored doping program.

Mutko, who is Russia's deputy prime minister, was banned by the IOC this month after the release of the Schmid Report.

READ: Doping not widespread in Russian football, says FIFA

Commissioned by the IOC, the report confirmed allegations of the widespread manipulation of anti-doping procedures during Mutko's tenure as Russian sports minister, chiefly at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

He is set to challenge the ruling with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while Russian Football Federation (RFS) director general Alexander Alayev has been named acting president of the governing body in his stead.

READ:  Infantino hopes for discrimination free World Cup

FIFA praised Mutko earlier this week after he temporarily stepped down from the RFS and he has continued to scale back his duties, with Alexey Sorokin now taking charge of the World Cup organising committee.

READ: Mutko suspends role at helm of Russian Football Union

"Sorokin will become chairman of the organizing committee of the World Cup 2018. He will interact with the International Football Federation [FIFA], I will coordinate work with the government," Mutko is quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS. 

Sorokin has been CEO of the organising committee since 2011 and was elected to the FIFA Council in September 2017.

He told TASS: "I am ready to combine my roles, there are no big difficulties, the project is almost done."

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