<h3 style="text-align: justify"><strong><em>The 2018 World Cup qualifying draw takes place in Saint Petersburg on Saturday with the national game of hosts Russia in total disarray.</em></strong></h3> <h3 style="text-align: justify"></h3> <p style="text-align: justify">Rudderless without a federation chief or coach Russia are in serious danger of missing out on Euro 2016.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">They were left without a manager after the sacking last week of Fabio Capello following a lengthy contractual dispute and a string of below par results.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The search for the Italian's successor has so far proved fruitless.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The appointment of a new head coach has been seriously compromised by a lack of leadership after Nikolai Tolstykh was forced out as president of the Russian Football Union (RFU) in May.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The RFU's deputy head is 88-year-old Nikita Simonyan who says no major decisions would be made until a new federation president is elected.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The only candidate is Russian Sports minister Vitaly Mutko after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev agreed he could serve in two capacities.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Mutko is no stranger to the RFU, having served as its head from 2005 to 2009.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">The RFU elections are on September 2, three days before Russia's next Euro qualifier, a potentially decisive fixture against Sweden, lying second in their group.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Mutko has said that the team's new manager would be appointed this month, insisting no foreign coaches were being considered.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We need a Russian coach to finish the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign," Mutko said this month.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"He should be familiar with Russian football to choose the country's top players and win a place in the European championship finals."</p> <p style="text-align: justify">CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky is thought to be Mutko's preferred candidate, although he has a long-term contract with CSKA that contains no provisions allowing him to simultaneously serve as national team coach.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Other names in the frame include Russia's Under-19 manager Dmitry Khomukha, former national squad assistant coach Alexander Borodyuk and ex-Dynamo Moscow boss Stanislav Cherchesov.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Under Capello Russia won just two of its six Euro-2016 qualifiers, drawing with a weaker Moldovan team and losing twice to Austria.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">That has left them struggling in third in Group G with four matches remaining and far from assured of securing a spot in next year's championships in France.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Only the top third-place team among the nine groups qualifies for the tournament, along with the top two teams from each group.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">In addition to the uncertainty that surrounds the future of Russian football, the RFU has debts that amount to 1.5 billion roubles ($26.3 million, 24.1 million euros), according to Mutko.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">Mutko has pledged to revamp the country's football governing body, which is in dire need of order.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"We will transform the RFU into the country's most open and transparent organisation," R-Sport news agency quoted Mutko as saying.</p> <p style="text-align: justify">"But right now, we need to solve all the organisational and economic problems that the previous RFU management accumulated." </p> <p style="text-align: justify"> . <strong>By AFP</strong></p>