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Fabio Capello, the coach of Russia's national football team, has finally reached an agreement with the country's football union to leave his post, with Russian media reporting that he had been paid €15m in compensation.
The Italian's contract to coach Russia through the 2018 World Cup, which it will also host, has come under intense media scrutiny because of the team's poor form. Russia has only won two of its last 10 matches and a poll earlier this month found that the majority of Russians did not approve of Capello. Only 19% backed the Italian.
The Russian Football Union's debt, estimated to be over €30 million by Russian business channel RBC, was a deterrent to sack Capello too soon as he would have to be paid at least €20 million in compensation plus any outstanding wages.
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Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov chipped in €5m last month to help fund Capello's unpaid earnings. A meeting between the coach and Russian football and sports officials held the following day was expected to find a resolution to Capello's deal, with Russian media speculating that his sacking was already all but public, however this did not materialise.
Today the Russian Football Union published an official statement, thanking Capello for his work and confirming that the two sides had reached an agreement about the coach's leaving by mutual consent.
"The Russian Football Union sincerely thanks Fabio Capello for his work as head coach and wishes him success in his future career," the statement read.
"Fabio Capello, in turn, thanks the union for their help and support which he has felt throughout the years. He is also grateful to the players for working together, and the fans - for the sincere support of the team."
There is no official confirmation on the exact sum due to be paid to Capello but Russian news agency RIA Novosti cites a source inside the union who estimates that Capello will get €15 million in compensation.
Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko told state news agency Itar-Tass that Capello had worked "honestly" but added "sport is a cruel thing". "There must always be results," Mutko said. "The present decision is objective and correct."
Mutko added that the team and staff were bereft of confidence that they will be qualify for Euro 2016, after Capello's last game in charge which saw Russia be defeated 1-0 by Austria.
The sports minister has already said that a Russian coach should take Capello's place now with the bookies' favourite CSKA Moscow's Leonid Slutskiy. The director of CSKA, Roman Babaev, has said that the club has not been approached with enquiries about the manager's availability to coach the Russian national side, as well as CSKA. He told Tass that such an arrangement would not be possible.
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