All Russian Football Prime League clubs to be licensed in 2005

In 2005 all 16 clubs of the Russian Football Prime League (RFPL) should be licensed. This was disclosed by President of Russian Football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov at the press-conference devoted to work of International Academy of Football and Sports Industry (IAFAI).

This year the procedure of licensing will be necessary for the participants of the European Cups and the next year for all clubs of the RFPL and the licensing will be an admission to participation in the matches, Mr. Koloskov specified.

The formation of the IAFAI is a historic event in the development of the Russian football, Mr. Koloskov stressed. "Football is a business and clubs must earn money and be self-dependent," the RFU President said.

Mr. Koloskov noted that Russian football clubs are financed from the state budget of various levels. Therefore, the IAFAI was created in order to prepare professional managers of football clubs.

"We want our center to show its possibilities in solution of important for the football issues," Rector of the IAFAI Mikhail Ioffe said. First of all, IAFAI deals with the issues connected with football but does not forget about the other sports, he stressed, having added that European specialists work in the Academy. "We intend to launch business education for Russian footballers," the IAFAI rector noted.