Russian Football Union, Fabio Capello reach agreement on contract termination

"The RFU is sincerely grateful to Fabio Capello for his work as the head coach and wishes him success in his future professional work," the RFU said. Italian phenomenon Capello took over the national team as the head coach in July of 2012 and managed to help the Russian squad to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The team, however, failed to clear the first stage of the much-anticipated global tournament putting their coach in the center of stern criticism and raising serious concerns in the country about the team's performance in the next World Cup, which would be hosted by Russia in 2018. Russia did not severe the contract with Capello after the Russian team's weak performance at the World Cup in Brazil and the Italian manager also decided to stay with the Russian squad as the head coach until the year of 2018 as stipulated by the contract terms. In late April Russia's daily Novaya Gazeta published a copy of a contract inked by the RFU with Italian manager Capello in January of 2014. In line with the document, which was signed until July 2018 and stipulated an annual salary of 7 million euros ($7.6 million) for the Italian coach, the RFU practically had no rights of severing the contract unilaterally without paying a penalty, while Capello was granted such opportunity. Earlier media reports estimated the compensation for RFU's unilateral severance of the contract with Capello at some $25 million, Kazinform refers to TASS.