Name Alisher Usmanov comes up every year in the major business stories. That investment in Facebook and Twitter, the series about the social network "VKontakte", the record yields of investments in the Chinese assets. In 2015, a Russian football. Usmanov became the main sponsor of the national team.

Billionaire really loves football. He admitted that he owned the newspaper "Kommersant" first reads the news and sports only then the band dedicated to politics and business. He has a stake in the famous English club Arsenal, but it does not control and manage the club he was not allowed. But the opportunity to influence the sport in Russia - Usmanov made savior team that suffered defeat after defeat, with the Italian coach, the salary which was unaffordable for the RAF.

Hardly could pick a better time to enter the project. RFS criticized not only the fans and the local officials, but also lost their posts due to corruption scandal FIFA and UEFA leaders Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini. The situation was saved by a loan from Usmanov, allowed to pay Fabio Capello debts hrplate and then compensation for breach of contract with him.

"No complications have arisen in the negotiations", - admitted in a conversation with Forbes Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko. Usmanov agreed with in an hour.

The previous experience of cooperation with the Russian billionaires is hardly a good football.

Roman Abramovich and Suleiman Kerimov has already financed the RAF, but both times the team sinking in major tournaments. Leonid Fedun lost hope of repayment of the loan issued by the RFU. A search for sponsors among large corporations was complicated by the fact that the loss-making of the RFU and its head Nikolai Tolstoy, conflicting with Mutko did not look reliable partners. Could the Kremlin Usmanov asked to provide the service team? If so, the nature of the businessman to get the most out of the situation.

In his business empire billionaire relies on proven people from the inner circle: if lost confidence, then return it extremely difficult. The same logic can be traced in the football project - Nikolai Tolstoy, who criticized Usmanov, has resigned. Head of the Russian Football Union Vitaly Mutko. functionary SWryaet that Usmanov in the activities of the RFU does not participate, but Mutko says the businessman, how to spend his money, and discusses with him the principles of team management. "Our views on these issues are the same", - said Mutko.

What about the results? Preliminary already have. The national team came out of the qualifying group. But the real stress test a new businessman project will take place in 2016, during the European Football Championship in France.