Mutko, who is now Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, is still in charge of the RFU despite being removed from the FIFA Council and being banned for life by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) following the Russian doping scandal.

As reported by Izvestia, RFU vice-president Sergei Anokhin has said that Mutko will still continue in his role as RFU President despite rumours that he was set to stand down after he told an RFU conference that delegates may not see him for "three or four months".

"Perhaps it was misunderstood [what Mutko said]," Anokin said.

“Vitaliy Leontievich [Mutko] always likes to speak from the heart.

“Probably, in three to four months he will have many tasks and responsibilities related to his main job."

He continued: “But I'm sure that he will continue to work in football

“I want to remind everyone that Mutko is the President of the RFU.

“He is not going anywhere.”

As well as temporarily stepping down from his role as President of the RFU in December, Mutko stepped down from his role as head of the Organising Committee for this summer's 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia in a bid to fight his IOC ban and replaced by Arkady Dvorkovich.

But his portfolio as Vice-President has changed from sport to construction and regional politics.