Now FIFA is set to turn up the heat on Russia

FIFA are investigating Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko over his alleged role in the state-sponsored doping scandal, in a move that could lead to the most explosive disciplinary process in global sport.

Professor Richard McLaren’s doping report cites Mutko numerous times as having direct involvement in institutional doping and cover-ups, including in football cases.

Mutko is not just a serving member of FIFA’s executive committee, he is also the president of Russia’s FA.

Vladimir Putin’s key ally was the most important political figure in the country’s successful bid to stage the 2018 World Cup and was Sports Minister until his recent promotion to Deputy PM.

The investigative chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee have opened a preliminary investigation and if they succeed in prosecuting an ethics violations case against Mutko, he would be kicked out of FIFA and barred from football. That would be hugely embarrassing for Putin and certain to ignite a row about the suitability of Russia to host the World Cup.

The matter is so sensitive that the ethics committee is wary of publicly confirming a probe against Mutko is underway. But a spokesman has told the Mail on Sunday: ‘The investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee takes note of the [McLaren] report and will examine it thoroughly. If the report reveals violations of the FIFA code of ethics, the investigatory chamber will take appropriate measures and inform accordingly.’

Legal sources close to FIFA have confirmed the ethics committee have already made direct approaches to McLaren and the World Anti-Doping Agency to obtain the kind of hard documentary evidence implicating Mutko that would be necessary to secure an ethics conviction.

A spokesman for WADA told the MoS: ‘The exchange has been between Prof McLaren and FIFA, and WADA is not aware of the detail of communication that has taken place.’

WADA have previously made a public appeal to FIFA to investigate Mutko. McLaren obtained coded email correspondence purporting to show Mutko sanctioning the cover-up of football doping cases.

McLaren’s investigatory team is understood to have witness testimony implicating Mutko.

Ratifying that evidence could mean charges against Mutko will take time but the case will test the real global appetite to tackle doping, and Russia’s part in that.