Alex Song still owed £7.9m from Russian club hosting World Cup 2018 quarter-final
Former Arsenal, Barcelona and West Ham United midfielder Alex Song is still owed £7.9million by one of Russia’s World Cup hosts Rubin Kazan.
Telegraph Sport revealed last December that Rubin - whose stadium is is staging World Cup group games and a last-16 and quarter-final match - had not paid their players for four months.
Song was one of a number of players whose contract was terminated for non-payment by Fifa and the world’s governing body are also threatening Rubin with footballing sanctions, including future expulsion from European competition.
But, having turned down a settlement offer of £2.2m, Song has now not been paid for 10 months and is yet to have his old contract, which is worth £7.9m, paid up.
Song is a free agent under Fifa rules and is training on his own in his home country of Cameroon. The 30-year-old already has offers from clubs to join during the summer, but is concerned that Rubin are yet to pay him any of the money owed.
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Rubin were hit by a financial crisis, although Song is now one of the few remaining players, who have been released from their contracts, not to be paid.
Rubin is owned by the Tatar-American Investments and Finance company, TAIF, and president Radik Shaimiev is listed as being the 88th richest man in Russia.
Chairman of the board of guardians is Rustam Minnikhanov, who is the president of Tartarstan and is an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Sporting director of Rubin is Rustem Saymanov, who was arrested and spent time in prison in connection with murder.
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The plight of Rubin and their battle with Fifia is a source of embarrassment for Russia, who are currently trying to show the world that they are a thriving country in terms of sport, tourism and business.
Rubin shot to worldwide fame by beating Barcelona in the Champions League in 2009, but could only finish this season in 10th place in the Russia’s top division.
