Speaking in the wake of Russia's disappointing showing at the recent Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Vyacheslav Fetisov, the head of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport, said: "If we cannot change the management system, major problems await us."
"I think that here, our whole current state was revealed during these 12 days. An emotionally-charged victory over Canada, and then total breakdown," said Fetisov, himself a former hockey legend.
On Saturday night, the Russian team lost the bronze-medal game 3-0 to the Czech Republic.
The Russian team, considered a favorite after ousting Canada 2-0 in quarterfinals, saw its gold-medal hopes disappear after losing 4-0 to Finland in the semifinals.
Fetisov said the Russian team has potentially strong players, especially among the younger generation, and that Russia could be a world-beater again given the right approach.
Asked whether the coaching staff would be changed, he said: "If the decision was mine to make, I would announce it to you, but this isn't a question for me."
