MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) -Tom Tomsk's general director has said that his club, battling to ensure its financial survival, is no less deserving of state funds than Russian football's top sides.
West Siberia's Tom Tomsk, Europe's most easterly top flight side, are in deep financial trouble after regional authorities cut funding for the club amid the ongoing economic crisis. Attempts to find alternative backers have yet to bear fruit and officials have said there is a real danger the club could go out of business. The club has debts of some $6 million, including around $2 million in wages arrears.
The club is waiting on a reply from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to a request from sports minister Vitaly Mutko to provide support for the side. The club's annual budget is around $23 million.
Yury Stepanov told the Mayak radio station that while the club would feel uncomfortable spending regional budget funds, "if we draw a comparison...why does no one say anything about the budgets of Dynamo Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg or Lokomotiv Moscow. Their budgets are many times bigger than Tom's and, after all, these sides survive on public money."
Dynamo Moscow are 76% owned by the Russian foreign trade bank, VTB, Zenit St. Petersburg are owned by state-run energy giant Gazprom, and Lokomotiv Moscow's general sponsors are Russian Railways.
"I believe that Siberians, on whose territory riches are extracted, thanks to which the country exists and periodically flourishes, also have the right [to a top football team] in their region. It is a good thing that they can come to the stadium and not watch games only on TV...Why, after all, can Moscow have seven teams, and Tomsk can't even have one?"
So far, 11 Russian clubs have gone under during the economic crisis. However, Tom would be the first top-flight side to go bust.
The club, two places and four points off the relegation zone, face Lokomotiv Moscow in the Russian capital on Sunday.
