Officials in Nizhny Novgorod are considering merging second-tier FC Nizhny Novgorod with their Premier League rivals FC Volga, the region's deputy governor told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
Nizhny finished third in the second tier this season but lost a promotion-relegation playoff against Volga, prompting officials to examine the possibility of merging them to cut costs.
Other solutions are also on the cards, said Dmitry Svatkovsky, the region's deputy governor.
"We will recommend to the directors of FC Volga and Nizhny Novgorod three possible answers: Dissolving Nizhny Novgorod, merging and forming a club on the base of Volga, or both clubs live their owns lives," he said.
Svatkovsky said he expected a decision by the end of the week.
After Tuesday's 0-0 against Volga sealed a 2-1 aggregate defeat, Nizhny coach Alexander Gorshkov said he saw no prospects for the club's future due to spiraling debts.
Gorshkov's contract expires at the end of the month along with that of most of the players, he said.
Nizhny are relative newcomers to Russian football, forming as an amateur side in 2007 and quickly winning promotion to the Russian third tier.
They were promoted by default to the second tier as those clubs that finished ahead of them were ruled unfit to take up a place in the Football National League.
Volga are the main team of the 1.2 million population city, playing in the lower divisions since 1963 until winning promotion to the Russian Premier League last season.
