Alexei Smertin has been put in charge of investigating football racism in Russia, despite having previously appeared to deny its existence.
Smertin said his new role as the Russian Football Union's anti-racism and discrimination inspector meant he would "put every effort into keeping racism and discrimination out of the story of football in my country."
In a statement on the Russian Federation state official website, he added: "Ahead of the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup, Russia, as a country hosting such big international tournaments, should be an example of global tolerance both on and off the football field.