LONDON — Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s deputy prime minister and a longtime sports official for the country, may soon relinquish his role as leader of the organizing committee for next summer’s World Cup after drawing intense scrutiny for his role in Russia’s state-supported doping program.
Several Russian news outlets, citing unnamed sources, reported on Thursday that Mutko would soon step down as the president of Russia’s soccer federation, a surprising capitulation by one of the country’s top officials as government leaders have responded defiantly to doping allegations.
Russia’s soccer federation is scheduled to meet on Dec.