A Football Team that Was Losing as Much as the Russian Economy Is would Change Managers, Academician Nigmatulin Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 16 – Speaking at the Moscow Economic Forum on April 8, Academician Robert Nigmatulin said that any football team which was losing as much as the Russian economy has been recently would get rid of those in charge and bring in a team capable of acting more effectively.

            To the applause of his audience, Nigmatullin said that Russia now ranks 51^st out of 53 of “the more or less developed” economies in the world, a position that must be changed for Russia to have a successful future (echofm.online/video-dnya/robert-nigmatulin-my-iz-53-h-bolee-menee-razvityh-stran-zanimaem-51-e-mesto-nu-chto-mozhno-govorit-eshhyo and x.com/JayinKyiv/status/2045389885461127630).

            His words and the extent they were welcomed by his audience are significant because they carry with them the strong suggestion that Putin and his team are to blame for what is happening and must be replaced by others who can do a better job just as a failing sports team would certainly do more quickly than the Russian polity seems capable of.