Alisher Usmanov, Russia’s richest man, explains his interest in FC Arsenal and his hopes for Russia’s first appearance at the World Cup in 12 years in his column on Bloomberg.

      “Unfortunately, the strongest member of our national team is the Italian coach, Fabio Capello, and he can’t be on the field. Russia has good, gifted players, but it doesn’t have any outstanding players, and it’s almost impossible to win in the modern game if you don’t have superstars on your team,” the businessman worth $17.6 billion said.

      “Russian football clubs have pots of money; many other clubs around the world don't enjoy the same budgets as Russian teams have. Instead, the problems lie with those responsible for football management,” added the world’s No. 34 billionaire on the Forbes list.

      Usmanov goes on to justify his stake in FC Arsenal.

      “The fact is, I invest millions in Russian sport each year -- an amount far in excess of my Arsenal investment.”

      He also makes it clear he’s always ready to increase the stake.

      “One other thing: the taxes that I will pay on my profits from this venture will be paid in Russia, thereby potentially finding their way back to Russian football,” concludes the football-loving businessman.