Russian Football Union (RFS) president Nikolay Tolstykh was sacked yesterday following a vote on his position by federation officials.
Delegates at a conference in Moscow voted 235 in favour, 196 against him departing a position he has held since 2012.
Tolstykh, 59, has faced criticism for mounting debts under his tenure with the RFS in the red to the tune of 1.4 billion roubles ($26.74 million).
Voting for a new president is due to take place within the next three months with vice-president Nikita Simonyan taking temporary charge.