The head of Russian soccer's governing body, Nikolai Tolstykh, could be sacked over the failure to pay national team coach Fabio Capello's wages.
Russian media reports say that the state labor oversight agency last month set a January 19 deadline for the Russian Football Union (RFS) to pay the Italian's back wages.
Capello, 68, signed a new contract with RFS last year which covers the 2018 World Cup hosted by Russia.
But reports say he has not been paid for more than six months and is now owed some 600 million rubles ($9.2 million).
Last week, Tolstykh told reporters: "We're making every effort to clear Capello's overdue wages."
The 2018 World Cup has been forecast to cost Russia $14.4 billion.
Russia's economy has been hit hard by falling world oil proces and Western sanctions over Moscow's interference in Ukraine.
