As national team prepares for first World Cup game in Brazil on Tuesday, authorities push on with plans for regional contest despite absence of Ukraine. Eurasianet reports

Moscow is pressing on with plans to create a regional football super-league, despite the likely withdrawal of Ukraine from the scheme.

Preliminary proposals call for the super league to have at least 32 teams, divided into two tiers. The teams would be drawn mainly from Russias own Premier League, but clubs from Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan also reportedly figure in the scheme.

Initially, prominent Ukrainian clubs, including Shakhtar Donetsk, Dynamo Kyiv, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Metalist Kharkiv had been included, but that was before Kiev-Moscow relations deteriorated earlier this year.

Putin wants it. Its a priority for him

We are aiming to form one of the leading leagues in Europe

Gazprom is passionate about football

• The first Russian motherboard based on ARM-processor Baikal-M