MOSCOW, June 26: Russian football chief Sergei Fursenko quit his post on Monday following Russia's disappointing showing at Euro 2012.

Fursenko, who also sits on the UEFA executive board, resigned after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.“I would like to apologise to our fans for such a result. I have taken a difficult decision — to step down as head of the Russian Football Union (RFU),” Fursenko told his close friend Putin, the Kremlin said.

Fursenko has been heavily criticised for the team's poor showing at the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, where they failed to advance past the group stage following a 1-0 upset by unfancied Greece in their final Group ‘A’ match.

Fursenko, 58, was appointed as the RFU boss in February 2010 after working as the president of Russian Premier League club Zenit St Petesburg for four years. —Reuters