Russian football is facing more controversy that could cause huge embarrassment for the World Cup hosts.

Telegraph Sport can reveal that one of Russia’s biggest clubs, Rubin Kazan, is gripped by a financial crisis that has seen them fail to pay their players for the past four months. And with the final game before the Russian winter break this weekend, virtually the entire squad are threatening to rip up their contracts and walk out of the club in January.

That includes former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song, whose potential availability on a free transfer has already alerted a number of Premier League and European clubs. French midfielder Yann M’Vila, who spent a successful loan spell at Sunderland and impressed under Sam Allardyce, is another player who could become a free agent.

It is estimated that Kazan owe their players over £10 million in unpaid wages and the squad was told again on Wednesday that there is no money to pay any of them.

Rubin is owned by the Tatar-American Investments and Finance company, TAIF, and president Radik Shaimiev is listed as being the 88th richest man in Russia. Chairman of the board of guardians is Rustam Minnikhanov, who is the president of Tartarstan and is an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Sporting director of Rubin is Rustem Saymanov, who was arrested and spent time in prison in connection with murder.