"Of course, our national team could play better," he told Russian television. "There were moments during recent matches when the team played better than their opponents but then suddenly, they lost heart."
Primakov said soccer was not just a sport but a game which united the nation.
"If a match is won it's national pride, while a loss means a grief for many," he said.
"There are objective reasons why soccer in Russian is no longer so good and one of them is the collapse of the Soviet Union, when players from Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus and Uzbekistan played for the national side."
Primakov said the country must improve its soccer organisation at every level and funding.
"Taking into account its importance, we would render assistance to the national side as well as the entire Russian soccer."
Reuters
