Football in Russia

When the USSR broke down into 15 different countries, the once renowned sports structure collapsed as well. Football was one of the most popular sports in the Soviet Union. While the national teams and the clubs used to be linked to state institutions or mass organizations, in 1991 they became private enterprises. Just like in many other spheres of business, corrupt and sometimes bloody division of power began. Furthermore, many teams of the erstwhile Soviet Top League, which was once considered to be one of the strongest and was able to compete with those of England and Italy, were now in divided between the national football associations of the newly independent republics. Many of the top brand names lost their financing from the government and were left to rot, waiting for some forms of sponsorship. Citizens of Russia are interested mostly in the national team that gets to compete in the World Cup and the European Championship, and in the Premier league, where clubs from different cities look to become champions of Russia. There are also competitions considered less important, such as the Russian Cup. Some of the most famous clubs include Spartak Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow. There are in fact six teams in the Premier League from the city of Moscow as it was the first city to recover from the destruction of the old system.

Due to the large extension of the country, the top Russian division and its European-based clubs have often had problems adjusting to having to play clubs from Siberia, particularly those from the Far East, such as Okean Nakhodka, Luch-Energia Vladivostok and SKA-Energia Khabarovsk. Although it is very rare that a Far Eastern club competes for the Russian league title or spots in UEFA competitions, European-based teams often complain about lost matches due to jet lag or other such factors.

Today, football is the number one sport in the country. A very high proportion of men are interested in it to a certain extent (and many children play it regularly) and women also join men when it comes to the national team. The Russian league is rapidly regaining its former strength because of huge sponsorship deals, an influx of finances and a fairly high degree of competitiveness with roughly 10 teams capable of winning the title. Many notable talented foreign players have been and are playing in the Russian league as well as local talented players worthy of a spot in the starting eleven of the best clubs. The relegation battles are also competitive and considered very exciting.

The Russian national team gained attention when they beat traditional European powerhouses The Netherlands 3-1 in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions Spain. Nevertheless, four players made the Team of the Tournament. Some players such as Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko earned big-money moves to the English Barclays Premier League after impressing at the tournament.

Thus now the Russian Premier League are among the best in Eastern Europe, as evidenced by recent victories in the UEFA Cup (CSKA Moscow defeated Sporting CP in the 2005 final and Zenit St. Petersburg earned a victory over Rangers F.C. in the 2008 UEFA Cup in Manchester) and also claimed the UEFA Super Cup in a 2-1 win over Manchester United.

Hosting the World Cup

On December 2nd, 2010, Russia was awarded the FIFA World Cup 2018. Russia will host the tournament for the first time.

League system

Main article: Russian football league system

The first level of the Russian league system is the 16-club Premier League. Below it are the First Division and Second Division, administered by the Professional Football League. The First Division consists of 22 clubs, and the Second Division is split geographically into five zones (West, Centre, South, Ural-Povolzhye, and East) with varying number of clubs. The total number of clubs in the Second Division is 73. After each season, top two clubs of the First Division replace bottom two clubs of the Premier League, and champions of each Second Division zone replace five bottom clubs of the First Division. A championship between youth teams of Premier League clubs also exists.

The Second Division is the lowest level of professional football in Russia. The next level of football is the Amateur Football League, which is split into ten zones: Northwest, Golden Ring, Moscow, Podmoskovye (Moscow region), Chernozemye (Black Earth region), South, Privolzhye (Volga region), Ural and West Siberia, Siberia, and Far East. After each season, the bottom finishers of each Second Division zone are relegated to the Amateur Football League, and the winners of each Amateur Football League are eligible for promotion to the Second Division, subject to meeting Professional Football League requirements.

Seven of the Amateur Football League zones are using one-tier system. The rest (Moscow, Podmoskovye, and Siberia) consist of two divisions with promotion and relegation. This means that a newly created team can enter the Russian league system at the fourth level and reach the Premier League in three years.

There are also championships of federal subjects. These competitions that are not part of the league system; clubs can enter the Amateur Football League without participation in them.

Cup competitions

The main cup competition in Russia is the Russian Cup. Only professional clubs take part in it.

There is also an Amateur Football League Cup, a competition for the Amateur Football League clubs. The winners of this cup are eligible for promotion to the Second Division.

Cups of federal subjects are also played.

European competitions

The Russian League is regarded as the 6th strongest league in Europe, based on its teams performances in European Competition. Russian club sides constantly compete in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. In the last four years Russia has won three major European trophies. These are CSKA Moscow 2004/05 UEFA Cup and Zenit St.Petersburg's UEFA Cup 2007/08 and UEFA Super Cup 2007/08 Triumphs.

Current ranking (2009-10 UEFA competitions)

Correct as of May 21, 2008

Rank 09/10	Rank 08/09	Mvmt	League	2003/2004	2004/2005	2005/2006	2006/2007	2007/2008	Coeff.	CL places	EL places
1	2	+1	England	11.250	15.571	14.428	16.625	17.875	75.749	4	3
2	1	-1	Spain	14.312	12.437	15.642	19.000	13.875	75.266
3	3	—	Italy	8.875	14.000	15.357	11.928	10.250	60.410
4	4	—	France	13.500	11.428	10.812	10.000	6.928	52.668	3
5	5	—	Germany	4.714	10.571	10.437	9.500	13.500	48.722
6	9	+3	Russia	5.875	10.000	10.000	6.625	11.250	43.750
7	7	—	Romania	4.333	5.500	16.833	11.333	2.600	40.599	2	4
8	6	-2	Portugal	10.250	8.166	5.500	8.083	7.928	39.927
9	8	-1	Netherlands	5.416	12.000	7.583	8.214	5.000	38.213
10	10	—	Scotland	7.375	4.750	4.250	6.750	10.250	33.375		3
11	14	+3	Turkey	6.500	5.375	4.000	6.100	9.750	31.725
12	11	-1	Ukraine	4.875	8.100	5.750	6.500	4.875	30.100
13	12	-1	Belgium	5.875	6.125	5.500	4.700	4.500	26.700
14	15	+1	Greece	4.166	6.166	3.333	4.666	7.500	25.831
15	13	-2	Czech Republic	7.375	2.875	4.625	5.750	5.125	25.750
16	17	+1	Switzerland	1.875	2.625	9.375	4.100	6.250	24.225	1	3
17	16	-1	Bulgaria	4.166	2.375	8.750	5.125	2.750	23.166
18	18	—	Norway	6.125	3.500	5.400	2.000	5.400	22.425
19	21	+2	Denmark	4.200	1.500	3.500	6.125	5.125	20.450
20	22	+2	Austria	2.125	7.625	3.250	1.500	3.200	17.700
21	20	-1	Serbia	4.500	4.250	3.250	2.125	2.625	16.750
22	19	-3	Israel	2.250	3.625	1.500	6.000	2.375	15.750
23	28	+5	Sweden	1.500	3.000	2.666	1.125	5.400	13.691
24	25	+1	Slovakia	2.500	1.333	4.333	2.000	2.166	12.332
25	23	-2	Poland	4.125	2.500	1.125	2.625	1.666	12.041
26	24	-2	Hungary	4.833	4.166	1.000	1.000	1.000	11.999
27	26	-1	Croatia	3.625	3.000	0.333	1.000	3.666	11.624
28	27	-1	Cyprus	1.333	1.333	3.000	1.750	2.666	10.082
29	29	—	Slovenia	2.166	3.500	2.333	1.250	0.666	9.915
30	33	+3	Finland	1.666	1.666	2.333	1.333	2.625	9.623
31	31	—	Latvia	0.833	3.166	1.333	2.166	1.333	8.831
32	30	-2	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.666	1.666	1.500	1.833	1.833	8.498
33	32	-1	Lithuania	0.833	2.500	1.333	1.833	1.500	7.999
34	34	—	Moldova	1.500	1.500	1.666	1.500	1.333	7.499
35	35	—	Republic of Ireland	0.333	1.333	1.833	2.833	1.000	7.332
36	38	+2	Macedonia	1.666	0.333	1.500	1.166	1.666	6.331
37	39	+2	Iceland	0.500	2.500	0.833	1.000	1.166	5.999
38	36	-2	Georgia	0.333	2.666	0.666	1.166	1.000	5.831
39	37	-2	Liechtenstein1	0.000	2.000	1.000	2.000	0.500	5.500	0	1
40	40	—	Belarus	0.666	0.500	1.333	1.000	1.833	5.332	1	3
41	42	+1	Estonia	0.333	0.833	0.833	1.500	0.833	4.332
42	44	+2	Azerbaijan	0.000	0.500	1.333	1.333	0.666	3.832
43	41	-2	Albania	0.333	1.000	1.000	0.833	0.500	3.666
44	43	-1	Armenia	0.666	0.500	0.666	0.500	1.333	3.665
45	45	—	Kazakhstan	0.166	0.000	1.000	0.666	0.750	2.582
46	46	—	Northern Ireland	0.500	0.666	0.500	0.166	0.500	2.332
47	47	—	Wales	0.333	0.000	0.666	0.666	0.666	2.331
48	48	—	Faroe Islands	0.000	0.333	0.666	0.500	0.333	1.832
49	49	—	Luxembourg	0.166	0.333	0.500	0.166	0.333	1.498
50	50	—	Malta	0.333	0.333	0.000	0.166	0.000	0.832
51	—	—	Montenegro	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.500	0.500
51	51	—	Andorra	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.500	0.500	1	1
53	52	-1	San Marino	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.250	0.250

¹

Next season Russia will have 3 sides competing in the UEFA Champions League. Two have gained Automatic berths. Rubin Kazan and CSKA Moscow. Dynamo Moscow will play through the qualifying rounds to gain the right to join their compatriots.

See also

• Sport in Russia
• List of Russian football transfers summer 2008
• UEFA Euro 2008

References

• Russia 2005
• Russian football - video news