Season Preview (Russia 17/18)

League Name: Russian Premier League (RPL)
Start Date: 15th July
Honours (16/17): Spartak Moscow (League champions), Lokomotiv Moscow (Russian Cup winners)
Teams qualified for European football (16/17): Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow (both UCL), Zenit St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Lokomotiv Moscow (all UEL)

Domestic football returns to Russia with an air of optimism given we’re going into a home World Cup year with an additional Champions League qualification spot to fight for through the Russian Premier League. In truth however, club and international football is far from skyrocketing; Sbornaya crashed out early in the Confederations Cup last month, while it’s difficult to make a case for all but one RPL team actually coming into this season on a high after a broadly middling campaign last term.

The clear winners in this regard were champions Spartak Moscow. Clinching the title for the first time since 2001, few gave them a hope at the start of the season when Dmitri Alenichev was swiftly fired in August, following an early exit in Europa League qualification. His replacement Massimo Carrera stepped up from being Alenichev’s assistant remarkably well, his credentials soared within a year, to a stage where he's widely tipped for bigger and better things away from Russia, a rapid rise indeed over a fledgling coaching career.

Guided by their player of the season candidates; Fernando and Denis Glushakov in centre midfield and Dutch maestro Quincy Promes in attack, Spartak ruthlessly ran away with the title, a clear 7 points ahead of the chasing pack. Crucially they harnessed consistency, and in those times where they stumbled (heavy defeats to Krylya and Rostov either side of the winter break) they resisted a sustained slump to return to winning form the week after. Such consistency was rarely shared by their title chasing colleagues, however with European commitments now to contend with, a busier Autumn schedule is now Spartak’s trail to navigate past.

The transfer window has been relatively quiet for the champions, which indeed was what they wanted. They might not have engineered any notable transfers in, but for the time being their star man Quincy Promes stays. With one and a half months left of the transfer window, and competitive football ahead of him to boost his profile, it may become a struggle for them to keep hold of their gem however, whose mere presence in a Spartak shirt is essential in their title retention hopes.

A stark change is felt at Zenit St. Petersburg as they go into their second successive season with a brand new high profile coach, with lofty ambitions fuelled by an array of personnel changes. After a briefly positive campaign (especially in Europe), a dire run-in to last season cost Mircea Lucecsu his job, as Zenit slumped to another year outside the Champions League places. A performance their owners and key Champions League sponsors Gazprom will be reluctant to see occur for a third successive campaign this term.

With Financial Fair Play seemingly offering little deterrent, in have come the big names; former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is the new face in the dugout; while he’s quickly added to his squad with Leandro Paredes from Roma, Sebastian Driussi from River Plate, and the tried and tested Rostov contingent of Christian Noboa, Aleksandr Erokhin and Dmitry Poloz. The potential, as it was last year is clearly there, but striking the right balance between talent and a strong unit will be the deciding factor, all this in new surroundings, after Zenit moved to their new home - the Krestovsky at the end of last season.

Already well accustomed to their new World Cup stadia home however are CSKA Moscow, who themselves go into this campaign with a different feel about them, despite another off-season of inaction in the transfer market. This will be the first full season where Leonid Slutsky won’t be rocking in the dugout, and while the former Russia boss is in mid-preparations with Hull City in England, his presence is still keenly felt back at the VEB Arena. Emerging from his shadow, Viktor Goncharenko has put in some decent foundations since stepping in over the winter break, and while they missed out on the title to their bitter rivals Spartak, the fact they’ve clinched Champions League football (albeit the preliminaries at this stage) will satisfy the hierarchy in the short term.

It’s hard to look past the big three for the title, but with a lucrative chance at edging third spot and going into the Champions League offers up more to play for for those in and around the top half of the table. Krasnodar, who’ve regularly been touted as the side to break the stranglehold of Russia’s first two cities, were pretty middling last term, and nearly took one step backwards, if it wasn’t for their final day victory over Tom Tomsk to clinch Europa League football.

This season was always likely to be a year of transition, but with top marksman Fyodor Smolov stalling on a move away from the Bulls (something aided by a pre-season injury), Krasnodar may in the end keep their main man. Their support cast has arguably improved, swapping one Wanderson for another; their legendary 31 year old winger has moved on to join newly promoted Dinamo Moscow, while his namesake, a player nine years his junior has joined from Red Bull Salzburg.

A case can be made for Lokomotiv Moscow, in being the next side from the capital to compete, after clinching a European spot with their Russian Cup victory last year. With key attacking cogs Aleksei Miranchuk and Ari reaffirming their immediate futures with the club, they will look to improve on their lowly 8th placed finish from last term. As will the newly branded Akhmat Grozny (formerly Terek), representing the club’s former president and leading Chechen politician Akhmad Kadyrov. With the name change comes renewed force to cement their name at the top end of Russian football and qualify for the Europa League, a position they’ve fallen narrowly short of achieving over the last few seasons.

It’s been from mid-table over the last two seasons where the real progression has been made. As with Spartak’s renaissance in form last term to snatch the domestic title, Rubin Kazan go into a successive season with a great deal of hype. Last term it surrounded big money signings, who ultimately fluffed on the pitch, this time it’s about adding experience, with some old faces set to return to Kazan. There were occasional high points in performance last year, but generally the likes of Alex Song, Maksim Lestienne and the returning Yann M’Vila rarely lived up to their initially high billing.

This term sees the return of legendary Turkman coach Kurban Berdyev, back with the club where he clinched successive titles in 2008 and 2009. He brings with him predictably his latest set of Berdyevites; Fyodor Kudryashov and Vladimir Granat have already joined from his former club Rostov, while Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun looks likely to link up with his mentor for the third time, at the club he unceremoniously ditched this time last year. If they can gel a systematic formula that has proven to be successful in the past under Berdyev, and the best out of those underachieving big names, Rubin are more than an outside bet of qualifying for Europe.

Berdyev’s previous employers Rostov couldn’t be in a more dissimilar position. Two years in which they narrowly missed out on the RPL title and hosted Bayern Munich and Manchester United at the Olimp-2 in European competition, could roll into a much more trying period ahead for Leonid Kuchuk and co. Of the starting XI that beat Bayern back in November, only two remain, a difficult scenario for any club, let alone Rostov who were struggling in mid-table for much of the last term anyway; a relegation dogfight might be the upcoming course instead.

From that perspective the first indications are that the regulars will again fight for safety in the Russian top flight. Both Ural Ekaterinburg and Anzhi Makhachkala narrowly missed out on the relegation playoffs last term, but showed in parts (Ural reaching the Russian Cup final, and Anzhi comfortably competing in the top half before the winter break) that they had quality, if onlt in small bursts; proving that nothing can be taken for granted going into the new season.

Of the promoted teams; the RPL welcomes Dinamo Moscow back at Russa’s top table at the first given opportunity, following their relegation in 2016, after they wiped the board with the rest of the FNL. Serial goal machine Kirill Panchenko has signed on a permanent basis after his successful season on loan from city rivals CSKA, while the addition of Wanderson from Krasnodar aids in their squad transition.

Similar potential isn’t expected from the other duo, both making their debut at this level. Tosno, a start up from 2013 are a club used to shifting their home ground, and will again be moving - into the recently departed Petrovsky (formerly of Zenit), while SKA Khabarovsk provide RPL clubs with a dreaded 5,000+ mile journey East, something Roberto Mancini will immediately experience first hand in this coming weekend..

Ones to Watch:

Fyodor Chalov (CSKA Moscow) - Broke through late in the season after an impressive developmental start with CSKA’s youth side in the Autumn, Chalov at 19 years old, could become the Army Men’s leading marksman this term, with little consistency or quality to aid him in attack. In a World Cup year, this season feels about right for the youngster to make an impact both domestically and in Europe, with the end prize of a national call up a realistic opportunity to aim for. 

Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit) - A year on from his indiscretions in a nightclub following Russia’s demise at Euro 2016, Kokorin is back in the Sbornaya setup, but continually fails to live up to the high expectations even at club level. New boss Roberto Mancini has requested 35 goals from Kokorin and his strike partner Artem Dzyuba in the forthcoming season, a target the support striker needs to keep tabs with if he’s set to feature for Russia next summer.

Sardar Azmoun (Rubin Kazan) - For a second year in a row, we’re left in confusion at where the young Iranian striker will end up, but the good money is on a return to Kazan, where he’s been training for a number of weeks. This does however look to be Azmoun’s last year in Russia, after following diligently his mentor Kurban Berdyev between Rubin and Rostov for the last few seasons. On his day, as he proved in Europe last term he’s one of the RPL’s top marksman, and with a greater exposure to game time this year in Rubin’s chase for Europe, he could well force a marquee move post-Russia 2018.

UEFA Coefficient - The chase continues

As we head towards the resumption of the Russian Premier League later this week, we’re already fully immersed into the business end of the European season and once again I’m going to try and suppress some of my bubbling excitement at another sniff of an upward coefficient shift. Despite a clean sweep of exits in the Champions League prior to Christmas, Russia’s club performances in the Europa League currently have them ahead of Portugal in the race to clinch an extra European birth, something which has long been desired to meet the league’s ambition of cementing itself as one of the top leagues in UEFA.

At present Russia are afforded 5 places in European competition, 2 into the Champions League (1 via the qualifiers), with the remaining 3 making their way into the Europa League. A promotion in ranks within the UEFA coefficient (into the top 6 leagues in Europe) would generate an extra UCL birth, a second direct spot in the group phase at present. The two targets ahead of them have long been France and Portugal, with the latter currently being leapfrogged by Russia as we go into the final few months of the European calendar.

While this is all very positive news, arguably the best chance we’ve had of seeing the RPL breaking into the illustrious Top 6 leagues, what’s preventing me from celebrating just yet are the missed opportunities of the past. Going off the last few campaigns I’m subconsciously priming myself for another final stage collapse. We’re running the same course as years gone by; CSKA Moscow crashed out in bottom place in the Champions League groups stages for the fourth time in succession. It proved the final straw, as it lead to the overdue exit of Leonid Slutsky, something that can only be considered a positive sign for future European campaigns where the Army men have looked a pale imitation of the side that usually fare so well (especially in an attacking sense) domestically.

The success story instead has come through debutants and heavy underdogs Rostov, who despite the early season chaos behind the scenes and being drawn in a pretty gruelling group, won admirers aplenty with their performances and ultimate results in key matches; beating Bayern Munich in Russia, before going on to clinch the crucial point needed away in Holland against PSV to ensure passage into the Europa League. A resounding victory in the Round of 32 this last week against a growingly familiar European opponent Sparta Prague, sets up a mouthwatering tie against Manchester United in the Round of 16. Going off Rostov’s previous performances against Atletico Madrid and the aforementioned Bayern in the UCL group stages, we can go into next week with more than a little hope of an upset.

Joining them in the last 16 are Krasnodar, who themselves had to contend with their very own German giant Schalke in the UEL groups stages, finding their way past two similarly poised projects in Nice (one small victory over France in the coefficients) and Red Bull Salzburg. Overcoming Fenerbahce impressively in the knockout stages sets them up with a tie with one of the tournament favourites Celta Vigo, another great award for the fledgling Russian startup who can’t be criticised of shirking their responsibility in collecting the valuable coefficient points.

In the end we could’ve had so much more, given Russia’s star performers before the winter break, Zenit, who went through the UEL group stages with 5 wins from 6, scoring an impressive tournament high of 16 goals, couldn’t progress past the first knockout round. Another familiar foe Anderlecht, who were impressively vanquished by Rostov back in the summer in the UCL, were too good for the Russians this time around who despite a valiant return leg victory in St. Petersburg were made to pay for an awful showing in Brussels by a late away goal to swing the outcome.

So, normal service resumes then? The last two years have promised much - Zenit qualified for the UCL R16 stage last term, while Zenit again (making it to the quarters) and Dinamo (to the R16) fared handsomely in the UEL the year previous. On both occasions I talked up the chances of usurping France in the coefficients, but as we’ve seen, this year in particular with Monaco and PSG in the Champions League, the RPL remain far behind in terms of quality and now considerably in terms of coefficient points. Amidst the disappointment of seeing France disappear over the horizon, comes the ever plunging stock of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, who despite having two sides still in the Champions League knockout phases are looking to lose a European spot for the 2018/19 season.

That remains the crucial lesson when it comes to coefficient chasing - ignore the Europa League at your detriment. Having built their European pedigree in the same tournament over the last five years (Benfica - finalists in 2013 and 2014, Porto - champions in 2011, Braga - finalists in 2011, Sporting semi-finalists in 2012), ironically the shift of focus to the Champions League lately that has successfully seen them reach the top table of Europe’s premier competition over the last two years could in the end see them lose out on one of their direct UCL births.

From Russia’s perspective, while we regularly pour scorn on their Champions League exploits, be it CSKA’s frustratingly defensive setups or Zenit’s choking in the final knockout stages, the likes of Dinamo (2014), Lokomotiv (2015), Krasnodar (2015 & 2016) and Zenit (2016) in the Europa League group stages have kept the ranking points ticking along quietly in the background. If what materialises is what is expected and Russia do clinch another European competition birth, some may assume Russian football is experiencing a revival of sorts, while in reality the work that has got them here has been of the more workmanlike variety in the initial section phases.

Without making too many wild assumptions, it’s safe to say Russia are in the driving seat, this of course may change, and will ultimately come down to the plights of the clubs involved in the final 16 of each competition. Simply if Porto and Benfica exit the UCL in the coming fortnight, Russia stays on top, and with the former having a mountain to climb (2-0 down after the first leg) in Turin against Juventus and the latter holding a slim 1-0 cushion over Borussia Dortmund, heading to Germany, I remain positive that neither Krasnodar nor Rostov need to pull a rabbit out the hat.

Going forward, with the coefficient taking into account the last 5 seasons of European football, Russia again look in pole position, having beaten Portugal’s average in each of the last 4 campaigns. The advantages of such a turnaround in fortunes is massive for a leagues future goals going forward. An extra UCL spot, allows greater exposure and extra security in terms of planning, which in turn can lead to targeted investment. 

The element of concern surrounds UEFA’s plans to rework the Champions League format, having disclosed last summer that the top four association nations will be granted 4 guaranteed Champions League group stage births. How this impacts on associations down the line (Russia included) is yet to be seen, likely to have a greater effect on the qualifying stages of the tournament rather than those passing straight through to the group stages. The key if Russia does see their number increase however is to not let it slip, to push forward and remember how you got here. Take your eye off the Europa League ball at your peril, Russia will still need to progress well in this competition if they wish to keep tabs with the European elite..

Season Preview (Russia 16/17)

League Name: Russian Premier League (RPL)
Start Date: 30th July
Honours (15/16): CSKA Moscow (League champions), Zenit St. Petersburg (Russian Cup winners)
Teams qualified for European football (16/17): CSKA Moscow, Rostov (both UCL), Zenit St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Spartak Moscow (all UEL)

Another season rolls in, amidst another changeable climate in the Russian game. Off the back of one of their most disastrous major tournaments in living memory at Euro 2016, Sbornaya and the Russian Premier League have been widely critiqued across the country as the cause and also the potential solution to the national team’s woes, as the country prepares for its World Cup hosting in two years’ time.

After last year’s reduction of overseas playing recruits to six, there's been an upsurge in demand for this to be reversed immediately to increase competitiveness for places and quality within the national team talent pool, ironically the reason why it was first introduced by the RFU. This all seems to have fallen on deaf ears however, with the RFU continuing to plow forward in their pursuit to see more Russian nationals in action, by even suggesting that the limits could be extended further.

Evidence shows that this isn't improving what little talent Russia has. Young players again are becoming the main story for the wrong reasons, commanding ridiculous salaries after only featuring fleetingly. The transfer of Rifat Zhemaletdinov falls into this category perfectly, a talented individual who was in high demand and granted high wages after only appearing in a handful of games, as his transfer from Lokomotiv to Rubin attests to. All it would seem because he's a talented Russian player, something in desperately short supply at the moment.

What this develops is players without motivation, idolised by their employers who need to keep up their home quota with little enticing them to further their careers elsewhere in Europe. The general image of young Russian footballers wasn't helped this summer either by the perceived actions of national team players' Aleksandr Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev, who were criticised for partying extortionately a week after Russia crashed out of the Euros.

All this is extenuated somewhat by the fact that Russian domestic football is starting to fall behind the rest of Europe. Over the last few years, the pursuit of an extra direct Champions League birth has become tangible, tantalising fans to dream that the RPL could become a dominant force within European football. The chances however have come and gone, with countless disappointments on the continent, with 2015 champions Zenit St. Petersburg arguably being the only side to come out of this pursuit with any credit whatsoever.

Come the new season, the RPL is dealt an even heavier blow, with their most competitive side on the continent coming under major reconstruction. Mirroring the stop-start progress of the new Zenit Arena (which was due for completion this year, before plans were put back again), the team itself has seen many leave as a consequence of finishing outside the UCL qualification places. The biggest names in Russian football have either departed or are due to; Brazilian striker Hulk has joined Shanghai SIPG in China, while Belgian internationals Axel Witsel and Nicolas Lombaerts are set for moves to England.

A promising change however is that in the dugout, with arguably the best performing coach in Eastern Europe over the last decade in Mircea Lucescu, joining from Shakhtar Donetsk replacing the outgoing Andre Villas-Boas. With high expectations held of him, Zenit will aim to return to the Champions League at the first attempt as a bare minimum. Pre-season signs have been promising, beating champions CSKA 1-0 in last weekend’s Super Cup, in which Zenit illustrated the sort of dominance they can potentially wield. While the likes of Dzyuba, Kokorin and Shatov disappointed in France over the summer, on their day they remain head and shoulders above the rest in the domestic game.

In the red corner, as far as the title goes, CSKA Moscow are similarly reconstructing, after star striker Ahmed Musa joined English champions Leicester City over the summer. In his place, comes the giant Ivorian Lacina Traore, formerly of Anzhi Makhachkala and Kuban Krasnodar. Hardly a like for like replacement in terms of style, but similar will be expected of the striker in terms of output to fill the dearth in attacking quality at the Army club. In defence, while experience continues to be the name of the game, the last few months have hardly illustrated confidence in Berezutski and co. as a dependable back line.

It all looks a little grim then, especially when you consider CSKA head the way in Russia’s hopes of European success, having failed to make it out of the group stage of the UCL in their last three attempts. Joining them in Europe's elite competition, however briefly, are last season’s fairy-tale club Rostov. As I predicted earlier in the year, finishing second for the club is likely to prove calamitous for Russia's European coefficient, as they now have to undertake potentially two difficult rounds to even qualify for the UCL group stages, and if they fail at the first hurdle another similar strength playoff to get through to the Europa League.

A 2-2 draw at home to Anderlecht on Tuesday was an entertaining affair, however pointed to the realisation that we’re unlikely to see Rostov in the UCL for much longer, after the Belgians clinched two away goals. Considering their own interests at home, Rostov will again be looking to upset the apple cart domestically. Much of their cause starts and finishes with their coach Kurban Berdyev, who continues to evade being tied down after late disagreements with the club hierarchy over the team’s future direction. Throw in the on-off transfer of Sardar Azmoun, and Rostov like many go into this season with a lot of question marks against their name.

There’s every possibility that the title race may open up, even more than last year, which can only be a good thing for the neutral. Champions in 2009, Rubin Kazan are starting to show they’re on the way back to emulating their successful days with easily the most high profile signings of the summer. Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song, Belgian striker Maxime Lestienne and experienced defender Carlos Zambrano have all joined up to a team under new management. Spaniard Javi Gracia joins the club after two years with Malaga and a wealth of experience in La Liga.

If Rubin are going places, the opposite can be said of Lokomotiv Moscow whose transfer activity has been subdued at best, with skipper Vedran Corluka likely to depart in the coming week. Across town at Spartak Moscow, the fans can at least point to a new signing of two. Fernando from Sampdoria is an interesting addition, while much of their success in an attacking sense will again come down to whether Dutch attacker Quincy Promes stays at the club until the end of the window.

A final case for potential success could come from Krasnodar, who have purchased Marat Izmailov to work in addition to last season’s golden boot winner Fedor Smolov in attack. The European heroics of Icelandic centre back Ragnar Sigurdsson have been reclaimed for now, and but for a notable transfer or two, Krasnodar’s squad on paper at least looks the most stable of the dark horse contenders and a credible outsider to leapfrog those who falter ahead of them.

Down at the other end, Dinamo Moscow’s relegation to the FNL last term is a clear reminder that no team’s safe of a quick and devastating decline. After a miserable season for much of it, Anzhi Makhachkala’s late rally saved them in the final weeks of the season. Yet again they’ll be many people’s tips to be contesting the relegation spots this term alongside Ufa, Amkar Perm and the three promoted clubs in FC Orenburg (champions of FNL, promoted to the RPL for the first time in their history), Arsenal Tula (who return after one year away) and Tom Tomsk (who beat Kuban in May’s relegation playoffs).

Ones to watch:

Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar) - Last season's top scorer has a big season ahead of him to prove last year was no mere fluke. With a potential title push, Europa League football and engineering himself into a workable position in a pre-World Cup Russian national team, he'll have plenty of opportunities to impress.

Lacina Traore (CSKA Moscow) - The ranging figure returns to the league where he made his name after a disappointing spell in France. Last time in the RPL he dovetailed beautifully with Samuel Eto'o with Anzhi, an opportunity that won't be emulated this time around as he'll be thrust alone as the only notable striking option in the domestic champions' squad.

Alex Song (Rubin Kazan) - An undoubted talent who's played at the very highest level, but his commitment to the cause will be questioned from the first match. If he plays to his potential, Rubin have clinched themselves the base of a European contesting midfield, with bags of talent pouring forward from him in attack.

Euro 2016: A mountain too high for Slutsky

If there ever was a video to capture the mood of Russian football at the moment, the widely shared reaction of national team boss Leonid Slutsky last week fits the bill perfectly. At the beginning of the month I wrote a rather pessimistic preview of Sbornaya’s forthcoming Euro 2016 campaign, but little did I expect the uphill task that I had predicted to become ever more vertical with every minute played in France. Less than two weeks since the tournament kicked off, Russia are heading home, with 1 point to show for their efforts, or lack of after a humiliating 3-0 reverse by Wales.

The reasons for such a dramatic failure are countless, ranging from pure misfortune, right through to fault being left at the door of pretty much every stakeholder within the national game, including national team coach, players and RFU alike. With only two years to go until their hosting of the World Cup, Russia are left with only friendlies to prepare for the biggest sporting event the country’s ever seen, and they will have to do so with a new manager after Slutsky immediately withdrew any suggestion that he was to extend his stay in charge.

To start with, injuries were a clear factor in the team’s dismal displays. Pre his squad announcement at the end of May, Slutsky knew he was without their most talented midfielder in Alan Dzageov, arguably their best wide man in Denis Cheryshev alongside regular qualification starting left back Yuri Zhirkov. In preparation the situation worsened, with Dzagoev’s expected partner in midfield Igor Denisov withdrawing in the warm up friendlies through injury, while their predicted replacements in the starting line-up Denis Glushakov and Roman Shirokov failed to find total match fitness until the final match.

The final nail in the coffin came late on, with Oleg Shatov pulling out from the must win match against Wales. By this stage, his appearance probably wasn’t going to influence any suggestion of clinching three points, however it almost certainly confirmed Slutsky’s selection for the pivotal encounter, one that hadn’t impressed in their previous two group matches with England and Slovakia.

When it comes to Slutsky’s tactical nous, prior to the tournament you could point to positives or negatives. Positives being his excellent record with CSKA Moscow, an attacking team fresh off the back of clinching the Russian Premier League title, or you could instead look to his cautious, often timid approach in Europe, where CSKA despite their dominance domestically have looked a pale imitation of themselves in the Champions League, while the likes of rivals Zenit have proved more than capable on the same stage.

When it came to Euros duty, Slutsky reverted to the latter; failing to play to his team’s strengths, selecting players out of position, and clearly demonstrating he hadn’t planned his tactics through enough before his final squad selection. Each of the three games Slutsky started all three of his squad’s forwards, nonsensical tactically, as all three lacked width to fully utilise their potential, but at the very least nullifying any attacking changes from the bench.

Slutsky can initially point to critical injuries in centre midfield, and while their replacements didn’t live up to the billing fully, the attacking department was full of riches to be plundered. Slutsky had two ready-made wide men at his disposal, two players that would have played into the hands of first choice striker Artem Dzyuba, in the aforementioned Shatov and Aleksandr Samedov. The former was painfully utilised centrally instead, other than a short last 20 minute stint against Slovakia out wide (which led to Russia’s late goal), while the latter didn’t even make it on the field.

Much was made of the ageing backline duo of Vasili Berezutski and Sergei Ignashevich, but the pair looked solid against the strongest team in the group in England. Predictably however, when Russia started chasing the game against Slovakia and Wales, the defensive frailties were exposed. All five goals conceded in these games were avoidable, and while Igor Smolnikov may have impressed some outside viewers with his willing attacking play, he was the man caught out on more than one occasion.

In an attacking sense it’s hard to pick out which players were at fault, due to the questionable tactical decisions put in place. 20 year old attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, tipped as the breakthrough name in the Russian squad, was unusually pushed back into a holding role, a position he neither looked comfortable in, nor was expected to excel in. Further up the pitch there were some nice interplays between the attacking trio, however a miserable tally of 2 goals across two games (both via defensive routes) tells its own story.

The immediate outcry to the humbling by Wales, was to focus on the domestic game, which despite the hope brought by an influx of money over the last decade has broadly petered out. The debate ignited around Russia’s plans to further restrict the use of overseas nationals playing in the league, which in the 2014/15 season was 7, going down to 6 the following year, but some were even questioning whether this was low enough.

Going against the grain of the RFU, national team players Vasili Berezutski and Roman Shirokov were quick to deride the restrictions, the former stating "It's clear that the limit on foreign players doesn't work. Russian players need to move to Europe." The very fact that within a squad of 23, only one player played outside of the country underlines the willingness to move abroad. Even then days after the tournament it looks like that one player, being recently nationalised Roman Neustadter is set to join the RPL also with CSKA.

Further restrictions to overseas player registration is going to intensify the country’s top talent in fewer clubs. Already CSKA and Zenit feel this, contributing 13 of the 23 members to the squad, some of whom aren’t even regular first-teamers. The criticism of this way of hoarding talent, is that player’s relax on high wages, much higher than what they would get elsewhere in Europe and become lazy in their career development. Russia’s home based members, are only bettered by one nation illustrates their urgency to move forward, even the likes of Spain, Italy and Germany are seeing more of their players move abroad.

The only comparable example is England, where all 23 of their members still play domestically. While it’s easy to suggest players are unwilling to test themselves abroad, the lack of foreign player restrictions alongside being in arguably the best league in the world for talent is still leading to a competitive national team squad that could compete for titles.

Looking forward the RFU may concentrate on this as a priority to make the national team more competitive by 2018, given every man in the squad bar one will be 27 or over by the World Cup. The over reliance on the defensive duo stated before of Berezutski and Ignashevich continues to look the most severe cause for concern. Given neither has any worthy competition so far, you could well see a combined age of 73 trotting out at centre-back come the World Cup.

In the dugout is another question. With Slutsky handing over the reins, immense pressure not only on a footballing level but also on a nationalistic one will be expected of whoever comes in. Whether it be Stanislav Cherchesov, Yuri Semen, Kurban Berdyev or A.N. Other, the task at hand will be not for the feint hearted. As we gaze back at the youngest coach at the Euros' furious, stressed and crumpled demeanour, many will ask, why would you want to put yourself in his shoes?

Euro 2016: Slutsky's uphill task

Nearly a year ago to the day, Russia were humbled in their own backyard by Austria, leaving the Sbórnaya comfortably adrift of their rivals in the race for Euro 2016 qualification. Fast forward 12 months, considering where they were, potentially one of the darkest days in recent Russian football history, the fact I’m writing a tournament preview of this squad is something to be positive about, despite the months of general weariness that followed their qualification.

The positives to come from that Austrian defeat were quickly realised, the long overdue sacking of Fabio Capello, and the resulting appointment of current CSKA Moscow boss Leonard Slutsky were universally welcomed across Russia. Slutsky’s appointment was initially seen as a temporary fix on a job share basis, to re-stabilise the ship ahead of the Euros, and how (!) he accomplished it. 

When the national team returned to qualification in September they returned with vigor beating rivals for second spot Sweden 1-0 in Moscow before sweeping away Liechtenstein 7-0. Assurance of their qualification followed with hard fought but crucial victories over Moldova and Montenegro, Russia’s bleak situation had been turned on it's head within a matter of months.

The style of play hadn’t necessarily changed a hell of a lot, Russia were still sitting deep to compensate for an ageing backline, but with the ball they had more freedom to express themselves, in truth they looked happier to be part of the national team setup, something that hadn't been seen under Capello for a while. 

Instantly the change of management gave the side the boost the fan base craved. However, as we look back on it, a temporary boost is all that it probably was, as the same old problems inevitably rear their heads in run up to France.

The headaches that have climaxed over the last week of preparation resulting in two unfavourable friendly performances started with the initial squad selection. 

A notable caveat to this would be the miserable and lengthening casualty list which continues to plow the team. Defensive anchor Igor Denisov is the latest injury victim forced to watch from home, joining Denis Cheryshev, Alan Dzagoev, Oleg Kuzmin and Yuri Zhirkov in missing out on the squad, all of whom would’ve likely been on the plane to France, however the latter’s possible exclusion could’ve been more to do with his strained relationships with Slutsky than his general fitness.

The injury to Dzagoev, ahead of the squad announcement was seen as the team's killer blow, losing someone of such influence and ability would hurt any team. But the recent news concerning Denisov's withdrawal could possibly hit the side's fortunes even further, this time a player of less obvious technical ability, but losing someone with the grit and positioning that Denisov offers creates yet another cavernous hole within the Russian midfield.

Aside from the injuries, or extenuated from them, Russia's dearth in up and coming talent continues to be a cause for concern. Russia go into the Euros with the second oldest squad in the tournament, a squad averaging just below 30, while only one player is under 25 (CSKA's 20 year old midfielder Aleksandr Golovin). Now if a team was at its peak this would be understandable, however for a side in rebuild ahead of their home World Cup in two years time, many will rightly ask; where's the future going to come from?

It seems for now it may depend on numerous short term fixes. The last minute nationalisation of Brazilian keeper Guilherme and former Germany international Roman Neustadter has assured depth to the squad however it doesn't add any extra quality on the field as both will likely be down the pecking order next week. 

The decision to recruit from outside is even more surprising given the controversy of offering foreign players citizenship has caused before, without any positive implication to be felt in the run up to 2018.

Neustadter's inclusion initially seemed the sensible option to finally create some competition at centre back, amongst the settled but increasingly creaky CSKA Moscow pairing of Vasili Berezutski and Sergei Ignashevich. This opportunity looks now to have been lost, with the latter two commanding back-to-back starts in the last two warm up friendlies, Neustadter only used as a second half substitute. 

The defence then looks pretty settled, which Slutsky can point to as a positive, with the central duo's familiarity with keeper Igor Akinfeev behind them further underlining this. However up field, with injury and rotation coming into play, the attack looks less predictable.

Come Saturday, Russia will line up in either a 4231 or a 433 formation, the latter of which was fully utilised in the last week against Czech Republic and Serbia and looks the favourite to be rolled out again against England. 

The debate surrounding who those front three will be is turning into the most animated talking point ahead of kick off, after Slutsky rolled out the attacking trio of Kokorin-Dzyuba-Smolov from the start in both warm up tests. All three of course are more accustomed to the central striking role, and based on the last week's performances' they haven't fully embraced the current strategy of utlising them all from the start.

The shoe horning all of Russia's three strikers in the squad into the first 11, strikes some as a pursuit of fantasy football over tactical profligacy. Artem Dzyuba has had the best season of his career, notching impressive figures in Euro qualification and the Champions League, Krasnodar's Fedor Smolov was the Golden Boot winner domestically, while Aleksandr Kokorin, despite yet fulfilling his promise since his move to Zenit in February, is clearly the most likely Russian striker to turn a game with his ability. The selection headache for Slutsky of who to pick has simply been answered; select all three.

Of course selecting the best 11 players doesn't lead to the best team performance on the pitch, which one would assume would see either Dzyuba or Smolov take a place on the bench to be used as a second half substitute rather than shifted out to an unfamiliar left flank role. 

On the right side, Kokorin does have greater capability to fit the role, and with a more conventional left midfielder (most likely Oleg Shatov), Kokorin's defensive responsibility will likely be lessened.

In a usual world this would seem the logical switch, however with Denisov's last minute injury pull up and worries over Roman Shirokov lasting the whole 90 minutes, fielding all three forwards is far more than just a possibility. 

This asks further questions of Slutsky's decision to only take three strikers, while veteran Aleksandr Kerzhakov could've easily been selected as cover. Instead his ex-Zenit team mate Artur Yuspurov has become the beneficiary of Denisov's absence, jumping at the chance via a strange coincidence by which Yuspurov was staying in the same hotel as the national team on a personal holiday in Monaco last week. If anything was a mere matter of convenience, these circumstances suggest so.

Anyway I digress, and for as much as I question some of the squad selections or the team's tactics going into the tournament, the proof will inevitablely be in the pudding come Saturday's kick off. 

If England turn up and live up to their ability, Russia will struggle, while in matches against Slovakia and Wales the following week, you'd expect the fight for advancement to become more essential.

It's important to note that this will be the last month of competitive action the team will have until they host the World Cup in two years time (discounting the semi-competitive warm up that is the Confederations Cup next summer). 

Any experiment here, be it affording more time to young Golovin in the centre of midfield, easing Neustadter into the first team or trying out a new system to take forward into their preparations will prove invaluable down the line. All of this of course will play second fiddle to the pursuit of progression, as it should do, however with Slutsky's temporary spell in charge possibly coming to an end in July, you'd question if anyone has even half an eye on 2018 at this early stage.

As a Russian football fan, born and living in England, I'm wincing at thought of Kane, Vardy, Alli et al, coming up against the aged legs of Berezutski and Ignashevich. It has though been proven before that Slutsky has it in him to rile up a squad on the ropes as he did 12 months ago. I'll have that at the forefront of my mind as Saturday evening draws ever nearer.

Russia's three team UCL dream

It’s that time of the year again; where Russian football fans are forgiven for concerning themselves more with the number crunching off the field rather than the return of their domestic league after the winter break. The RPL may only have returned a few days ago, but attention turns, all be it briefly to the real missed opportunity for Russian sides over the last few years, in the form of European football progression.

I spoke optimistically of Russia’s chances to overcome France in the UEFA coefficients last year going into the knockout phases. In the end it was a long shot, and having to rely on a number of your rivals slipping up, yet alone the erratic nature of Russian clubs fortunes in a post-winter European run in, the opportunity inevitably passed by. As we stand Russia are awarded 5 teams to qualify for European competition, including only 1 direct progression into the Champions League and one playoff birth. The ongoing ambition is to move up the confederation's rankings and secure a well-converted second group stage birth, leading to potentially three UCL qualified Russian teams.

The reason why I’m invigorated to write this once more, on the eve of potentially Russia’s last showing in Europe this season, is that despite saying it year on year it’s a much more realistic goal this year this time around, we’re edging closer for sure. This time around it’s Portugal that’s directly in the firing line, yet France in the end could also be usurped, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Overcoming either of these nations would mean the RPL gaining another direct Group Stage ticket into the Champions League, granting the league not only a greater footing in Europe, but also widen the market to those such as the growing Krasnodar who have narrowly missed out on league qualification for the top European competition most recently.

As it stands Portugal are holding a small lead (0.8 of a UEFA coefficient point) over Russia with two teams to play, France are a further point ahead but like Russia only have one team left in the competition. In simple terms, a victory alongside progression to the next round of the tournament should garner just under a point, thus a positive result this week should put Russia in the driving seat to move up. Once again RPL’s sole lightning rod Zenit are left to blaze the trail for others to succeed. It was similar last season, as they progressed to the quarters to ultimately fall to champions Sevilla in the Europa League, this time however Zenit bucked up their form from the start and are quite handily placed this time in the UCL.

Blistering through their group Zenit illustrated what quality Russian football on their day can have against the rest of Europe. This wasn’t fixed to the Champions League, as Krasnodar and Lokomotiv Moscow overcame European heavyweights such as Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP respectively (the latter could prove the most influential on both sides of the coin come the end of the season) in the UEL. However, it’s been the start of the knockout phases that has once again seen RPL clubs run into difficulty.

By the time the RPL returned last weekend from winter hibernation, three months had passed without competitive football, not ideal for the likes of Krasnodar and Loko who’s Round of 32 double headers against Sparta Prague and Fenerbahce were scheduled in before their domestic return. Subsequently, despite looking favourites on paper, both sides crumbled rather spectacularly. Zenit, fortunate in the fact that UCL legs are separated by four weeks at least go into their second leg on Wednesday with at least one league match in their legs.

They go into the match with the stakes raised that much further, given they’re the final RPL team left in Europe, but most pertinently the nationality of their opposition. Portuguese giants Benfica are one of the two Portuguese sides left in Europe, which their domestic league knows all too well, a safe navigation through to the UCL quarters will guarantee them their current allocation going into another season. If not and Zenit do squeeze through, the balls are back in the air and their immediate future could lie in the hands of their other hope SC Braga, who despite being drawn in a moderately favourable Round of 16 UEL tie with Fenerbache, have arguably gone further than many had thought possible of them this season.

If we allow ourselves to look even higher, France’s sole representative left in Europe is the resource-plenty PSG, who’ve been isolated by the likes of Saint-Etienne and Marseille after they succumbed to the same UEL knockout fate as their Russian counterparts earlier this month. PSG have the greater personnel that’s for sure, but the stronger challenge, in English champions Chelsea who are regaining some of their title winning form at the best possible time. They do however hold a narrow lead, but it’s far from a certainty of how this’ll play out.

As I stray to consider the implications of rivals’ results, I remind myself that the top priority remains Zenit’s own result. All these musings pale into insignificance if Zenit fail to overturn a 0-1 deficit from the first leg in Portugal. From the first tie, Zenit looked competent but little more, Benfica much of the same, but crucially they found the killer late breakthrough and avoided conceding the dreaded away goal. Saturday’s goalless draw in Krasnodar, wouldn’t have been what either side needed in terms of their domestic campaign, but the extra match experience to shake off the rust can give Zenit at least some greater confidence that they can avoid the winter-break return hoodoo. It might not often happen, but the whole of Russian football will be, (at least they should be) cheering on Zenit on Wednesday which has more up for grabs than can initially be seen.

Season Preview (Russia 15/16)

League Name: Russian Premier League (RPL)
Start Date: 17^th July
Honours (14/15): Zenit St. Petersburg (League champions), Lokomotiv Moscow (Russian Cup winners)
Teams qualified for European football (15/16): Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow (both UCL), Krasnodar, Rubin Kazan, Lokomotiv Moscow (all UEL)

Russian football’s continual flux doesn’t show any signs of abating as national team and off the field consequences leave many Russian Premier League clubs uneasy as we start the domestic season this coming Friday. With a range of talking points from preparation of Russia’s home World Cup in 2018, the national team’s ineptitude in Euro 2016 qualifying through to Russia’s economic downturn and tougher foreign player restrictions, it will once again be a season full of drama, if not all for the right reasons.

It’s been a tumultuous summer for the country’s footballing landscape, starting with the FIFA arrests back in May, which led to fresh calls for Russia’s hosting of the World Cup in 2018 to be rescinded due to voting irregularities. While similar allegations have been fired the way of Qatar’s hosting four years later in 2022, the likelihood of Russia being put through the same amount of scrutiny is slim to none given the short notice, with qualification set to kick off next Autumn. While it looks like Russia have got off scot-free from a full investigation into the controversial vote, pressure will continually be ramped up over the next 3 years, focus that will also take particular notice of the Russian domestic season.

Back on the pitch, the Russian national side, who’s well publicised prime ambition of preparing for 2018 have continually struggled to well position themselves in qualification for the 2016 Euros. Despite a relatively favourable group, and an even more favourable progression criteria, Fabio Capello’s men are looking all but out of automatic contention already eventually costing the highly paid Italian his job in the hot seat, much to the pleasure of the Russian fan base. His wage has been a touchy subject in the media ever since his appointment 3 years ago, and it continues to this day after disclosure of his obscene severance package negotiated by the RFU.

The RFU themselves aren’t the only ones to have made big decisions over the summer in hope of a better national team picture. In the last week the Russian Sports Ministry, put forward a new scheme to reduce the number of foreign players playing in the domestic league in hope that it would boost the fortunes of the national side. A limit on playing overseas internationals has now been approved to be lowered from 7 to 6, which despite the almost unanimous backing from within the RFU has come under serious fire from plenty of the big clubs in Russia. RPL winning coach Andres Villas-Boas was quick to condemn the new ruling, claiming that the opposite will be felt from the desired plan to improve young Russian talent.

Current champions Zenit St. Petersburg are clearly the side most affected by the changes, however it’s not the only pressure being felt on Russia’s top sides. The downturn in the economy has forced Zenit amongst others to renegotiate ever more inflated salaries for its overseas stars such as last season’s top performer Brazilian striker Hulk. The economic pressures are clearly being felt across the league, with only one side (Spartak Moscow) spending more than £1 million on a single player in the current transfer window, while most have had to deal with free transfers and loan moves.

Zenit have been unusually quiet. In stark contrast to the last few summer transfer windows, they have only been able to bring through domestic players on free transfers but the real priority (for now at least) has been trying to hang on to the foreign stars they have for the rest of the window. Rumours have been circling that Belgian duo Axel Witsel and Nicholas Lombaerts are heading towards the exit door, while the form of Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon hasn’t gone by unnoticed by the rest of Europe.

If they were to exit, the squad looks thin on the ground, given out of favour legends Andrey Arshavin and Aleksandr Kerzhakov have left the club over the summer. The only bit of good news comes in the form of striker Artem Dzuyba, who arguably heads the way in an uneventful transfer period for the whole of the RPL. Initially expected to play second fiddle to Rondon, the physical striker has shown in fits and starts over the last couple of seasons that he’s well versed at providing the goods domestically. Europe again however, will be Zenit’s true test though. Given AvB’s squad's comfortable title victory last term, the Gazprom hierarchy in St. Petersburg will be expecting a much better showing in the upcoming UCL campaign, which Zenit will be seeded from the start of the group stages.

No such luck for CSKA Moscow, who despite clinching a preliminary UCL spot will feel quite deflated after a mediocre season last time around. A dismal early exit from the UCL was further compounded by a crawl of a season which was only saved in the latter months. Much more will be hoped for of Moscow despite another transfer window of inaction. The rumours may be circling that former goalscoring chief Seydou Doumbia could be returning to Moscow after his exit 6 months ago, however it’s in defence where the true test is surely to come given the increasing age of CSKA’s defensive pairing of Sergey Ignashevich, who turned 36 this week and Vasli Berezutski.

Long term coach Lenard Slutsky has been praised in many quarters for steadying the ship into the Champions League for another successive season, but they may find it difficult to make it through to the group stages this term, with the draw proving likely to pit them against some tough European opponents in two rounds of play off action. In all likelihood, Slutsky could have more on his plate come the start of their European campaign after strongly being linked with the national team job vacated by Capello, either to stay on with CSKA on a job share basis or to cut short his time with the Army men.

As far as other title contenders go, it’s hard to look past Zenit and CSKA. Moscow rivals’ Dinamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow generally threaten in pre-season before letting down many fans during the resulting campaigns. This year however, they couldn’t be further apart in their preparation. Big spending Dinamo have seen their financial dealings catch up with them, as they were excluded from this year’s Europa League under Financial Fair Play irregularities and have subsequently curbed their spending. Spartak on the other hand have been the only side to really make a financial dent in the transfer market bringing in Cape Verde international striker Ze Luis and attacking midfielder Ivelin Popov from Kuban for upwards of £4million a piece.

The main change however is seen in the dugout as Dmitri Alenichev took over as boss despite not being able to save his Arsenal Tula side from relegation last term. The former Spartak player who won the domestic title four times in the 90’s with the Red & Whites will be hoped to at least bring back European football to Spartak who underachieved drastically last term despite moving into their glitzy 45,000 capacity Otkrytiye Arena which in truth has rarely been anywhere near full. Armenian striker Yura Movsisyan remains at the club for now and will be supported in attack by the returning Roman Shirokov, a man who on his day could and maybe should catapult Spartak into top 3 contention.

Outside the usual suspects Krasnodar have shown in the last two years that they have all the capabilities to move Russia forward in the coming decade. They like others however have benefited heavily from a large foreign influence, especially through Brazilians; Ari, Wanderson & Joaozinho. Home recruits of the erratic Fedor Smolov and the versatile Dmitri Torbinski do on paper improve the squad in line with the new player restrictions, however they alongside CSKA will be resisting the RFU's glances towards their coach, as Oleg Kononov’s rising stock is being touted as an outside tip for the national job.

The RPL’s European contingent is completed by Lokomotiv Moscow (via their Cup victory) and Rubin Kazan (via Dinamo’s expulsion). Neither have improved their squad in the summer greatly to this point, Loko in particular are looking severely lightweight in attack after Roman Pavlyuchenko went the way of Dame N’Doye who exited earlier in the year, as he left the club on a free transfer. Increased pressure will be on the likes of Oumar Niasse, who scored in last week’s Super Cup loss to Zenit and Serb Petar Skuletic to supplement in the goalscoring department. A return to European football for Rubin, who usually punch above their weight in the competition may see a marked improvement in performances as they start to grow in a glamourous new stadium of their very own.

Waiting in the wings, Rostov, who only avoided relegation via the playoff system have it in them to return to greater form as Kurban Berdyev is kept on in the dugout. The signing of Cesar Navas from Rubin will give extra steel at the back, while loan signings further up the pitch in the shape of Zenit’s Pavel Mogilevets and coach favourite Sardar Azmoun provides a little more interest in a side that should finish way higher than their relegation tussling form of last term. Another side to watch for from the outside is Kuban Krasnodar after making a couple of high profile signings of their very own. The temperamental but at times majestic Andrey Arshavin has signed on a one year deal, while he’ll team up in the Kuban attack with highly rated CSKA starlet Konstantin Bazelyuk who joins on loan.

A final piece of bright news comes in the shape of promoted Anzhi Makhachkala who return to the RPL after one season away following relegation in 2014. Gone are the heady days of title contention and ludicrous spending, with expectations considerably levelled since the sudden riches to rags story of two seasons ago. The returning squad looks a more than adequate one on paper that should compete in the top half; returning from loan international full back Andrey Eshchenko is a class act, while the cut price big name signings of Hugo Almeida and Lukman Haruna also suggest it could be a promising year for the Dagestan based club.

Ones to Watch:

Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg) – After playing out his contract last season, Danny returns to Zenit after not quite achieving the offers he once desired away from the Petrovski. In previous season’s he’d have had to come back grovelling, but given Zenit’s precarious positioning in terms of potential outgoings, the champions could once again rely on his dependable creativity.

Ivelin Popov (Spartak Moscow) – Often tempted by big names from Western Europe, Spartak have put their faith in a less recognisable name with a greater wealth of domestic experience to move them back into RPL contention. Popov has inspired Kuban’s attacking line over the last couple of seasons, can he now replicate this with Moscow?

Andrey Arshavin (Kuban Krasnodar) – Once a Zenit legend, his reputation was tarnished by a lack of effort in his second spell with the club which ended in the summer. With a potential last hurrah with Kuban to come, it’s to be seen whether he takes up the mantle to illustrate the qualities he truly has for a last time back in Russia. 

European football; Russia's ongoing pursuit

It’s been just over two months since UEFA's continental competitions went into winter hibernation, as we now remerge in the knockout stages with plenty to be won and lost both on and off the field. Russia’s continual disappointment in UEFA’s primary competition, the Champions League (UCL) remains a stumbling block to future escalation of the domestic game. However with a reasonable set of draws ahead of them, progression through UEFA’s B tournament, the Europa League (UEL) could eventually prove more fruitful for the Russian Premier League in the long term in their quest for a third UCL qualifying spot.

The tale of the European season so far has been a predictable one from a Russian football follower’s point of view. The RPL once again set forth their two most credible candidates for European glory, reigning champions CSKA Moscow and the super-rich Zenit St. Petersburg. As was the case last term CSKA crashed out in an arguably stronger “group of death” only showing some fruitless resilience which in the end couldn’t save them from bottom place. Zenit’s campaign mirrored their previous encounters, being placed in a pretty low key group with a bunch of similarly matched teams. Unlike last term where they scraped through without ever impressing, they got what they deserved and narrowly dropped out into the UEL thanks to a consolation third placed finish.

While Zenit choked under the pressure in a final “shoot-out” match against eventual progress’s Monaco, they at least looked to control some of their encounters. CSKA on the other hand, continually looked a pale relation to their St. Petersburg counterparts despite having the upper hand over them in the league standings the season previous. Ultra defensive tactics, aiming to snatch teams on the break were easily read and combated against routinely until CSKA were forced into a change of ethos mid-way through the campaign to delay their impending group exit. While it was only a mere spark that proved too little too late, it encourages slight hope going forward that they’ve finally awoken from their European slumber.

Europa League wise; Russia’s smaller sides have often progressed well in the group stage. Usual lightning rod Rubin Kazan failed to qualify for the first time in years so it was up to some relatively new names to take on the baton. Despite some nice performances here and there Krasnodar crashed out in an incredibly tough group but will have gained crucial experience for future European pursuits. Their efforts were even greater given the disappoint felt by fellow Russians; Rostov and Spartak Moscow who dropped out in the preliminary rounds. Rostov could’ve be forgiven, going into their debut season after surprisingly claiming the Russian Cup title last term, however it was yet another worryingly early exit for Spartak.

So, is all hope lost? Not necessarily, given the outstanding display from Dinamo Moscow. Russia always seem to produce at least one side that can run away with things in the group stage; given previous successes from Rubin and Anzhi, Dinamo took it upon themselves to resurrect Russia’s European season. Six wins from six proved dominant, including three back to back 1-0 away victories, one being over European regulars PSV Eindhoven. The true test awaits them in the knockout stages which will ask how far their inclusion can go as they are joined by Zenit in the round of 32.

Firstly it’s to be said they’ve both drawn tough but relatively favourable ties, after both were seeded in the draw, meaning that they will both have the second leg of the tie back in Russia. Zenit will travel to an already Dinamo-conquoured PSV, while Dinamo visit Belgian champions Anderlecht. Both opposition are worthy European campaigners who on their day are possible of decent performances, however recent form should suggest that the RPL outfits have it in them to come out on top.

Europa League progression of course isn’t the glamour ticket for any Russian side, spearheaded by owners attempting to make a dent in Champions League. But the further Zenit and Dinamo progress in this year’s competition, the further the RPL can possibly expand its presence in UEFA’s premier competition.

This season was billed as the year that could see the breakthrough of Russian football on the modern stage. Currently lying in 7th place in the UEFA league coefficients, the RPL had their sights set on dethroning France’s Ligue 1 ahead of them, currently in possession of the well coveted 3rd Champions League qualifying spot. A better performance across the two tournaments would’ve almost assured the RPL of that 6th place, but as you can expect it is now looking more and more unlikely as the match days pass.

It’s still doable, but of course relies on France’s remaining representatives in the UCL (PSG & Monaco) and the UEL (Guingamp) slipping up given their tough draws in the knockout phases. An early exit coupled with a finals run for one, or a solid few round progressions for both RPL representatives could swing the balance, but I speak as an optimist and am already readying myself for disappointment again.

The fact that we are even considering the RPL at a higher level than France’s Ligue 1 would seem preposterous to regular Euopean football followers. However, the case is despite Russia’s seemingly miserable few years in European football, they somehow keep racking up the coefficient points. The prospects on the face of it could turn more favourable since Zenit are now coached by a famously pro-UEL coach in Andreas Villas Boas who has won the title with Porto and gone against the media and national perception to take Tottenham Hotspur far in the competition. Alongside them, a currently unbeaten Dinamo have a greater structure and deeper squad available to them than Rubin or Anzhi ever had, and could prove to be a dangerous dark horse if they progress to the latter stages.

The one factor that will always go against them, is the lack of competitive football of late. Russia is still on its winter break, with two weeks left to run until the domestic season gets going again. By this point, Russia’s participation in Europe may have ended with another season passing in a blink of an eye. While this year looks far from likely, next year will again bring forward new hope that they can clinch another UCL spot as the downturn of Portuguese football comes into view. As Gazprom continues to fuel the UCL cause, their beloved Zenit fall by the wayside. Progression in their subsequent UEL campaign could very well be more profitable than they had once thought.

Season Preview (Russia 14/15)

League Name: Russian Premier League (RPL)
Start Date: 1st August
Honours (13/14): CSKA Moscow (League champions), Rostov (Russian Cup winners)
Teams qualified for European football (14/15): CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg (both UCL), Lokomotiv Moscow, Dinamo Moscow, Krasnodar, Rostov (all UEL)

With much weightier matters in mind when it comes to Russia, the start of the Russian Premier League isn’t exactly the main focus of Western eyes at present. Aside from the political tensions in Ukraine, the Russia 2018 World Cup has also been in the news after suggestions of vote rigging and rising concerns of Russia’s ethics when hosting a multinational tournament have been put in the spotlight. By the beginning of August however, the RPL will kick off its 13th season, its fourth season in a traditional European format running from August through to May.

CSKA Moscow who put together a great final stage turnaround to win their second title in successive years in May will start as narrow favourites. For a second year in a row they haven’t dipped as of yet into the transfer market for a real upgrade to their starting line-up, as they will likely rely again on their experienced back line to make it three titles from three. A defensive set up that was horribly exposed at the World Cup, where the national side crashed out disappointingly in the group stage, leading some to question CSKA’s merits going into the new campaign.

In attack they continue to have a wealth of options; last season’s golden boot winner Seydou Doumbia was in sensational form despite struggling for fitness, while Doumbia’s return has increased the productivity of Ahmed Musa and Zoran Tosic on CSKA’s flanks. While the title is a clear ambition for Lenard Slutsky’s men, Champions League progression is a long term goal, to ensure they’re playing European football after the winter break is a major target of the Russian champions.

Similar targets are shared by big spenders Zenit St. Petersburg who have put further emphasis on the tournament after initial Financial Fair Play consequences have been placed on them during the off-season. This will be manager Andre Villas-Boas’ first full campaign in charge after cruelly missing out on the title due to a dismal defeat to Dinamo Moscow on the penultimate match day. He’s brought in further steal with World Cup finalist Ezequiel Garay coming in to reinforce the central defence, while the mixed World Cup form of Brazilian forward Hulk has at least ensured that Zenit should be able to keep hold of their prized asset for another season. The same can’t be said of their Belgian centre midfielder Axel Witsel who is gaining admirers by the day, but if they’re able to keep the group together, AVB will have the most emphatic squad in the league on paper.

If the title went elsewhere, which it hasn’t done since 2010, Lokomotiv Moscow, at least on last season’s performances may sneak a third Russian title. After leading for much of last year, Loko fell off in the final run in, succumbing to the likes of their Moscow rivals and Zenit but garnered much praise for their creativity and defensive stability which they’ll look to take into a Europa League campaign this season. In truth, despite the signings of Alan Kasaev (from Rubin) and Manuel Fernandes (from Besiktas), Loko will be happy to repeat last year’s achievements and will be satisfied with European qualification once more.

As would, two further Moscow rivals; Spartak and DInamo who have been far from their best over the last few years leading to change in both camps; as Murat Yakin (Spartak) and Stanislav Cherchesov (Dinamo) move into the managerial hot seat for the new season. Former Zenit captain Roman Shirokov has joined Spartak, while the final destination of Artyom Dzuyuba who impressed so much while on loan at Rostov is still unknown, with the Red’s still considering whether he could threaten Armenian top scorer Yura Movsisyan for a starting striker spot. Dinamo on the other hand have strengthened their defence, Alex Buttner comes in from Manchester United, while Bulgarian international Stanislav Manolev has joined from Kuban.

Of the outsiders, Krasnodar look to make further strides into the European spots after clinching Europa League football on the final day of last season. They continue to spend wisely in the transfer market, bringing in Dikan from Spartak, with Bystrov and Akhmedov following from Anzhi on free transfers. Rubin Kazan, who like Zenit have been hit by Financial Fair Play in the close season, will be without European football for the first time in four years but continue in their usual fashion of spending big bringing in the likes of Marko Livaja from Inter, Ruslan Rotan from Dynamo Kiev and Maksim Kanunnikov from Amkar, but are going to be without the impressive French centre midfielder Yann M’Vila who has made his way to Italy with Inter.

Amkar Perm and Rostov ruffled more than a few feathers last year but will have mitigating circumstances this time around. Amkar have lost their influential manager Cherchesov to Dinamo, while Rostov, who lifted the Russian Cup last term will be without the goals of Dzuyba after his return to Spartak. This time around Rostov have brought in the better, former Russian internationals; striker Bukharov from Zenit (after an unsuccessful spell at Anzhi) and midfielder Torbinski from Rubin have been lured by Europa League football and should settle the side down for a mid-table finish.

The rest of the division will be happy to stay put after a hard fought relegation battle last term threatens to repeat itself with four new interesting promoted clubs eyeing immediate safety. Torpedo Moscow make it five clubs from Russia’s capital in the RPL, returning to the top flight for the first time in 8 years with a derby against reigning champions CSKA on the opening day.

Ufa are tipped to struggle and will likely rely on the goals of Dmitri Golubov who scored 4 in their playoff win in May against Tom Tomsk to key them in the division. While of the two directly promoted sides; Mordovia bounce back immediately after relegation in 2013, while Arsenal are primed to surprise under former Russian international and Champions League winner Dmitri Alenichev, in their debut RPL campaign after three successive promotions.

Ones to Watch:

Roman Shirokov (Spartak Moscow) – A charismatic player on his day who fell out with previous Zenit regimes. Farmed out on loan to Krasnodar at the end of last term, but has now found a permanent home. Arguably the most talented player in Russia but missed out on the World Cup with a knee injury sustained at the end of the season.

Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow) – Has been out of form since a superb campaign for Russia in Euro 2012, and was only used as a squad player in last season’s title win. In the last year he has suffered inconsistent form due to injury and indiscipline but has the capabilities on his day to be one of the league’s best players.

Ezequiel Garay (Zenit St. Petersburg) – A World Cup star performer which saw him reach the final with Argentina after making the move to Zenit from Portuguese champions Benfica. Strong in the air but also competent on the ground, he will be a great aid in Zenit’s back four in both domestic and European football. Started his career at Real Madrid but failed to break through sufficiently.