1.
Russian Premier League
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The Russian Football Premier League, or Russian Premier League, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. The competition is administered by the Russian Football Premier League, there are 16 teams in the competition. The cup winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa League without play-offs, the last two teams are relegated to the Russian National Football League at the end of the season. The Russian Premier League was established in 2001 and succeeded the Top Division, the Top Division was run by the Professional Football League of Russia. Creation of the Premier League is considered to give the clubs a greater degree of independence, the league is currently called Rosgosstrakh Russian Football Championship for sponsorship reasons. CSKA Moscow is the current Russian Premier League champion, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, starting in 1992, each former Soviet republic organized an independent national championship. In Russia, the six Russian teams who had played in the Soviet Top League in 1991 were supplemented with 14 teams from lower divisions to form a 20-team Russian Top Division, the Top Division was further divided into two groups to reduce the total number of matches. The number of teams in the Top Division was gradually reduced to 18 in 1993 and 16 in 1994, since then, the Russian Top Division has consisted of 16 teams, except for a short-lived experiment with having two more teams in 1996 and 1997. Spartak Moscow was the dominant force in the Top Division, winning nine of the first ten titles, spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz was the only team which managed to break Spartaks dominance, winning the Top Division title in 1995. Lokomotiv Moscow have won the title twice, and CSKA Moscow six times, in 2007, Zenit St. Petersburg climbed to the top, winning the title for the first time in their history in Russian professional football, they had also won a Soviet title in 1984. 2008 brought the pinnacle of the rise of Rubin Kazan, an entirely new to the Russian top flight. Teams in the Russian Premier League play each other twice, once at home and once away, three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. If teams are level on points, the tie-breakers are the number of wins, then the goal difference, if the teams are tied for the first position, the tie-breakers are the number of wins, then head-to-head results. If the teams tied for the first place cannot be separated by these tie-breakers, as of 2010, the champions and the runners-up qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage. The third-placed team qualifies for the Champions League second qualifying round, the fourth- and fifth-place teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League. The bottom two teams are relegated to the First Division, unlike most other European football leagues, the league traditionally ran in summer, from March to November, to avoid playing games in the cold and snowy weather in winter. This was altered ahead of the 2012–13 season, with the planning to run the season from autumn to spring. The transitional season of the began in early 2011 and continued until summer of 2012
2.
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
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FC Lokomotiv Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv won the Russian Premier League in 2002 and 2004, the USSR Cup in 1936 and 1957, the club was the league runner-up in 1959,1995,1999,2000 and 2001, and finished third in 1994,1998,2005,2006 and 2014. Lokomotiv was the Russian Super Cup holder in 2003 and 2005, Lokomotiv was founded as Kazanka in 1923. In 1924, the club united the strongest football players of several roads of the Moscow railway junction as KOR, in 1931, the club was again renamed to Kazanka and in 1936, it was eventually renamed to as it is known today, Lokomotiv. During the Communist rule, Lokomotiv Moscow club was a part of the Lokomotiv Voluntary Sports Society and was owned by the Soviet Ministry of Transportation through the Russian Railways, Lokomotiv debuted in the first-ever Soviet football club championship with a game against Dynamo Leningrad on 22 May 1936. In the first two championships, Lokomotiv finished fifth and fourth respectively. The first Lokomotiv success arrived shortly as in 1936, the railwaymen rose up to the occasion to beat Dynamo Tbilisi 2–0 in the Soviet Cup Final, the following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and in a five-year span, in 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually won the promotion to the Soviet Top League. This kicked off the second Lokomotivs resurgence and until the beginning of the 1960s, in 1957, Lokomotiv won the cup for the second time, and two years later, Lokomotiv won the silver medals of the Soviet League. Second place was the highest position obtained by Lokomotiv during the Soviet era. Another important trademark for Lokomotiv was the authorization of playing matches against foreign opposition. Typically, up to the late 1950s, international contacts with Soviet teams were extremely rare. In the beginning of the 1990s, Lokomotiv was considered the weakest link amongst the top Moscow clubs and it lacked both results on the pitch and fans support in the stands. However, head coach Yuri Semin and president Valeri Filatov were able to lead the clubs progress, historically, Lokomotiv was not considered to be a big club in the same vein as Spartak, CSKA, Dynamo and Torpedo. With the former Soviet republics and their clubs gone, however, solid performances in domestic league and several memorable campaigns in European Cups made Lokomotiv a superclub by Russian scales and brought back fans and supporters back to the stands. In 2002, a new stadium—Lokomotiv Stadium—resembling a traditional, compact English one was built, the arena, at that time considered to be one of the most comfortable, if not the best, in Eastern Europe gave a huge boost to the clubs fan growth rate. Eventually, by 2009, the attendance at the stadium was the second highest in Moscow. In 2002, a match was needed to decide who will be the champion, as Lokomotiv Moscow
3.
Yuri Semin
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Yuri Pavlovich Semin is a Russian football coach who works as a manager for Russian Football Premier League side Lokomotiv Moscow. Semin was born on 11 May 1947 in Orenburg and his family moved to Oryol some time later. As a child he has showed interest in football, ice hockey, volleyball and his son Andrei Semin is also a player and a coach. At the age of 16, while attending school, Semin started his player career at Spartak Oryol. One year later he was invited to Spartak Moscow and he has scored two first Spartaks goals in a European competition. At the age of 20, Semin changed club again, this time to Dynamo Moscow, with this club, he won his only players trophy, the 1970 Soviet Cup. He calls the spell with Dynamo the most successful period of his player career, Semin left Dynamo due to disagreements with the coach after he was not fielded in a European match. After that he has changed several other clubs, Semin played for Kairat Almaty, Chkalovets Novosibirsk, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Kuban Krasnodar. He ended his career as a player at the age of 33, Semin started his coaching career in 1983, when he was called to save Pamir Dushanbe, a First League team, from relegation. Semin succeeded and was recognized as the coach of Tajik SSR for this achievement. In 1986 Semin went on to coach FC Lokomotiv Moscow, where he spent 19 years, during the period of his work Lokomotiv transformed from a mid-table club to one of the leaders of Russian football, winning the championship in 2002 and 2004. Semin also enjoyed cup success, winning Russian Cup five times, Russian Super Cup twice, in 2005 Semin left Lokomotiv for the Russia national team to help it reach the 2006 FIFA World Cup final tournament. He failed to achieve that and decided to leave the national team, in November 2005, Semin began coaching Dynamo Moscow, but was sacked in 2006. In 2007 he returned to FC Lokomotiv Moscow as club president, later in 2007 Semin took over the managerial position with FC Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine and guided the club to a championship in the 2008-09 season as well as a semi-final appearance in the UEFA Cup. On 26 May 2009 he quit FC Dynamo Kyiv and returned to FC Lokomotiv Moscow, under the terms of his contract, he should stay in the club until December 2011. He was fired as Lokomotiv manager on November 29,2010, on 24 December 2010, he signed a new contract with Dynamo Kyiv ending in 2012. On 29 May 2013 Semin was officially unveiled as manager of Gabala of the Azerbaijani Premier League, after leading Gabala to third in the Premier League and as runners up in the Cup, Semin left Gabala on 23 May 2014. Semin was announced as Anzhi Makhachkala manager on 18 June 2015, after gaining only 6 points in first 10 games of the 2015-16 season and with Anzhi in last place, Syomin left Anzhi on 29 September 2015
4.
PFC CSKA Moscow
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PFC Central Sport Club of the Army, Moscow is a Russian professional football club. It is based in Moscow, playing its matches at the 30. The club is the most known division of the CSKA Moscow sports club, founded in 1911, CSKA had its most successful period after World War II with five titles in six seasons. It won a total of 7 Soviet Top League championships, including the season in 1991. The club has also won 6 Russian Premier League titles, CSKA was the official team of the Soviet Army during the communist era. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union it has become privately owned, Russian businessman Roman Abramovichs Sibneft corporation was a leading sponsor of the club from 2004 to 2006. Officially, CSKA is a club and thus no longer a section of the Russian militarys CSKA sports club. The Russian Ministry of Defense is a PFC CSKA shareholder, however, the Moscow Army men won their 10th national title back in 2006 and they are one of the most successful clubs in Russian football, having an extensive legacy in Soviet football as well. In 2004, the received a major financial infusion from a sponsorship deal with Sibneft. The partnership with Sibneft lasted until 2006, when VTB became the sponsor of the club, CSKA started 2009 without a shirt sponsor. On 4 November 1992, CSKA qualified for the stage of the UEFA Champions League which contained only 8 teams after defeating Spanish champion FC Barcelona 4–3 on aggregate. On 16 March 2010, CSKA qualified for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Sevilla FC 3–2 on aggregate and they were later eliminated from competition by Internazionale, losing by 1–0 scorelines in both Milan and Moscow. On 7 December 2011, CSKA qualified for the phase of the UEFA Champions League after winning crucial 3 points by defeating Internazionale with scoreline 1–2 in Milan. On 6 December 2016, CSKA announced that manager Leonid Slutsky would leave the club after seven years at the club, following their last game of 2016,6 days later,12 December, Viktor Goncharenko was announced as the clubs new manager, signing a two-year contract. As of match played 6 December 2016 CSKA Moscow won their first, sergei Ignashevich lifted the 2005 UEFA Cup after CSKA ran out 3-1 winners over Sporting CP in Sportings own Estádio José Alvalade stadium. Goals from Aleksei Berezutski, Yuri Zhirkov and Vágner Love saw CSKA become the first Russian club to win a major European title, CSKA was nicknamed Horses because the first stadium was built on the old racecourse/hippodromo in Moscow. Its capacity is small for a club of its stature. This is one of the reasons the club uses other venues in the city
5.
Valery Gazzaev
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As a Soviet footballer he played the position of a striker enjoying successes with his team FC Dynamo Moscow as well as the USSR national football team in the Olympics. Gazzaev became a coach in 1989 and he was most successful when he was in charge in CSKA Moscow from 2004 to 2008. There Gazzaev won every possible Russian title three times each, as well as the 2005 UEFA Cup and he is considered one of the best football coaches to have emerged from the former Soviet Union because of these achievements. Gazzaev was born 7 August 1954 in Ordzhonikidze, USSR, now Vladikavkaz and he started his playing career as a forward for his native Spartak Ordzhonikidze in the Soviet First League. In 1974, he moved to SKA Rostov-on-Don, which got promoted from the Soviet First League to the Soviet Top League after a finish at the end of the season. However, Gazzaev was left behind in the first league in Spartak Ordzhonikidze, in the Soviet Top League, Gazzaev played in Lokomotiv Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, and Dinamo Tbilisi. Gazzaev is a Soviet Cup winner with Dynamo Moscow in 1984, during his career he scored 89 goals in 283 matches in Soviet Top League, and was the top goal scorer of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup 1984–85. He became the under-23 European champion with USSR in 1976 and under-21 European champion in 1980 and he also won the bronze medal with USSR at the Summer Olympics in Moscow. After finishing his career in 1986 Gazzaev coached the youth team of Dynamo Moscow before moving to work with professional clubs. His first major success as a manager was winning the Russian championship with Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz in 1995, more titles followed after Gazzaev moved to coach CSKA Moscow. With them he won the UEFA Cup 2004-05, as well as the Russian Premier League in 2003,2005 and 2006 and the Russian Cup in 2002,2005, and 2006, on 5 December 2008 left PFC CSKA Moscow. Gazzaevs CSKA Moscow team was the first side from the Russian Federation to win a European competition since the fall of the Soviet Union. On 26 May 2009, the former CSKA Moscow coach was named as the new coach of Dynamo Kyiv. After a spell as Dynamo Kyiv head coach he returned to Vladikavkaz and became president, in 2016, he was elected to the State Duma as a member of A Just Russia party. He is a cousin of Yuri Gazzaev and father of Vladimir Gazzayev and he is a member of Order of Friendship and Order of Honour
6.
FC Spartak Moscow
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FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and a record 9 Russian championships and they have also won a record 10 Soviet Cups and 3 Russian Cups. Spartak have also reached the semi-finals of all three European club competitions, historically, the club was a part of the Spartak sports society. Other teams in the society include ice hockey club HC Spartak Moscow, currently, the club is not connected with Spartak sports society and is an independent privately owned organization. In the early days of Soviet football, many government agencies such as the police, army, so many statesmen saw in the wins of their teams the superiority over the opponents patronizing other teams. Almost all the teams had such kind of patrons—Dinamo with the police, CSKA with the army and Spartak, the history of the football club and sports society Spartak originates from the Russian Gymnastics Society, which was founded on May 4,1883. In the spring of 1922 the RGO Sokol was renamed into MKS, in 1922, the Moscow Sport Circle, later named Krasnaya Presnya, was formed by Ivan Artemyev and involved Nikolai Starostin, especially in its football team. The team grew, building a stadium, supporting itself from ticket sales, the team changed sponsors repeatedly over the following years as it competed with Dinamo Moscow, whose 35,000 seat Dinamo Stadium lay close by. As a high-profile sportsman, Starostin came into contact with Alexander Kosarev, secretary of the Komsomol who already had a strong influence on sport. In November 1934, with funding from Promkooperatsiia, Kosarev employed Starostin, again the team changed its name, this time to Spartak Moscow. The club founders, four Starostin brothers, played a big role in the formation of the team, the Starostins played for the red-whites in the 1930s but right before World War II they were subjected to repression as the leaders of the most hated team by the state authorities. Elder brother Nikolai Starostin wrote in his books that he had survived in the State Prison System due to his participation in football, after the political rehabilitation, in 1954, he would later return to the team as the squads manager. In 1935, Starostin proposed the name Spartak that was derived from Spartacus, a gladiator-slave who led a rebellion against Rome, Starostin is also credited with the creation of the Spartak logo. The same year, the became a part of newly created Spartak sports society. Czechoslovak manager Antonin Fivebr is credited as the first head coach of Spartak, in 1936, the Soviet Top League was established, where its first championship was won by Dynamo Moscow while Spartak won its second, which was held in the same calendar year. Before World War II, Spartak earned two more titles, in 1937 Spartak won the football tournament of Workers Olympiad at Antwerp. During the 1950s, Spartak, together with Dynamo, dominated the Soviet Top League, when the Soviet national team won gold medals at the Melbourne Olympics, it consisted largely of Spartak players. Spartak captain Igor Netto was the captain of the team from 1954 to 1963
7.
Oleg Romantsev
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Oleg Ivanovich Romantsev is a Soviet/Russian former international footballer and coach. Romantsev was acclaimed for his success with Spartak Moscow, whom he led to a record eight domestic league titles and he is considered by some observers to be the finest coach in the history of Russian football. Oleg Romantsev was born on 4 January 1954 in the selo of Gavrilovsky, Ryazan Oblast, Romantsev joined a local youth team named Metallurg where he played as a striker and within two years was appointed the teams captain. His performances there earned him an invite to play for Avtomobilist, another Krasnoyarsk team and he stayed with Avtomobilist after the tournament where he helped them to third place in the USSR Youth Championship. In 1971, Romantsev was promoted to the team of Avtomobilist. He marked his debut for the team with a goal. Over time, Romantsev eventually underwent a change on the pitch and was converted to a left-back. After impressing Spartak representatives during the match, Romantsev was offered terms, Romantsev had not accepted the offer outright and dismissed Beskovs approach. But Beskov was also the manager of the Soviet Union national team at the time, during this period Beskov was successful in talking Romantsev around and he eventually returned to the Spartak first team. Romantsev would go on to play 180 matches for the club and he was appointed club captain in 1979, and held the position until injuries brought about the end of his playing career in 1983, at the age of just 29. In his time as a player with Spartak, Romantsev won the 1979 Soviet Top League, Romantsev made nine appearances for the Soviet Union national team. He also played six matches and scored one goal for the team at the 1980 Summer Olympics. A year after the end of his career, Spartak Moscows founder Nikolai Starostin offered Romantsev a coaching role at Krasnaya Presnya – a little-known Moscow club in the Soviet Second League. It was here that he first crossed paths with future Russia star Aleksandr Mostovoi, the two quickly forged a close relationship that was to continue long into their professional careers. In an interview with UEFAS Dmitri Rogovitski, Mostovoi said, He was an inexperienced coach back then. He became my father in football, it was thanks to him that I grew into a serious player, Romantsev would ultimately spend three years in charge of Presnya, before spending several months in charge of Spartak Ordzhonikidze in 1988. Later that year, Romantsev returned to the club where he made his name as a player, at the time, it was considered a surprise move. Mostovoi recalled of his arrival, His appointment was unexpected, I was abroad with the youth international team and when we returned home for training, Beskov was gone and Romantsev was there in his place
8.
FC Torpedo Moscow
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Football Club Torpedo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow that was founded in 1924 and currently plays in the Russian Professional Football League. AMO – founded and owned by Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo, ZIS – after owners name AMO was changed to Zavod Imeni Stalina. Torpedo Moscow – when they one of the founding members of the Soviet B League. Torpedo-Luzhniki – as they became property of the Luzhniki corporation, Torpedo Moscow Torpedo Moscow Football Club was formed in 1930 by the AMO automotive plant. They played in the Moscow League until 1936 when they one of the founder members of the Soviet B League. In 1938, they were promoted to the A League, Torpedo have won the National League Championship on three occasions, and have lifted the National Cup seven times. In 1957 Torpedo Moscow, as well as other Soviet sport clubs named Torpedo, nicknamed the Black-Whites, Torpedo has not been a major force in Russian football since the days of Eduard Streltsov, the brilliant striker of the 1950s and 1960s, known as the Russian Pelé. After selling Torpedo Moscow in 1996, ZIL created a new team, Torpedo-ZIL, however, ZIL sold the team to MMC Norilsk Nickel in 2003, where it was relaunched as FC Moscow. This new team, however, was dissolved after spending the 2010 season in Amateur Football League when its owner and main sponsor, MMC Norilsk Nickel. After selling Torpedo-ZIL in 2003, ZIL created another team, Torpedo-ZIL and this team, however, was also eventually disbanded in 2011 after its efforts to seek promotion to the First Division failed. Under SC Luzhniki ownership, Torpedo Moscow was relegated to the First Division in 2006, in early 2009, Luzhniki sold the team back to ZiL. In the 2012–13 season, Torpedo barely avoided relegation to the second division, at the end of the championship was again replaced head coach - instead Ignatiev came 42-year-old Vladimir Kazakov, in due time played in Torpedo. Were acquired several players with experience of playing at the highest level, however, in the first 6 matches, black-white were able earn only two points, Kazakov took the blame and resigned. On 5 September 2013, a team led by A. G. Borodyuk began to more competitive, ultimately placing third in the 2013–14 season. The team drew the previous years 14th-placed Premier League team, Krylia Sovetov Samara, in a game held on 18 May 2014 at the stadium in suburban Ramenskoye, which ended 2–0 for Torpedo. On 22 May, in the second leg at Metallurg Stadium in Samara, Torpedo played to a draw, thus prevailing on aggregate. The 2014–15 season began poorly for Torpedo in the top division, in the first matchday, at the end of the season, the team was relegated back to the Russian Football National League after finishing second-last, in 15th. Due to a lack of financing, however, Torpedo could only receive licensing for play in the third-tier Russian Professional Football League for 2015–16 season, the fans of Torpedo are twinned with the fans of Spartak Moscow
9.
Sergei Petrenko (footballer)
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Sergei Anatolyevich Petrenko is a Russian professional football coach and a former player. As a player, he made his debut in the Soviet Top League in 1972 for FC Torpedo Moscow, student of the Higher Technical School. Trainer and lecturer at the Moscow State Institute of Physical Regional, family, His wife - Elena, Children - Anton and Andrew, Parents - Anatoly Vasilyevich and Tamara Ignatyevna. In the big leagues Soviet Top League played for FC Torpedo Moscow, has 276 matches, champion of the USSR in 1976 Bronze medalist USSR Championship in 1977. Finalist USSR Cup 1977 and 1982, champion European Youth Championship 1976 as well. Awarded the prize best newcomer in 1975, in European competition had 13 games,1 goal. Coach, FSM SK Luzhniki In 1986-1987 worked as a trainer of the Office of the Sports Committee of the USSR football, Coach UK SHVSM Stars Head coach of UK SHVSM Stars Coach FC Torpedo Moscow Head coach FC Torpedo Moscow. Head coach of FC Torpedo Moscow, Head coach of FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow Head coach of FK Daugava Daugavpils). Head coach of FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod), the highest achievement as head coach of the Russian Premier League club, 4th place. Профиль на КЛИСФ Профиль на zatorpedo. narod. ru
10.
FC Krylia Sovetov Samara
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Krylia Sovetov is a football club from Russia based in Samara. In 2004 they finished third in the Russian Premier League, the name Krylia Sovetov means Wings of the Soviets. FC Krylia Sovetov Samara was founded in 1942, Krylia Sovetov first played in a match for the Cup of the USSR. The match was held on 30 July 1944, in the last 16 round, Krylia Sovetov lost to Lokomotiv Moscow 1–5. Their first game in the Championship of the USSR took place on 4 June 1945 at Kuybyshev stadium Lokomotiv against Torpedo from Gorky, the game ended in a draw 1–1. On 21 April 1946 in Alma-Ata the team played its first match in the highest division in the USSR, Krylia Sovetov participated in 48 championships of the USSR and 13 Russian Championships, as well as 43 USSR Cups and 13 Russian Cups. During the second round of the season of 1953 the team bore the name of Zenit, on 6 July 2002 Krylia Sovetov first played in a European competition, in the second round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup. They won this game with Dinaburg played in Metallurg Stadium, by a score of 3–0, the goals were scored by Andrei Karyaka, Robertas Poškus and Rogério Gaúcho. In 2005 the team played in UEFA Cup 2005–06 and defeated BATE Borisov in the 2nd qualifying round, in 2009 they were eliminated in the Europa League 3rd qualifying round by St Patricks Athletic. The club was reported to be close to due to shortage of financing. It later asked to postpone the licensing again to 19 February, on 17 February it was decided to postpone the licensing until 19 February after all. Krylia Sovetov finally received their license on 19 February after agreeing on new contracts with companies to sponsor them. As the first matchday arrived, Krylia Sovetov were still banned from registering new players because of outstanding on old contracts. They could only register 11 players over 21 years old and several players from the youth team that were registered for them in 2009. The transfer deadline had to be extended from 11 March to 8 April to accommodate Krylia Sovetov in hope they will pay their outstanding debts shortly, petersburg with a heavily diluted roster, so even the loss with the score 0–1 was saluted by the Krylias fans. The transfer ban was confirmed again on 16 March, and was to remain in place until Krylia paid back their debts to their former players Jan Koller, Krylia lost the second game with the diluted roster 0–3 to Lokomotiv Moscow. The ban was lifted on 26 March. Soviet Cup / Russian Cup, Runners-up,1953,1964,2004 Soviet First League / Russian National Football League,61945,1956,1961,1975,1978, clubs official website lists the main squad players and reserves on the same page without distinguishment
11.
Aleksandr Tarkhanov
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Aleksandr Fyodorovich Tarkhanov is a Russian football coach and a former Soviet player. He is the manager of FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast and his son Yuri Tarkhanov is a professional football coach and a former player. Tarkhanov made his debut for USSR on 28 November 1976 in a friendly against Argentina and he played in a 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifier, but was not selected for the final tournament squad. He also played in one qualifier for UEFA Euro 1984
12.
FC Shinnik Yaroslavl
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FC Shinnik Yaroslavl is a Russian football club, based in Yaroslavl. From 1957 to 1960 the team was called Khimik, as of 24 February 2017, according to the official FNL site. Note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Had international caps for their respective countries, players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Shinnik
13.
FC Saturn Ramenskoye
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FC Saturn Ramenskoye is a Russian football club, based in the Moscow suburb of Ramenskoye. It is also known as FC Saturn Moscow Region, the club was founded in 1946. Although the club is based in Ramenskoye, the club represents all Moscow Oblast, due to huge debts it was dissolved in January 2011, but was recreated on the base of their former farm club FC Saturn-2 Moscow Region. It returned to the level in Russian Professional Football League in the 2013-14 season. Before the 2015–16 season, the club didnt receive the professional license and it returned to the third-tier once again for the 2016–17 season. Their nickname “Aliens” comes from the name Saturn and it was previously called Krylya Sovetov, Trud and Saturn-REN TV. In 2006 the club beat the record of matches played in the Russian Premier League during one season -16 times. Saturns reserve squad played professionally as FC Saturn-2 Ramenskoye in the Russian Second Division in 1999 and 2000, a separate farm club called FC Saturn-2 Moscow Oblast played in the Russian Second Division from 2009 to 2012. As of 24 February 2017, according to the PFL website, note, Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality, the football club Saturn Ramenskoye supporters movement was born in the second part of the 1980s when the team started playing on the professional level. The organised group of fans at that time consisted of not more than 20 people, however the first trips to Tula, Kaluga, Pskov, the new age for FCSR supportive movement is connected with the year 1995. Then the famous supporter Andrey Egorishev had begun to unite fans of Saturn and it is believed that the team played in black and blue colors because of him. In 1996 Saturn had played in red and white colors, fans who disliked these colors had many discussions – and finally chose black and blue colors. Some time after that the team changed colors too, the first union of FCSR fans – Dorf Menschen – was organised in January 1996. At that moment it consisted from about 15 people, but its size has been increasing, many groups of fans were formed. Because a large number of these groups became uncontrollable, it was decided to unite them around a Dorf Menschen, the South-East Confederation was formed in this way. It was able to gather about one thousand supporters at the home game, at the moment the main FCSR band is BBS firm whose name means Black Blue Supporters. After beginning to play in the highest Russian league, the structure of the FCSR supportive movement has changed a lot
14.
FC Dynamo Moscow
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FC Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Khimki, Moscow Oblast, currently playing in the Russian Football National League. Despite this, it has never won the modern Russian Premier League title, during the Soviet era, it was affiliated with the MVD and with the KGB and was a part of Dynamo sports society. Chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus NKVD, Lavrentiy Beria, was a patron of the club until his downfall, from 10 April 2009 the VTB Bank has been the owner of Dynamo after acquiring a 74% share in the club. Boris Rotenberg Sr. was chairman until he resigned on 17 July 2015, on 29 December 2016, Dynamo Sports Society agreed to buy VTB Bank shares back for 1 ruble. Dynamos traditional colours are blue and white and their crest consists of a blue letter D, written in a traditional cursive style on a white background, with Moscow written below it, partially covering a football underneath. The clubs motto is Power in Motion, initially proposed by Maxim Gorky, the famous Russian author, Dynamo Moscow has its roots in the club Morozovtsi Orekhovo-Zuevo Moskva founded as a factory team in 1887. The team was renamed OKS Moskva in 1906 and won a series of Moscow league championships from 1910 to 1914. After the Russian Revolution, the club found itself under the authority of the Interior Ministry and its head Felix Dzerzhinsky, chief of the Cheka. The club was renamed Dynamo Moscow in 1923 but was referred to disparagingly as garbage. Dynamo won the first two Soviet Championships in 1936 and 1937, a Soviet Cup in 1937, and another pair of titles in 1940 and 1945. They were also the first Soviet club to tour the West when it played a series of friendlies in the United Kingdom in 1945, complete unknowns to the British, the Soviet players first drew 3–3 against Chelsea and then defeated Cardiff City 1–10. They defeated an Arsenal side reinforced with Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen and they drew 2–2 against Scottish side Rangers. They continued to be a side at home after World War II. Dynamo captured another five championships between 1949 and 1959, as well as their second Soviet Cup in 1953, honours were harder to come by after that time. The club continued to some success in the Soviet Cup. Even so, Dynamos 11 national titles make it the countrys third-most decorated side behind Dynamo Kyiv, Dynamos greatest achievement in Europe was in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners Cup, where they reached the Final at Camp Nou in Barcelona, losing 3–2 to Rangers. This was the first time a Russian side had reached a final in a European competition, at the end of the 2008 season, Dynamo finished third, qualifying for the 2009–10 Champions League preliminary round. On 29 July 2009, Dynamo recorded a 0–1 away win against Celtic at Celtic Park, which gave them a strong advantage going into the second leg
15.
Viktor Prokopenko
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Viktor Prokopenko was a football player and coach who played in GDR and Ukrainian SSR and later worked as a coach in Russia and Ukraine. He was born in Zhdanov, Soviet Union, which is now known as Mariupol and is part of Ukraine, in 1975 he graduated from the Odessa State Pedagogical Institute of Ushynsky and later the Moscow Higher School of Coaches. Prokopenko was the first ever manager of the Ukraine national football team, Prokopenko also authored Flexibility, Strength, Endurance, a popular book on stretching. Prokopenko was elected into the Ukrainian parliament in the 2006 Ukrainian parliamentary election for Party of Regions, Prokopenko died in Odessa after a heart attack. Viktor Prokopenko at the Official Ukraine today
16.
Ukraine
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Ukraine is currently in territorial dispute with Russia over the Crimean Peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014 but which Ukraine and most of the international community recognise as Ukrainian. Including Crimea, Ukraine has an area of 603,628 km2, making it the largest country entirely within Europe and it has a population of about 42.5 million, making it the 32nd most populous country in the world. The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC, during the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture, with the powerful state of Kievan Rus forming the basis of Ukrainian identity. Following its fragmentation in the 13th century, the territory was contested, ruled and divided by a variety of powers, including Lithuania, Poland, the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. A Cossack republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries, two brief periods of independence occurred during the 20th century, once near the end of World War I and another during World War II. Before its independence, Ukraine was typically referred to in English as The Ukraine, following independence, Ukraine declared itself a neutral state. Nonetheless it formed a limited partnership with the Russian Federation and other CIS countries. In the 2000s, the government began leaning towards NATO, and it was later agreed that the question of joining NATO should be answered by a national referendum at some point in the future. Former President Viktor Yanukovych considered the current level of co-operation between Ukraine and NATO sufficient, and was against Ukraine joining NATO and these events formed the background for the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014, and the War in Donbass in April 2014. On 1 January 2016, Ukraine applied the economic part of the Deep, Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands and is one of the worlds largest grain exporters. The diversified economy of Ukraine includes a heavy industry sector, particularly in aerospace. Ukraine is a republic under a semi-presidential system with separate powers, legislative, executive. Its capital and largest city is Kiev, taking into account reserves and paramilitary personnel, Ukraine maintains the second-largest military in Europe after that of Russia. Ukrainian is the language and its alphabet is Cyrillic. The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy, which has strongly influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature, there are different hypotheses as to the etymology of the name Ukraine. According to the older and most widespread hypothesis, it means borderland, while more recently some studies claim a different meaning, homeland or region. The Ukraine now implies disregard for the sovereignty, according to U. S. ambassador William Taylor. Neanderthal settlement in Ukraine is seen in the Molodova archaeological sites include a mammoth bone dwelling
17.
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
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Football Club Zenit, also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg, is a Russian football club from the city of Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925, the plays in the Russian Premier League. Zenit were the 2007,2010, 2011–12 and 2014–15 champions of the Russian Premier League, Zenits history is tightly connected with the political history of Saint Petersburg, Russia. The players of local teams were amateurs and loosely associated with each other. At the same time, several football clubs were founded in Saint Petersburg. Players membership was unofficial and very loose, however, sometimes allowing the players to play for several different teams during the same season. The club was renamed several times and its owners and leaders were under pressure for many decades. The origins of Zenit date back to the beginning of the 20th century to several teams in Saint Petersburg that were playing locally. The oldest documented predecessor of Zenit was the team Murzinka, founded in 1914, which played in the Obukhovsky stadium from 1914 until 1924, when the team came to be known as Bolshevik. The team and stadium survived the drama of World War I, the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, in 1925, another predecessor team of Zenit was formed, of workers from the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod, they were called the Stalinets in the 1930s. Historians documented that both teams of Zenit were playing independently until their official merger at the end of 1939. The Stalinets were not the team named Zenit that took part in the 1938 USSR championship. The current name of FC Zenit was registered in 1936, three years before the Stalinets merged with it, FC Zenit was ordered to take in members of the Stalinets metallurgical workers team after the end of the 1939 season. Zenit won their first honours in 1944, claiming the war-time USSR Cup after defeating CSKA Moscow in the well-attended final, the club was always adored in Leningrad, but was not able to make much of a significant impact in the Soviet League. Composer Dmitry Shostakovich and film star Kirill Lavrov were well known as ardent supporters of Zenit, Zenit won the bronze medal in 1980, also reaching the Soviet Cup Final and winning the Soviet League title in 1984. In 1985, Zenit beat the Soviet Cup holder in the Soviet Super Cup, the LOMO optical plant took up the ownership of the team after the war. In 1990, FC Zenit were re-registered as an independent city-owned professional club, after being relegated in the first year of the Russian League, Zenit returned to the top flight in 1996 and has been decent since. They claimed the 1999 Russian Cup, finished third in the League in 2001, made the Cup final in 2002, became the runners-up in the Premier League, in December 2005, Gazprom took a controlling stake in the club
Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Sargis Hovsepyan (Zenit)
Bohdan Shershun (CSKA Moscow)
Elvir Rahimić (CSKA Moscow)
