Fools Go Russian In

[BobBev]

The Telegraph

Wednesday May 25th, 2005

Injury Worry Over Chelsea Pair

Chelsea go into perhaps the biggest game in the club’s history still uncertain if two of their top players will be fit enough to make the starting lineup. Both Damien Duff and Patrick Vieira have been nursing injuries for the past week and the pair will face a late fitness test to determine if they can take the field in Istanbul against Milan. With Joe Cole and Claude Makelele waiting in the wings to step in if required, the Blues have some able deputies but it would be a blow for the players in question if they had to miss out on the big occasion. Centre back Ricardo Carvalho has already been passed fit after his injury scare earlier in the week but it has been confirmed that Wayne Bridge has no chance of making the game. He is still not back in light training after his serious back injury and although he has made the trip to Turkey he will be cheering his teammates on from the stands.

[BobBev]

The Times

Thursday May 26th, 2005

Chelsea – Champions Of Europe

The game may not have been a classic but that mattered little to the tens of thousands of Chelsea fans who had braved the trip to a potentially hostile Istanbul. Nor did it matter to the millions watching what was at times a dour encounter back in England on TV. Milan determined early on that it would be a war of attrition rather than a footballing spectacle as they set out to stifle the attacking threat of their opponents. There was only one team looking to attack and although they lacked their usual fluency, Chelsea remained positive throughout. Both Damien Duff and Patrick Vieira passed late fitness tests to take their place on the pitch but it was clear that Duff in particular was not quite as sharp as usual. Vieira on the other hand showed no signs of fatigue and it was perhaps fitting that the French international scored the only goal of the game in the 77th minute. Ronaldinho’s inswinging corner had so much pace and venom that Vieira merely had to steer the ball in the right direction past a stranded Dida in the Milan goal. It was no less than the Blues deserved as they brought a memorable season to a close with a historic double. Chelsea manager Yuri Djerkinov made a rare statement to the press after the game, or at least his interpreter did as the reticent Russian still appears to have no grasp of the English language. After an extraordinary debut season in charge he paid tribute to his players, stating that it was an honour for him to work with such talented and professional individuals. He may not speak the same language but it is clear that his team have enormous respect for their manager and perhaps it proves that the language of football is indeed universal.

[BobBev]

The Daily Express

Sunday May 29th, 2005

Morten Special Enough For Rovers

Putting the disappointment of a mediocre league season behind then, underdogs Blackburn Rovers pulled off an unlikely FA Cup win over favourites Spurs. A cracking free kick from glamour boy Morten Gamst Pedersen with just 45 seconds on the clock proved to be enough to beat a lacklustre Tottenham side. The Londoners were expected to build on their 3rd place Premiership finish by lifting the FA Cup for the 9th time in their history but Mark Hughes and his team had other ideas. The Blackburn boss had a great cup pedigree as a player and he sent his team out with instructions to get amongst their opponents from the start. With captain Robbie Savage making some biting challenges in midfield and Pedersen having the game of his life, Rovers imposed their physical presence. The slight figure of Michael Carrick was no match for this robust style of game and he was replaced by Michael Brown after 60 minutes but it made little difference and Blackburn were able to hold out for the win.

[BobBev]

Decoded Despatch from Agent Sokolov

Wednesday June 1st, 2005

It has been a very hectic month at the football club. Comrade Djerkinov insisted on meticulous preparations for their Champions League campaign and having won the trophy he has been in constant demand for interviews and press conferences. All of which has meant that I have rarely been far from his side. I have to say that I have seen a different side to the man recently and I do believe that he is a very talented football manager. What he has achieved this season has been a major triumph and he has the full respect and confidence of his players – no mean achievement considering his inexperience and the manner of his arrival. Comrade Colonel, I may have been a little indiscreet on one occasion, as I have let slip to Yuri that Abramovich plans to sell off a number of key players during the summer. He was so happy to be working with the squad that I felt it only fair that he had some warning. He took it badly and went on yet another of his Wodka binges. The club finances have been boosted significantly this month with some £18M in prize money for winning the Premiership and the Champions League and another £13M in TV revenues from UEFA. I calculate that there is some £90M in the club account now, money that will undoubtedly be siphoned off and replaced by Abramovich’s “dirty moneyâ€. I have heard nothing further from you regarding the banks that were involved in the initial transactions last summer and I hope that you will be in a position to block these funds at source before Abramovich’s plan comes to fruition.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Sunday June 5th, 2005

What a fortnight it has been. First the unbelievable high of winning the Champions League. Then the terrible low when Misha told me of the player sale that Abramovich is planning. He refused to tell me how he knew of the plan but it is clear to me that he has been doing much more than translating for me and his late night exploits have not all been concerned with his young lady. I am sad to say that my Wodka bottle contained the real stuff that night, much to my regret and shame. Otherwise I would not have confronted Roman as I did and I recall little of our blazing row. But I have a horrible feeling that I let slip that Misha was the source of my information and I hope that will not land the boy in too much trouble.

[BobBev]

Decoded Despatch to Agent Sokolov From Moscow

Wednesday June 15th, 2005

Agent Solokov, it appears that your so-called indiscretion with Comrade Djerkinov may have serious consequences for our investigation. Abramovich has closed his accounts at the banks that we have been monitoring and we can only assume that he has an indication that we are aware of his plans. It will take some time to identify the financial institutions that he is now dealing with and this is a major setback. But at least we know what his real intentions are and we will be able to build a case given sufficient time. On a more sinister note we have been notified by our contact in MI6 that Comrade Smirnoff has recently entered the UK and we must take steps to ensure that your safety is maintained. We are making arrangements to have yourself, Titov and Djerkinov repatriated back to Russia as soon as possible. We recommend that the three of you move immediately to the safe accommodation that we arranged last year and stay well away from Stamford Bridge from now on.

[BobBev]

The Daily Mail

Thursday June 16th, 2005

Gruesome Double Slaying At The Bridge

Council street cleaners made a gruesome discovery in the early hours of this morning as they were working outside Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club. The bodies of two men were found, apparently impaled on metal railings near the front entrance of the stadium. The police and ambulance services were immediately called but there was nothing that could be done and the two were pronounced dead at the scene. 45-year-old Ken Armstrong was one of the cleaning crew that made the grisly find and he spoke to our reporter earlier today. “It was a right shock I can tell you. We was about halfway through our shift when we saw the poor blokes. They was stuck right on the fence – it was a right mess I have to say. I mean we dialled 999 straight away but you could tell there was no hope for them. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen and I can tell you I’ve seen a few sights in my time.†The police have refused to release the identities of the two men until they have had an opportunity to inform their next of kin.

[BobBev]

The Times

Saturday June 18th, 2005

Stamford Bridge Slayings – Victims Identified

Earlier today the Metropolitan Police released the identities of the two men found impaled on a metal fence outside Stamford Bridge. They have been named as Mikhail Petrovich Sokolov and Vladimir Alekseyevich Titov, both Russian nationals and both employees of Chelsea Football Club. Mr. Titov was a fitness coach for the Chelsea first team and Mr. Sokolov was employed as a translator for the club’s manager Mr. Yuri Djerkinov. Only last month a triumphant Chelsea team were crowned champions of Europe, adding that title to the Premiership crown in a remarkable first season for new manager Djerkinov. No one form the club was prepared to comment on the tragic double murder and the whereabouts of Mr. Djerkinov is currently unknown.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Wednesday June 22nd, 2005

What a nightmare this is turning out to be! Poor Misha, what a terrible way to meet your end. I knew that no good would come of his meddling. I still don’t know why I refused to go with him when he called me that night – perhaps if I had they would both still be alive. More likely I would have ended up on the fence beside them! At least the lad had the foresight to hide a copy of his notes in my office, although I’m sure that he had no idea that I knew they were there. I just had time to retrieve them and make myself scarce before Abramovich’s goons arrived and I was very lucky that they didn’t see me as I slipped out of the stadium. I have been keeping well hidden since then, studying Misha’s notes and piecing it all together. When I had the full story I took two further copies and sent one to my bank and one to my lawyer with clear instructions that they be released to the press in the event of my untimely demise. That’s when I decided that I would pay Roman a visit in his private apartment and confront him. I expected him to be furious that he was under investigation and that his plan had been discovered. But he wasn’t angry, he was terrified. And then he told me the whole story. Smirnoff and his cronies have been blackmailing Roman for the past 12 months by threatening to kill his family if he didn’t cooperate. The money laundering was being done for Smirnoff’s benefit, not Roman’s and the poor man had been living a nightmare for the past 12 months.

“I have bodyguards Yuri†he told me, “but they are no match for these people – if they want you dead then you are as good as dead.â€

I was still not totally convinced. “So explain this to me – I confronted you about your plan to sell of our top players and a few days later Misha and Titov are dead. A coincidence?â€

“Of course not Yuri, but were you so drunk that you didn’t see that we were not alone. The so-called ‘minder’ at my office door was not one of my men, he was one of Smirnoff’s. I tried to shut you up but you were ranting and raving about how Misha had told you what was going to happen and that you wouldn’t sit back and watch the club being destroyed. My friend, you signed Misha’s death warrant that night in your drunken rage.â€

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach – it was all my fault and there was nothing I could do about it. We sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity – me wallowing in self pity and Roman looking lost in thought. Then he said to me “Yuri, there may be a way out of this after all but I need your help. Now that I know the FSB are involved we can use this to our advantage. If we can flush Smirnoff out into the open then the FSB can act and maybe the nightmare will be over. Will you help me Yuri?â€

“If it means getting justice for poor Misha and atoning for what I have done, then yes, I will help you.â€

“Good. Now I need you to go back to Russia and get in touch with Misha’s superiors. Tell them the whole story and then wait to hear from me.â€

[Brian of Nazareth]

you killed him off! Read through the last few pages in one go. Poor Misha A very well crafted story so far in opening up the route to Russia!

Congrats on the Chelsea success though and hell that quarter final tie with Inter must have been one to remember

[BobBev]

Cheers Bri - the Juventus game was a corker and I really thought I'd blown it.

Press Release From Chelsea Football Club

Monday June 27th

Everyone at Chelsea Football Club is deeply shocked by the tragic death of two of the Club’s employees and we are doing everything possible to assist the police in their enquiries. This heartbreaking incident has affected our manager Yuri Djerkinov very profoundly and it is with regret that he has announced that he will be unable to continue in his position at the club. With great reluctance we have accepted his resignation and we understand that he will be returning to Russia in the near future. Assistant Manager Steve Clarke has been appointed caretaker manager until such time as a permanent appointment can be made.

[BobBev]

The Times

Friday July 1st, 2005

Chelsea Killings – Suspect Identified

The Metropolitan Police have announced that acting on information received from the Russian authorities the prime suspect in the recent double slaying of two members of the Chelsea backroom staff is a Ukrainian named Vladimir Smirnoff. A known criminal, Smirnoff is believed to be a member of the Russian Mafia and he has been implicated in scores of murder in both Russia and the Ukraine. Nicknamed “Vlad The Impaler†because of his gruesome modus operandi of literally impaling his victims on a pointed spike, Smirnoff is now the subject of an intensive manhunt in both the UK and Russia.

[BobBev]

The Telegraph

Thursday July 21st, 2005

Lampard Signs For Bayern

Just when we thought that there were no more surprises left in store at Stamford Bridge Chelsea announced yesterday that they have completed a deal that takes midfield star Frank Lampard to German giants FC Bayern. This is the 6th high-profile sale that the club has made in the past few weeks and sources close to the club estimate that in the region of £100M has been received in transfer fees. The first departure was that of winger Arjen Robben who moved to Roma. This was quickly followed by the sale of Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to Barcelona and then the shock announcement that club captain John Terry would be going to Milan. Next to go was William Gallas who agreed a deal with Manchester United and the Chelsea fans were left reeling, wondering who would be next. No one expected it to be Lampard

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Saturday July 22nd, 2005

I hope that Roman knows what he is doing. When he said that he believed that we could “flush Smirnoff out†I didn’t realise that he planned to use me as the bait. But it’s the least I can do for poor Misha, not that I will ever totally purge the guilt that I feel over his untimely and cruel death. But the die is cast and in a few days time we will know if our plan has worked – otherwise I will probably find myself kebabed in some Moscow back street.

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Monday July 25th, 2005

Djerkinov Is New Spartak Boss

Less than ten days after sacking manager Alexandr Starkov, Spartak Moscow have announced that his replacement will be none other than former Chelsea supremo Yuri Djerkinov. Having completed a historic double of the English Premier title and the Champions League in his first season in England, the 55-year-old left the club last month after a the shocking murder of two of his backroom staff. The appointment is a massive coup for a club that has been in dire form so far this season. Having won the league title nine times in ten seasons from 1992, Spartak have failed in their last three league campaigns and the fans will be hoping that the new man in charge can revitalise the team. Djerkinov arrives just days before the midweek derby at rivals and title challengers CSKA Moscow so he will certainly be thrown in at the deep end.

[BobBev]

Moscow Times

Tuesday July 26th, 2005

Roman In Town For Moscow Derby

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was spotted stepping off his private jet at Sheremetyevo Airport. Pausing to speak briefly to the press corps he stated that he would be attending the CSKA/Spartak derby as he had some football-related business to attend to. When asked if he would be meeting up with his ex-manager he declined to comment. He also refused to expand upon the nature of his business but having received a rumoured £100M in transfer revenues after a major sell-off of players the billionaire tycoon may well be looking to strengthen his playing squad.

[BobBev]

Moskovsky Komsomolets

Thursday July 27th, 2005

Spartak In Derby Triumph

Yuri Djerkinov made a glorious start to his new managerial career when he engineered a 2-0 win at rivals CSKA Moscow. The win was a welcome boost for a troubled Spartak team who have shown indifferent form for the season so far. The star of the show for the visitors was midfielder Sergey Kovalchuk who scored once in each half to secure the victory. The match was watched by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the mega-rich oligarch was apparently involved in a scuffle with the police at the end of the game when a member of his entourage was arrested. The authorities have refused to comment on the incident and Abramovich himself immediately left for the airport to fly back to London.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Friday July 28th, 2005

Well it looks like Roman did know what he was doing after all – Smirnoff did break cover, following Roman to Moscow, and he was picked up at the stadium. Thank heavens the FSB came up trumps or else I would be dead meat by now. They are undertaking a major roundup of Smirnoff’s cronies and with a bit of luck they will all be going away for a very long time. Roman has offered his full cooperation to the authorities and they should be able to build a comprehensive case. His family is now safe in protective custody and he has been allowed to go back to London to try to focus on the situation at Chelsea. Now that all of this looks like it’s over I plan to focus on football too. My time at Stamford Bridge has shown me that I can stay off the Wodka and that I do have some skill as a manger after all. Time to bring that to bear here at Spartak and see what we can do on the pitch.

[BobBev]

Novaya Gazeta

Monday August 1st, 2005

Spartak Maintain Winning Ways

New Spartak manager Yuri Djerkinov made it two wins out of two when his team triumphed in another tough game at home to title challengers Shinnik. The home side looked sharper throughout and deserved more than their narrow 1-0 win. Their new-look formation caused the visitors problems all afternoon and their four attack-minded midfielder carved open some decent chances. The only one that was converted came in the 80th minute when Martin Jiranek shot home from the edge of the area. The bad news for the new boss is that striker Mihajlo Pjanovic will be in the treatment room for a month with fractured ribs. He joins midfielders Artem Bezrodney and Yegor Titov both of whom have long-term injuries and will not be in action again this season.

[BobBev]

The Guardian

Monday August 1st, 2005

Chelsea Unveil New Manager

Chelsea have announced the appointment of respected Argentinean coach Ramon Diaz as their new manager. The 45-year-old has beaten a host of high-profile candidates to the job but he will have a tough time living up to the expectations set by former boss Yuri Djerkinov – especially considering that half a dozen world-class players were sold on during the summer. His first task may well be to work with owner Roman Abramovich to use the proceeds of the sale to strengthen the playing staff.

[BobBev]

The Times

Tuesday August 2nd, 2005

Chelsea Murder Suspect Detained

In a dramatic turn of events in Moscow last week the Russian authorities have arrested Vladimir Smirnoff who is the main suspect in the recent slaying of two Chelsea employees. The arrest took place last Wednesday at the Dinamo Stadium in Moscow when Smirnoff attended a big local derby. Ironically one of the teams involved was Spartak Moscow where former Chelsea manager Yuri Djerkinov has just been installed as manager. The arrest was not announced immediately as the police did not want to tip off Smirnoff’s associates and a series of further arrests took place in the days following. The UK authorities have stated that they have not yet made a decision regarding possible extradition proceedings to bring Smirnoff back to the UK to stand trial as the two victims were Russian nationals and his case could be heard in Russia. In a brief statement a spokesman for the football club stated that Chelsea were delighted that the assailant had been captured and hoped that justice would now be done.

[BobBev]

Pravda

Sunday August 7th, 2005

Early Penalty Enough For Spartak

A penalty after just nine minutes of play converted by Dmytro Parfenov was enough to give Spartak Moscow a 1-0 win at Krylja Sovetov and give Yuri Dejrkinov his third straight win since taking charge at the troubled Moscow giants. The visitors were on top for long periods of the game and will be disappointed not to have added to their tally. However, the three points lifts them up to 5th place in the table and they still have a game in hand over most of the rest of the division.

[BobBev]

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Sunday August 14th, 2005

Dominant Spartak In Control

A commanding display by Spartak Moscow in their league match at home to Rubin was rewarded with a comfortable 2-0 win. Sergey Kovalchuk opened the scoring inside ten minutes when he headed home a superb cross from man of the match Andrejs Rubins. Despite creating several further scoring opportunities the home side had to wait until the 80th minute before they scored again, Dmytro Parfenov firing home through a crowd of players after a corner after a Rubins corner caused havoc in the opposition penalty area. Four straight league wins have now lifted Spartak up to 4th place in the Premiership and new manager Yuri Djerkinov looks set to transfer his club’s season.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Monday August 22nd, 2005

Late Goal Gives Spartak Narrow Lead

A 90th minute goal from centre back Nemanja Vidic has given Spartak a narrow 1-0 lead to take to Krylja Sovetov for the second leg of their Premier League Cup Semi Final. The 23-year-old Serb broke the deadlock when he rose majestically to head home a corner sent in by Sergey Kovalchuk. The visitors came to defend and rarely ventured too far forward and their tactic proved to be very successful up to that point. Some wayward finishing from the Spartak attack helped their cause and they will consider themselves unfortunate not to have escaped with the goalless draw that they were seeking. With five first team players missing through injury, Moscow boss Yuri Djerkinov declared himself satisfied with the narrow win and paid tribute to the efforts of his players.

[BobBev]

Sevodnya

Sunday August 28th, 2005

Bazhenov Treble Keeps Spartak Going

A hat trick from impressive young striker Nikita Bazhenov saw Spartak Moscow record their 5th successive league win as they won 3-1 at Rotor. The first half belonged to the visitors and they went into the break two goals to the good. Bazhenov scored his first with barely five minutes played, picking up a though ball from Dimitry Alenichev and showing composure beyond his 20 years to finish neatly. His second came on the stroke of half time, Maxim Demenko the provider with a ball over the top of the defence, and the youngster once again slotted the ball home in style. Rotor made more of a game of it in the second period and pulled a goal back on 55 minutes when Denis Zubko took advantage of a suicidal pass across the penalty area by Clemente Rodriguez to fire into the empty net. But Bazhenov wrapped up the points when he completed his hat trick right at the end of the game. With the home side pressing for an equaliser, Sergey Kovalchuk broke forward and set up the youngster for another accurate finish to secure the win.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Tuesday August 30th, 2005

What a wonderful month it has been! With the Chelsea business well and truly behind me I have been able to concentrate fully on the task at hand and I have to say that the players have responded superbly. It was clear from my first few days at the club that there was no shortage of talent available and that it just needed to be harnessed in the correct way. The squad is blessed with an abundance of attack-minded midfielders and after some discussions with the coaching team we settled on a formation that we thought would maximise our attacking threat and still keep us solid at the back. So far it is working out better that I could have hoped for, the morale of the players has been restored and the spirit around the Luzhniki Stadium is very positive.

[BobBev]

Novaya Gazeta

Thursday September 1st, 2005

Troubled Zenith Lose Again

Bottom of the table Zenith Peterburg suffered yet another defeat, their 15th of the season, as they were overpowered by visitors Spartak Moscow. Yuri Djerkinov’s team are the form side of the division and winning this game in hand now moves them to within 6 points of leaders CSKA Moscow. The visitors opened the scoring on 15 minutes through Dimitry Alenichev who scored with an unstoppable shot across the keeper from just inside the area. With most of the possession, Spartak should have been further ahead by half time but they spurned some excellent chances. Their second goal came from the head of Sergey Kovalchuk when he drifted in at the back post to convert a free kick from Clemente Rodriguez. The 2-0 scoreline flattered the home side as they were under constant pressure and rarely looked capable of breaking out of their own half.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | CSKA Moscow | 22 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 41 | 20 | +21 | 46 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | Shinnik | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 39 | 23 | +16 | 44 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | Lokomotiv Moscow | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 17 | +18 | 42 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | SPARTAK MOSCOW | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 40 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | Torpedo Moscow | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 34 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | Rostov | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 33 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | Rubin | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 31 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | Rotor | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 30 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | Saturn | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 27 | 29 | -2 | 30 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | Uralan | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 27 | 35 | -8 | 28 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | Krylja Sovetov | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 26 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | Dinamo Moscow | 22 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 30 | 29 | +1 | 26 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | Amkar | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 33 | -5 | 23 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | Orel | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 41 | -17 | 19 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | FC Moscow | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 36 | -11 | 18 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | Zenith Peterburg | 22 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 19 | 35 | -16 | 17 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Wednesday September 7th, 2005

Spartak Seconds In Dramatic Win

Spartak Moscow were forced to play the second leg of their Premier League Cup Semi Final at Krylja Sovetov with no less that eleven first team players absent because of international call-ups. Manager, Yuri Djerkinov, furious that the Russian FA refused to cancel the game, fielded a makeshift side padded out with reserves and Under-18 players and was only able to put five out of an allowed nine substitutes on the bench, three of those being strikers. Defending a slender 1-0 lead, things went from bad to worse when centre back Adrian Lensci was sent off for a professional foul after just 20 minutes. But such is the spirit and determination of his team that having managed to reach the interval unscathed, they not only held on to their narrow advantage, they actually extended it. With 50 minutes on the clock fit-again striker Mihajlo Pjanovic found space and time in the area to put his side 2-0 ahead on aggregate. When the home side had central defender Patrick Ovie red-carded on 72 minutes their fans were so convinced that it wasn’t their night that they began leaving the Metallurg Stadium in droves. Spartak held firm to their lead and completed an unlikely qualification that sees them face city rivals Torpedo Moscow in the final after they overcame FC Moscow 4-2 on aggregate.

[BobBev]

Moscow Times

Sunday September 11th, 2005

Advantage Spartak In League Cup Final

Spartak Moscow will go into the 2nd leg of the Premier League Cup Final with a two-goal advantage over Torpedo Moscow and with away goals in the bank after they came out on top in a thrilling encounter. The visitors engineered a fine 4-2 win in a game that was full of good attacking play from both sides. Spartak took the lead after quarter of an hour when promising young striker Nikita Bazhenov slipped between two defenders to head home. Five minutes later their lead was doubled after Alexandr Samedov finished off a flowing passing move with a shot from just inside the area. There was no further scoring in the first period and the visitors went into the dressing room well on top. But Torpedo came out strongly in the second half and pulled a goal back on the hour when Mantas Samusevas beat keeper Dmitry Khomic to a corner to head into the unguarded net. But just a minutes later the two-goal advantage was restored when Bazhenov scored his second of the game with a neat turn and shot. The home side kept plugging away and they were rewarded on 80 minutes when Vitaly Volkov ghosted in at the far post to score with a strong header. However, the drama wasn’t over yet and in the last minute of normal time Spartak scored their fourth, substitute Alexandr Pavlenko finishing off a four-man break upfield to put his team in the driving seat for the second leg.

[BobBev]

Moskovskie Novosti

Sunday September 18th, 2005

Ten In A Row For Spartak

A 1-0 win at home to Rostok in yesterday’s league encounter gave Spartak Moscow their 10th consecutive victory since the inspired appointment of former Chelsea boss Yuri Djerkinov. An even encounter went the way of the home side thanks to a headed goal from centre half Florin Soava who met Andrejs Rubins’ corner with power and accuracy to break the deadlock just before half time. The 27-year-old Romanian international was making only his second senior appearance of the season but his performance will have done his chances of regular first team football no harm at all.

[BobBev]

Moskovsky Komsomolets

Thursday September 22nd, 2005

First Setback For Spartak

Spartak Moscow began a sequence of four consecutive matches against Moscow opposition with their first defeat under the stewardship of Yuri Djerkinov when they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at Dinamo. The visitors had the better of the opening exchanges and took the lead within ten minutes when Florin Soava calmly converted a penalty to score his second goal in consecutive games. Spartak had left back Clemente Rodriguez and defensive midfielder Maxim Demenko both suspended and as the game progressed their presence in defence became sorely missed. There was no further scoring in the first half and after the break the home side began to assert themselves. With less than 15 minutes remaining stand-in left back Gabriel Tamas was caught out of position and Tadas Labukas profited with the equaliser. Then with just three minutes of normal time remaining Vladimir Beschastnykh grabbed the winner when he gambled at the near post and converted with a deft flicked header.

[BobBev]

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Sunday September 25th, 2005

Spartak Bounce Back

Having had their first taste of defeat under their new manager in midweek, Spartak Moscow immediately bounced back with a good 2-0 win at home to city rivals Torpedo. The home side were in charge from first whistle to last and the visitors can thank keeper Dmitry Borodin for keeping the scoreline respectable. He made several fine saves in the first 45 minutes to keep the game scoreless at the break. The deadlock was broken in the 50th minute when some slick passing and movement unlocked the defence and Sergey Kovalchuk tucked the ball away. It took another 30 minutes until the second goal was scored and the three points secured, Maxim Demenko firing home from the left corner of the penalty area.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Wednesday September 28th, 2005

The players continue to exceed my expectations as we keep up our impressive form in the league. What makes us so effective is the way that the midfield flood forward to support the front two. The passing and movement that the players show is excellent and I am very optimistic for the future of the club. We have a decent amount of cash in the bank, although I have no plans to make radical changes to the squad, although perhaps a strong defensive midfielder would be a useful acquisition.

[ntfc]

good story kutgw bobev

[BobBev]

Ta ntfc, appreciate it

Sevodnya

Monday October 3rd, 2005

Spartak Chasing The Title

Spartak Moscow moved up to 2nd place in the Premier League with an impressive 3-0 win at Lokomotiv Moscow yesterday. The victory, their 9th in 10 league games under new manager Yuri Djerkinov, moves them above Lokomotiv and Shinnik and takes them to within 5 points of leaders CSKA. An evenly matched first half ended goalless with both sides playing positively and creating chances. The first goal came on 57 minutes when Nikita Bazhenov found space in the area to finish off a slick passing move. The visitors scored again on 76 when substitute Denis Boyarintsev was on hand to steer the ball home after a shot from Sergey Kovalchuk came crashing back off the post. The final nail in the coffin followed five minutes later when Spartak scored their 3rd. Alexandr Samedov refused to give up on what looked like a lost cause as he chased down a long ball. He somehow managed to wrap his foot around it and send it into the area where Kovalchuk guided it on to Dmitry Alenichev who fired home.

[BobBev]

Zavtra

Wednesday October 12th, 2005

Spartak Lift League Cup

Despite being denied the services of most of their first team players because of international call-ups, Spartak Moscow were still strong enough to fashion a 4-2 win in the 2nd leg of the Premier League Cup Final. Having won the away leg by the same scoreline this resulted in a resounding 8-4 aggregate victory over Torpedo Moscow. But the home side went into the break trailing 2-0 on the day and with the aggregate scores tied. Midway through the first half Sergey Budylin opened the scoring for Torpedo with a crashing drive from fully 30 yards that unerringly found the top corner. Less than 5 minutes later they scored again, Ilja Golikov pouncing on the rebound after Abdellilah Bagui could only parry a fierce shot from Konstantin Zyryanov. Spartak boss Yuri Djerkinov must have given his players quite a pep talk at half time as they scored within seconds of the restart to go back ahead on aggregate. Mikhail Kostin bundling the ball into the net after a frantic goalmouth scramble. They then set about the visitors with a vengeance, scoring three times in the next 30 minutes. Unsettled Serb striker Mihajlo Pjanovic profited from some excellent work by Denis Boyarintsev who was playing out of position on the right of midfield, heading home his cross to square the game. The same pair combined for the 3rd goal, this time Boyarintsev threading a through-ball for a neat finish from Pjanovic. At this point in the game the home side looked like they could almost score at will and they brought the tie to a conclusive end when substitute striker Roman Pavlyuchenko scored their 4th after more good work from Boyarintsev.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Sunday October 16th, 2005

Uralan Offer Little Resistance

A 2-0 victory for Spartak Moscow at home to a poor Uralan team is a poor reflection of the balance of play in this game. The home side were dominant and only some wayward finishing prevented a more comprehensive victory. Both goals came from Sergey Kovalchuk in the first 30 minutes. The opener, with just 5 minutes on the clock, was a result of a well-worked corner, Dmitry Alenichev finding an unmarked Kovalchuk on the edge of the area. The midfielder controlled the ball neatly, took one step forward and powered his shot home through a crowd of players. The same two combined for the 2nd after half an hour, this time Kovalchuk scoring with a header after Alenichev produced a pinpoint cross into the area. With the visitors offering no attacking threat whatsoever, Spartak were able to take their foot off the gas and play out the remainder of the game for a very comfortable three points.

[Spav]

Good work, Comrade Bob. I present you with this Star of Lenin for your initial performances at Spartak Moscow.

[BobBev]

Cheers Spav

Moscow Times

Wednesday October 19th, 2005

Spartak Not Second Best

With his team facing non-league Dinamo Makhachkala in the 6th round of the Russian Cup, Spartak Moscow manager Yuri Djerkinov felt confident enough to fill his lineup for the 1st leg with fringe players from his first team squad, taking the opportunity to give them some competitive action. Going into half time two goals to the good it certainly looked like his decision would be vindicated. The visitors took the lead with less than five minutes played when midfielder Maxym Kalinichenko, who impressed all afternoon, emerged from a goalmouth scramble with the ball at his feet and an empty net in front of him. The 2nd followed just before half time as centre back Nemanja Vidic headed home a free kick whipped into the area by Ignas Dedura. But the home side responded positively in the second half and gave themselves some faint hope for the return leg when Vitaly Makarenko converted from the penalty spot on 63 minutes.

[axeman]

The plot thickens

Good job Bob, this is turning into a real suspense story, on top of the football related things.

KUTGW

[BobBev]

Thanks axeman

Moscow Times

Sunday October 23rd, 2005

FC Moscow Not Dead Yet

A courageous fightback by bottom of the table FC Moscow enabled them to claw back a two-goal deficit against highflying Spartak Moscow and kept their slim hopes of Premiership salvation alive. Clearly believing that attack was the best form of defence the home side started with a flurry of attacks and were rewarded after just five minutes when Amir Karic curled an exquisite free kick around the Spartak wall and into the bottom corner of the goal. But the visitors quickly re-grouped and ten minutes later they squared the match when Alexandr Samedov found space on the edge of the area to get on the end of a long diagonal cross from Clemente Rodriguez and fire home. When striker Nikita Bazhenov scored two fine goals in two minutes midway through the first half there looked to be no way back for the home side, such was the dominance of Spartak. But FC Moscow refused to be cowed and as the game progressed they grew stronger and stronger. They pulled a goal back in the 79th minute through Valery Leonov with a neat corner routine and five minutes later Alexandr Ryazantsev squared the game when he was in the right place to profit from a Wojciech Kowalewski parry. The home side finished the game as strongly as they started it and such was their dominance that it would have come as no surprise had they managed to snatch a late winner. Speaking after the game Spartak manager Yuri Djerkinov conceded that his team’s late charge for the title looked like coming up short and with only two games left to play CSKA would not be caught.

[BobBev]

The Daily Telegraph

Wednesday October 26th, 2005

Stamford Bridge Slayer To Face Extradition Proceedings

After almost two months of legal wrangling between the governments of Britain and Russia, agreement has finally been reached on the future of Vladimir Smirnoff who was arrested in Moscow back in early August. The Russian authorities had received what they called “information from an impeccable source†that led them to believe that Smirnoff had committed the gruesome double-murder that have become known as the “Stamford Bridge Slayingsâ€. Since his detention his legal team have been engaged in lodging a series of motions questioning the validity of their client’s arrest and the subsequent refusal by the authorities to grant bail. The Crown Prosecution Service will now be sending a representative to Moscow to work with his local counterparts in the preparation of the extradition request. A CPS spokesman has already indicated that his department expects that this will be a long and drawn out process with the suspects lawyers attempting to block the move in any way possible.

[BobBev]

Moskovskie Novosti

Sunday October 30th, 2005

CSKA Take The Title

A narrow 1-0 win at home to Amkar was enough to ensure that CSKA Moscow will be crowned Premier League champions this season. The winning goal came early in the game when Alexandr Shirko forced the ball home following a poorly defended free kick. The home side went on to dominate the game but were unable to add to their goal tally. Nearest rivals Shinnik dropped two points when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to FC Moscow but the point wasn’t enough for the visitors and their relegation was confirmed. Spartak Moscow moved up to 2nd place following their 1-0 win at home to Saturn, Sergey Kovalchuk scoring the only goal of the game from a corner in the 34th minute. The visitors had two men sent off after the interval, both after receiving a second yellow card, in a game that was marred by some eccentric refereeing. Despite their numerical advantage the home side failed to score any further goals that would have opened up some daylight between themselves and Shinnik.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Monday November 1st, 2005

I have just received news from Colonel Palichenko of the FSB that Smirnoff will be extradited back to the UK to stand trial for killing Misha and his comrade Titov. I confess that I have mixed feelings about that decision. One the one hand it seems right that he should be tried in the country where he carried out that dreadful act but on the other I feel that the Russian authorities would impose a much harsher punishment on him than the British courts are likely to. Bit whatever the outcome I am just relieved that he remains in custody and that both Abramovich and myself can sleep easy in our beds at night.

[BobBev]

Moskovsky Komsomolets

Sunday November 6th, 2005

Spartak Confirmed As Runners-Up

A 3-1 win at Amkar combined with a 1-1 draw between Saturn and Shinnik was more than enough to confirm that Spartak Moscow will take second place in the Premier League. Shinnik took the lead at Saturn through Martin Kushev after 20 minutes but Javier Delgado equalised for the home side shortly before the break. There was no further scoring in a very even game and given the balance of play a draw was probably a fair result. Spartak drew first blood at Amkar after 30 minutes when defender Zahari Sirakov was pressured into putting the ball in his own net. The home side recovered their composure well and managed to mount some effective attacks of their own. But they fell further behind on 67 minutes when Mihajlo Pjanovic netted his 10th of the season when he latched on to a perfectly weighted ball over the top of the Amkar defence. The deficit was reduced in the 88th minute as substitute striker Gleb Boglayevskiy found himself unmarked in the 6-yard box and scored with a simple tap-in. But with the home side pushing for an equaliser Spartak scored again deep in stoppage time, Maxym Kalinichenko finishing off a decisive break upfield.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | CSKA Moscow | 30 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 57 | 25 | +32 | 66 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Spartak Moscow | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 48 | 28 | +20 | 59 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Shinnik | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 48 | 31 | +17 | 57 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Lokomotiv Moscow | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 46 | 24 | +22 | 55 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Rubin | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 39 | 42 | -3 | 44 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Dinamo Moscow | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 44 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Krylja Sovetov | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 44 | 39 | +5 | 43 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Torpedo Moscow | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 43 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Rostov | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 41 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th| | Saturn | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 41 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th| | Uralan | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 35 | 53 | -18 | 33 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th| | Rotor | 30 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 30 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th| | Amkar | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 47 | -9 | 30 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th| | Zenith Peterburg | 30 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 29 | 43 | -14 | 28 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th| R | Orel | 30 | 8 | 4 | 18 | 32 | 54 | -22 | 28 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th| R | FC Moscow | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 33 | 50 | -17 | 24 |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[BobBev]

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Sunday November 20th, 2005

Cup Progression For Spartak

With the league programme now complete all that remains before the winter break is to complete the next round of the Russian Cup and Spartak Moscow ensured that their name would be in the hat for the 7th round with a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win over Dinamo Makhachkala. Leading 2-1 from the 1st leg, Yuri Djerkinov took no chances in the return match and fielded a full-strength team. Talented young midfielder Alexandr Samedov opened the scoring after quarter of an hour when he was picked out in the area by Andrejs Rubins. The visitors refused to buckle however and they hung on without further damage until the interval. Then around the hour mark a two-goal burst from striker Mihajlo Pjanovic killed the tie off. First he finished off a sweeping passing move with a powerful header and then just three minutes later he was perfectly position to despatch a cross from man of the match Rubins.

[BobBev]

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Wednesday November 23rd, 2005

Late Goals Give Spartak The Edge

It’s advantage Spartak Moscow as they scored twice in the last 5 minutes in the 1st leg of their 7th round Cup-tie at Zenith Peterburg. Nikita Bazhenov fired the visitors into the lead shortly before half time with a skilful turn and shot from just inside the area. But the second half was just three minutes old when the home side levelled, Roman Ovchinnikov finding space in the area to finish with a powerful cross-shot. Spartak spent the remainder of the game spurning chance after chance but finally went in front through substitute Alexandr Pavlenko who sent a swerving 25-yarder into the back of the net. Then two minutes before the end of normal time Bazhenov scored his second of the game to give his side a significant advantage for their home leg.

[BobBev]

Novaya Gazeta

Sunday November 27th, 2005

Spartak Stroll Into Quarter Finals

Three second-half goals gave Spartak Moscow a comfortable 6-1 aggregate victory over Zenith Peterburg and set up a Quarter Final meeting with Rubin in March of next year. As in the first leg the home side dominated play and created a host of scoring chances. Despite this the first half remained goalless, thanks mainly to the wayward shooting of Sergey Kovalchuk. But the pressure told after the interval, the breakthrough coming from the unheralded but highly effective Maxym Kalinichenko on 47 minutes. Picking the ball up some 25 yards from goal he unleashed a swerving thunderbolt that left the Zenith keeper helpless. Kovalchuk atoned for his earlier misses when he prodded home from short range after a shot from Maxim Demenko was parried into his path. The third and final goal came from a neat finish by Nikita Bazhenov to give the 20-year-old his 16th goal of the season.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Thursday December 1st, 2005

All in all a very satisfactory end to my first season back home. Given our starting position I feel that second place in the league is an excellent result and capturing the League Cup gave the club their first trophy since they won the Russian Cup in 2003. There have been some very good performances by a number of players but the main positive from my perspective is that we play very well together as a team. The player that has surprised me most has been Maxym Kalinichenko – not highly rated by any of the coaching staff he only moved out of the reserves when we had to play a League Cup tie at the same time as most of the first team were on international duty. But he performed so impressively that I have given him several starts since then and I feel that next season he will be a definite candidate for a regular place in the team. Andrejs Rubins has played well on the left wing and despite not scoring all season he has created a number of goals for his teammates. Nikita Bazhenov finished as top scorer with 16 goals and together with Mihajlo Pjanovic we have two fine strikers. Of course our formation utilises only one front man so there will be a lot of competition for a starting role next year.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Wednesday March 8th, 2006

Premier League Preview

With the start of the league season in Russia just three days away we present a brief review of the division and look at the likely contenders for the title this year – all figures are in US Dollars.

Akmar

Manager – Sergey Oborin

Stadium – Zvezda (25,000 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 13th

Since promotion from the First Division two seasons ago Akmar have always been near the relegation places and things will be no different this season. During the winter they spent a club-record $550K to bring in midfielder Mikhail Osinov from Rostov . Key players include forward Sergey Volkov, midfielder Erik Lincar and highly rated keeper Alexey Stepanov.

CSKA Moscow

Manager – Valery Gazzaev

Stadium – Dinamo (36,540 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 1st

The defending champions have not made any significant acquisitions over the winter period and they will be looking to repeat their success of last season with the same set of players. CSKA have taken advantage of the investment provided by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and they spent nearly $9.5M on new players during the course of last season. They offer a real attacking threat to their opponents and boast players such as Brazilian forward Vagner Love, attacking midfielder Andrey Arshavin who was signed from Zenith Peterburg last summer, and striker Dmitry Kirichenko.

Dinamo Moscow

Manager – Oleg Roantsev

Stadium – Dinamo (36,540 capacity)

Finances – Insecure

Last Season – 6th

It was another mid-table finish from a team that has never won the Premiership and little more can be expected from them in this campaign. Their poor financial situation has forced to club to sell or release no less that 34 players since 2004 and they now have less than 30 registered playing staff. Their best-known figure is Brazilian forward Derlei and he offers their main goalscoring threat.

Krylja Sovetov

Manager – Gadji Gadjiev

Stadium – Metallurg (38,800 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 7th

Another mid-table side whose closest brush with a trophy came when they reached the Russian Cup Final in 2004. Over the winter they paid over $2M for young Torpedo Moscow keeper Dmitry Borodin and they also signed unsettled striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow on a free transfer. Just two days ago they balanced the books with the sale of midfielder Denis Kovba to Zenith Peterburg for $4M. A player to watch is striker Robertas Poskus who has been the club’s top scorer for the past two seasons.

Kuban

Manager – Jozef Chovanec

Stadium – Kuban (40,000 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – First Division Champions

Runaway winners of the First Division title after the relegation the previous season, Kuban are the classic yo-yo side, having repeated that pattern in the two previous seasons. Interestingly enough they invested nearly $800K on two goalkeepers over the winter, 32-year-old Alexandr Filimonov from Anzhi and 24-year-old Alexey Botvinjev from Rubin. Their two key players are probably are attacking midfielder Lyubomir Kantonistov and last season’s top scorer, striker Andrey Salnikov.

Lokomotiv Moscow

Manager – Valery Nenenko

Stadium – Lokomotiv (30,000 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 4th

Yury Semin was dismissed as manager back in December after failing to win the league title since his triumph in 2002. The new boss has made no major moves in the transfer market over the winter, either for lack of funds or because he believes that his squad is good enough already. He does have the division’s highest scorer for the last two seasons in the shape of 22-year-old superstar Dmitry Sychev and another exciting striking prospect in Paraguayan Erwin Lorenzo Avalos.

Rostov

Manager – Gennady Stepushkin

Stadium – Olimp XXI Vek (15,600 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 9th

No less than 24 players were purged from the squad over the winter with only Mikhail Osinov commanding a significant fee and with one of the smallest squads in the Premiership things don’t look great for Rostov this year. Several African players feature on the roster including Gift Kampamba from Zambia and Essau Boxer Kanyenda from Malawi.

Rotor

Manager – Valery Tretjakov

Stadium – Central (30,000 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 12th

This is another team that has pruned its playing strength in bid to save money and they look set to be engulfed in another relegation struggle this season. Their main goalscoring threat comes from striker Denis Zubko and much will depend on his form up front. The loss of midfielder Sergey Mikhailov with a broken leg and defender Pavel Mogilevskiy with a torn hamstring will do little to help their cause.

Rubin

Manager – Rashid Rakhimov

Stadium – Central (22,500 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 5th

Yet another team that has slashed its’ playing staff in order to reduce the wage bill, this unfancied side will do well to repeat a top-5 finish this season. Brazilian forward Roni provides the main attacking threat but key midfielder Mcbeth Ntuthuko Sibaya from South Africa has publicly stated that he wants to move on to a bigger club.

Saturn

Manager – Alexandr Tarkhanov

Stadium – Saturn (16,500 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 10th

A mid-table finish is probably the best that Saturn can hope for and in order to achieve that, Paraguayan forward Freddy Jose Barriero will need to get amongst the goals as well as he has done for the last two years. Veteran midfielder Valery Yesipov will miss the bulk of the season with a broken leg and his experienced will be missed.

Shinnik

Manager – Oleg Dolmatov

Stadium – Shinnik (22,984 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 3rd

After just avoiding relegation two seasons ago, Shinnik were a revelation this time around, finishing a very creditable 3rd. There are few, if any, household names in the squad and their success was based on a strong team ethic.

Spartak Moscow

Manager – Yuri Djerkinov

Stadium – Luzhniki (84,745 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 2nd

Rejuvenated when Djerkinov took charge last summer, Spartak made a late charge and eventually finished as runners-up. The new boss has not been active in the transfer market over the winter with his only addition being free agent Konstantin Konoplev, a defensive-minded midfielder brought in to add some depth to that area of the team. The experienced Yegor Titov missed almost all of last season with a cruciate ligament injury and is still not back in full training. Exciting young striker Nikita Bazhenov looks like he has a bright future in front of him and experienced Latvian international Andrejs Rubins was a key provider when introduced to the starting eleven.

Tom

Manager – Boris Stukalov

Stadium – Trud (12,500 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – First Division Runners-Up

Their first ever season in the Premiership promises to be a huge challenge for this small regional club and avoiding relegation would be a major achievement. Their most potent weapon is the experienced former Dinamo Moscow forward Andrey Demkin who has scored 46 goals in his two seasons with the club.

Torpedo Moscow

Manager – Sergey Petrenko

Stadium – Luzhniki (84,745 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 8th

A 3rd consecutive 8th place finish does point to a degree of consistency but the fans want more than consistent mediocrity. With no new blood coming in a significant improvement in fortune is unlikely to be achieved. Strike pairing Andres Oper and Ilja Golikov are both capable of scoring goals and experienced midfielder Sergiy Kormiltsev had a very productive season last year.

Uralan

Manager – Eduard Bogdanov

Stadium – Uralan (12,000 capacity)

Finances – OK

Last Season – 11th

One of the few teams to have brought in new players in any number Uralan seem determined to extend their stay in the top flight having visited the First Division twice in the last ten years. Twelve new faces have been brought in, though none for any substantial fee, and eleven more were released. Midfielder Sergey Temryukov is undoubtedly their best know player but there is much excitement about the potential of 17-year-old Argentinean Sergio Aguero.

Zenith Peterburg

Manager – Valery Petrakov

Stadium – Petrovsky (21,500 capacity)

Finances – Secure

Last Season – 14th

Oh how the mighty have fallen! League champions in 2004, it took a 1-0 defeat of Orel to maintain their Premiership status last season. Having dismissed manager Vlastimil Petrzela in September it took until January before his successor was named. The new man has released over a dozen players and splashed out $4M on Krylja Sovetov midfielder Denis Kovba. In the view of many the money would have been far better spent strengthening a notoriously goal-shy attack.