Fools Go Russian In

[BobBev]

Ogonyok

Sunday March 11th, 2007

CSKA Win Season Opening Derby

Perennial rivals CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow faced one another in their opening game of the season and it was CSKA who took the physiological advantage with a narrow 1-0 win over their bitter foes. And yet the result could easily have gone the other way, Yegor Titov having two good efforts well saved by Igor Akinfeev in the first few minutes. The home side scored what proved to be the only goal of the game after ten minutes when Elvir Rahimic converted a cutback from Vagner Love in their first serious attacking move. Both sides created several presentable chances thereafter, none of which were converted. CSKA are chasing their third title in five years with Spartak hoping to break a run of five years without the title.

[BobBev]

Pravda

Thursday March 15th, 2007

Spartak Into Quarter Finals

Defending a comfortable 4-0 lead from the first leg, Spartak Moscow were defeated 1-0 at Lazio last night but still took their place in the Quarter Final draw for the UEFA Cup. The Moscow team could afford to play a patient game and let their opponents make the running, hoping to hit the Italians on the break. There was little encouragement for the home supporters early in the game but their team did take the lead in the 25th minute from a corner. Their hopes were dashed however when centre back Igor Tudor received a second yellow card minutes before half time. Playing the final 45 minutes with ten men, Lazio rarely threatened to score again and the game petered out long before the final whistle.

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Friday March 16th, 2007

Spartak Face Betis In Quarter Finals

The draw for the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Cup has paired Moscow side Spartak with the Spaniards from Real Betis. In the other games, Gaziantepspor of Turkey face Belgian side Club Brugge, Valencia take on PSV and in an all-England encounter, Liverpool face Newcastle. The 1st legs will be plated on April 5th with the returns a week later.

[BobBev]

The Daily Telegraph

Saturday March 17th, 2007

Abramovich Found Murdered

London was sent reeling yesterday by news that Chelsea owner and billionaire Russian businessman Roman Abramovich had been brutally murdered. His body was found impaled on metal railings outside the Stamford Bridge ground in a grisly echo of events of almost two years ago. At that time two members of the Chelsea backroom staff were found in the same place, the horrifying backlash causing then manager Yuri Djerkinov to resign and return to Russia. After the body of Abramovich was discovered in the early hours of the morning police went to his private apartment to find scenes of carnage with several of the billionaire’s bodyguards shot to death. The prime suspect is clearly Vladimir Smirnoff who recently escaped from police custody having just been extradited from Russia to be tried for the first two slayings. An intensive manhunt has been in progress for the mafia thug and in light of this latest atrocity police are redoubling their efforts to track him down.

[Guest]

Where's Sherlock Holmes when we need him? Or Hercule Poirot?

[axeman]

About time we got some more good news from the Bridge

The story keeps getting better Bob, KUTGW

[BobBev]

Thanks chaps

Semya

Sunday March 18th, 2007

Spartak Come Back From The Dead

As their match at home to Rostov entered stoppage time, Spartak Moscow were two goals behind and facing their second consecutive league defeat. When the final whistle sounded three minutes later the score was tied at 2-2 as the home side scored twice to salvage an unlikely point. Looking tired and listless, Spartak showed very little interest in the contest, even after Rostov took the lead after half an hour through a wonderful solo effort from Malawi international Essau Boxer Kanyenda. They barely managed an attack, never mind a shot on target and showed very little improvement after the break. The visitors looked to have secured the win when Zambian Gift Kampamba lofted the ball over a stranded Dmitry Khomich on 82 minutes. The second goal did produce a response however but with 90 minutes on the clock it looked to have come too late. But first Maxym Kalinichenko curled home a free kick from distance and then captain Nemanja Vidic powered home an Andrejs Rubins corner to force a dramatic draw.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Monday March 19th, 2007

My worst nightmare has come to pass – that animal Smirnoff is determined to wreak havoc with those that have crossed him and I am next on his list. The FSB have promised me protection and I now have my own bodyguard and 24-hour protection wherever I go. But so did Roman and look what happened to him. But strangely enough I am not as terrified as I perhaps should be. Us Russians are great believers in destiny and a strange calmness has descended over me. Let fate take its course – the cards have been dealt so let us see who is holding the aces. My job is to carry on with my work for the time being and try to do my best for my players.

[BobBev]

Sevodnya

Wednesday March 21st, 2007

Rubin Struggle In Cup Quarter Final

Spartak Moscow will defend a two-goal lead in the 2nd leg of their Russian Cup Quarter Final at Rubin this weekend. The visitors were outplayed from start to finish as the Spartak midfield controlled the game. The home side scored once in each half, the first coming from the penalty spot, Mihajlo Pjanovic tucking the kick away after Andrejs Rubins was tripped in the area. The second came from the head of Adrian Iencsi when he was picked out by Clemente Rodríguez. Spartak did suffer another injury as Pjanovic left the field hurt and his problem was later diagnosed as a groin strain.

[BobBev]

Zavtra

Saturday March 24th, 2007

Depleted Spartak Make Semis

Despite having many first team players unavailable because of World Cup qualifying matches, a weakened Spartak Moscow still did enough at Rubin to secure their place in the Russian Cup Semi Finals. The teams played out a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw with the home side’s hope of clawing back their two-goal deficit severely compromised when midfielder Tomas Cizek was dismissed after just 17 minutes after he made a reckless two-footed challenge on Denis Boyarintsev. Spartak will face Zenith Peterburg over two legs later next month with CSKA facing Saturn in the other Semi.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Saturday March 31st, 2007

It has been nearly all Cup action this month and although I am pleased that we are making progress in these competitions, particularly in Europe, it was very disappointing to lose our opening league match, especially against CSKA. I know that poor Roman had a financial interest in the club although I must admit that they are not buying their way to success as they haven’t made any big money signings for the last 18 months. But I do know that they can afford to pay by far the highest wages in the country and that really helps to attract and retain players. Speaking of Roman, I have heard nothing further on the whereabouts of that swine Smirnoff but I am sure that he will crawl out from under his rock soon enough.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Sunday April 1st, 2007

Saturn Have It All To Do

Saturn face an uphill struggle in the 2nd leg of their Premier League Cup tie after losing 3-0 at Spartak Moscow. The home side were on top throughout the match and went into the break two goals to the good. The opener came from Andrejs Rubins who curled home a freekick awarded 25 yards outside the Saturn penalty area. The impressive Maxym Kalinichenko scored their second when he was in the right place to slot the ball home after a rebound from keeper Alexey Botvinjev. Shortly after the restart Pavel Pogrebnyak showed his finishing skills to round off a lovely passing move and put Spartak firmly in the driving seat. The 23-year-old was called up from the reserves for his team’s Cup match last weekend and showed enough from the bench to make the starting eleven for this game. The visitors spurned a late opportunity of a lifeline away goal when Daniel Montenegro’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Dmitry Khomich.

[BobBev]

Moskovskie Novosti

Thursday April 5th, 2007

Drama At The Luzhniki

A dramatic UEFA Cup tie ended 3-1 in favour of Spartak Moscow last night as they rode their luck against a fine Betis side. The victory came at a cost however, with two players suspended for the return leg and five more just a booking away from missing a potential Semi Final. Some harsh refereeing saw nine yellow cards on display, two of them going to Velice Sumulikoski who left the game ten minutes from time. The match itself was highly entertaining with both sides fully committed to attack and chances created at either end. The home side took the lead on 22 minutes when Yegor Titov finished off a trademark Spartak move – a fast break forward from midfield, several crisp passes and a neat finish from the edge of the area. Play swung from end to end for the remainder of the half, with Betis coming close to an equaliser on several occasions. The pattern continued after the break and Dmitry Khomich made some impressive stops, none more so than when he somehow kept out a point blank header from Fernando. But Spartak also looked dangerous and Pedro Contreras had to be at his best to deny Maxym Kalinichenko when he tried his luck from distance. Then in the 71st minute the home side doubled their advantage when unsettled striker Nikita Bazhenov finished neatly to crown a neat passing move. Betis made a quick response and scored a valuable away goal when substitute Fabian Estoyanoff got his head to a Denilson cross. Shortly after that Spartak suffered another blow when Sumulikoski received his second yellow card and they were reduced to ten men. With Bazhenov withdrawn in favour of another midfielder the home side were hanging on and the Spaniards came close to equalising several times in the closing stages, forcing a series of corners that were courageously repelled. Then with just seconds remaining in the four minutes of stoppage time signalled by the referee, substitute Vladimir Leshonok gave his team an invaluable two-goal cushion when he volleyed home an Andrejs Rubins corner.

[BobBev]

Moskovsky Komsomolets

Thursday April 12th, 2007

Spartak Scrape Through

Spartak Moscow made it into the Semi Finals of the UEFA Cup courtesy of an own goal deep into stoppage time that gave them a win on away goals over a brave Betis side. Spartak travelled to Seville defending a 3-1 lead from the 1st leg but with Velice Sumulikoski and Andrejs Rubins both suspended. Unhappy striker Nikita Bazhenov travelled with the party but remained on the bench, his place taken by Tarmo Kink. The change up front looked like a master stroke when the young Finn put the visitors ahead after 17 minutes, beating two defenders to finish powerfully into the bottom corner. But Betis showed their attacking prowess thereafter and by the 51st minute they had obtained a 4-1 lead on the night to take a 5-4 advantage on aggregate. In between times, Spartak were still able to break forward on occasions and Kink was guilty of missing two or three good chances to change the complexion of the game. It just wasn’t happening for Spartak and with the notable exception of Denis Boyarintsev, replacing Rubins on the left wing, none of their players were performing too well. But they dug in and just after the hour mark they looked to have scrambled another away goal when Juanito inexplicably headed the ball past his own keeper. Their joy was short-lived however as an offside decision was awarded against Kink to rule out the goal. Needing to find a goal from somewhere they kept pushing forward and survived several scares in front of their own goal. Dmitry Khomich made some smart stops but was comprehensively beaten by an Edu freekick that thankfully came back off the bar. With Kink getting caught offside with alarming frequency, move after move broke down but as the game entered stoppage time they finally scored. Substitute Alexandr Pavlenko made a determined run through the middle of the Betis defence and just as he was about to pull the trigger, Juanito stuck out a leg, sending the ball into his own net. It was a mighty relieved Yuri Djerkinov that took to the pitch to celebrate with his players when the final whistle sounded, knowing that they had been just seconds away from going out of the competition. Spartak will now face Liverpool in the Semi Final after they completed a 3-1 aggregate victory over Newcastle whilst underdogs Club Brugge will take on Valencia.

[BobBev]

Nezavisimaya Gazeta

Sunday April 15th, 2007

New Boys Run Spartak Close

Spartak Moscow have had a hectic schedule of Cup matches and European ties and yesterday they played just their 3rd league game of the season gaining a narrow win over newly promoted Terek. At times it was a stuttering performance by the home side and after establishing an early lead through Maxym Kalinichenko they should have gone on to get a comfortable victory. But the visitors survived unscathed until the 77th minute when Vitaly Korneev headed them level from a corner. With the game entering stoppage time it looked like the underdogs would hang on for a surprise point but Spartak scored twice in time added on, something they seem to make a habit of, Sergey Kovalchuk and Alexandr Pavlenko the men on target.

[BobBev]

Novaya Gazeta

Wednesday April 18th, 2007

Spartak Put One Foot In Final

A superb 3-0 win at Zenith Peterburg in the 1st leg of their Russian Cup Semi Final has almost guaranteed Spartak Moscow a showdown with bitter rivals CSKA in the Final next month. Zenith did little to help themselves with a lacklustre display that saw two players dismissed, one in each half. The visitors scored all of their goals in the first 45 minutes, two coming from the very impressive Maxym Kalinichenko with Man of the Match Freddy Guarín scoring his first of the season.

[Guest]

Liverpool will be tough match. Can't wait for the results!

[BobBev]

No easy games in Europe Tanel

Ogonyok

Saturday April 21st, 2007

Saturn Nearly Pull It Off

A determined display of attacking football from Saturn almost saw them overturn the three-goal deficit in their Premier League Cup tie against Spartak Moscow. The visitors had fielded a second string eleven in anticipation of the forthcoming UEFA Cup match with Liverpool but they still took the lead after ten minutes through Pavel Pogrebnyak and looked to be home and dry. But then they suffered much the same experience as their colleagues had at Betis recently, conceding four goals without reply. Saturn scored all four in an extraordinary ten-minute spell either side of half time. Daniel Montenegro got the ball rolling on 38 when a Spartak attack broke down and he ran on to a long clearance to finish into the bottom corner. The same player scored the second on the stroke of half time, once more latching on to a ball over the top of a static defence. After the restart Saturn captain Freddy Jose Barreiro took over, scoring twice in a minute, each time finding himself unmarked in the area and given a free header. But Spartak managed to re-group and with Yuri Djerkinov making several substitutions to shore up his leaky defence, they managed to hang on for an aggregate win on away goals.

[BobBev]

Pravda

Thursday April 26th, 2007

Kink The Spartak Hero

Estonian striker Tarmo Kink came off the bench at New Anfield last night to score the only goal of the game for Spartak Moscow in the 1st leg of their UEFA Cup Semi Final against Liverpool. A clearly out of sorts Nikita Bazhenov was left in the changing room at half time as the visitors looked to turn their dominance into goals and Kink duly obliged quarter of an hour after coming on. Man of the match Maxym Kalinichenko and Colombian youngster Freddy Guarín combined neatly to free the 21-year-old who finished clinically past the advancing keeper. The home side were poor throughout and failed to register a shot on target all evening, much to the frustration of their supporters. Spartak will feel somewhat frustrated not to have put the tie out of reach but much of that was due to the excellence of Chris Kirkland in the Liverpool goal.

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Sunday April 29th, 2007

No Joy For Zenith

Zenith Peterburg had an afternoon of mixed fortune as they faced Spartak Moscow in the home leg of their League Cup Quarter Final tie. Looking to avenge their 1st leg defeat in the Russian Cup they took the lead twice but were pegged back on each occasion and the final score of 2-2 favours their opponents for the return. Spartak boss Yuri Djerkinov stuck to his usual pattern of fielding a second-string side to preserve his first eleven for the rigours of European football. After a goalless first half the home side took advantage by scoring the opening goal minutes after the restart when Olexandr Spivak rose highest to head home a corner. Ten minutes later Pavel Pogrebnyak squared the game with a powerful shot from the edge of the area. Zenith had to wait less than five minutes to retake the lead, Valery Petrov’s shot taking a deflection before nestling in the back of the net. Over the next 20 minutes Djerkinov threw on all of his substitutes in an effort to restore parity and he urged his players on. But ten minutes from time there was a lengthy stoppage because of a bad injury to Zenith’s leading scorer Lukas Hartig, the Czech striker later diagnosed with a broken leg and he will miss the remainder of the season. Spartak finally got the goal they were looking for deep in stoppage time when two of their substitutes sliced through the home defence, Maxym Kalinichenko having an easy finish after superb work by Yegor Titov.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Tuesday May 1st, 2007

It has been a much better month on the pitch and we now find ourselves just 90 minutes away from a European final. I am hoping and praying that we can go on to lift the trophy and if we do I will dedicate the victory to the memory of my young friend Misha whose life was struck short so tragically. I can never undo my own part in his death but I will make sure that I will honour his memory by the way I live my life from now on. Please God that I can achieve that before Smirnoff creeps out of his hole and takes the life from my body!

[Guest]

For Misha!

Kink's goal should take Spartak to final!

[BobBev]

Good call Tanel

Semya

Thursday May 3rd, 2007

Spartak Hold Firm For Place In Final

A 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool was enough for Spartak Moscow to book their place in the UEFA Cup Final in Sweden later this month. The game may have ended goalless but it was not without incident with both keepers required to be at their best. Kirkland in particular was called upon to make several excellent stops as the home side went in search of a goal that would extend their narrow aggregate lead. Spartak will face Valencia in the final after the Spaniards overcame Club Brugge with a 4-1 aggregate scoreline. Manager Djerkinov will be hoping that key midfielder Yegor Titov will make the final having been removed from play in the closing minutes with a suspected groin strain.

[BobBev]

Sevodnya

Sunday May 6th, 2007

Torpedo Stand Firm

Spartak Moscow played only their 4th league match of the season today having been preoccupied with both domestic and European cup action. How the home derby against struggling Torpedo Moscow remained scoreless is anyone’s guess as the home side bombarded the visitors for most of the 90 minutes, striking the woodwork and contriving to miss a late penalty. Keeper Maxym Startsev played the game of his life, making some unbelievable saves to frustrate the Spartak attack and was not surprisingly named Man of the Match for his efforts.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Monday May 7th, 2007

With the UEFA Cup Final less than ten days away I received a very interesting visit from Colonel Palichenko today. Unbeknown to me his FSB staff, in cooperation with their counterparts throughout Europe, have been gathering leads on the location of Smirnoff. Apparently he has been travelling slowly and surreptitiously from the UK though France and Germany and a few days ago he entered Denmark. The comrade Colonel believes that he is on his way to Sweden and suspects that he wants to use the chaos of the UEFA Cup Final as cover to get close to me and take me out. It was not much of a leap for me to realise that the Colonel has in mind that I should be used as bait to lure the brute into the open so that he can be re-captured. I appreciate the irony in this – after all this is exactly how he was detained originally but on that occasion it was poor Roman who was the bait.

[BobBev]

Zavtra

Wednesday May 9th, 2007

Spartak Stroll Into Cup Final

A 2-0 win at home to Zenith Peterburg in the 2nd leg of their Russian Cup Semi Final gave Spartak Moscow a comfortable 5-0 aggregate win. Tarmo Kink got both goals, scoring once in each half before limping off with a slight knock. Spartak will now face bitter rivals CSKA in the Final later this month. Key midfielder Maxym Kalinichenko was also withdrawn during the match when he felt the effects of a tight hamstring but this was later described as “a precautionary measure†by manager Yuri Djerkinov.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Saturday May 12th, 2007

Spartak Seconds Too Strong For Shinnik

With one eye on the forthcoming UEFA Cup Final Spartak Moscow boss Yuri Djerkinov followed his usual pattern of fielding his “second eleven†for the visit of Shinnik. His team proved to be more than a match for the visitors, scoring three times in the first quarter of an hour to effectively kill off the game. Konstantin Konoplev started the rout in the 4th minute firing home from outside the area after Denis Boyarintsev picked him out from a corner kick. Pavel Pogrebnyak displayed his eye for goal by scoring twice in the following ten minutes, the first a flicked header from another Boyarintsev corner and the second a cool finish after he latched on to a through ball from Velice Sumulikoski. The visitors tried manfully to claw their way back into the match but even though they created several chances their finishing was so wayward that they failed to get a single effort on target.

[Guest]

Will Kink be available for final?

[BobBev]

He sure will Tanel.

Moskovskie Novosti

Tuesday May 15th, 2007

Spartak Face Their Destiny

On the eve of the biggest match in the club’s history, Spartak Moscow have travelled to Gothenburg in Sweden with three key players requiring late fitness tests prior to tomorrow’s UEFA Cup Final. Young goalkeeper Dmitry Khomich and key midfielders Maxym Kalinichenko and Yegor Titov all face the prospect of missing the most important game of their careers. Spartak’s travelling fans will be hoping against hope that all three will be passed fit as their team will need to be at the top of their game to overcome Spanish side Valencia. The Spaniards also have some injury problems of their own with Italian midfield duo Marco Di Vaio and Stefano Fiore definitely out. However top scorer Bernardo Corradi and flying winger Vicente are sure to be key players on the night.

[BobBev]

The Times

Thursday May 17th, 2007

UEFA Cup Final Overshadowed By Violence

Last night’s UEFA Cup Final in Gothenburg turned out to be a classic encounter between unfancied Russian side Spartak Moscow, managed by former Chelsea boss Yuri Djerkinov, and favourites Valencia. Spartak raced into an early lead with Yegor Titov and Andrejs Rubins both scoring in the first 20 minutes. They held on to their lead until the game moved into the last ten minutes but were put under increasing pressure by their opponents. Valencia then scored twice in a minute to square the game and force extra time. In the additional 30 minutes the Russians were under the cosh and survived mainly thanks to the brilliance of young keeper Dmitry Khomich who made a string of fine saves. But survive they did, finally winning the most dramatic of penalty shootouts 6-5 to claim the first European trophy in the club’s history. But events on the pitch were overshadowed by happenings on the sidelines. Moments after the deciding spot kick was missed by Valencia’s Jorge Lopez the wild celebrations of the Russian players were cut short when manager Dejrkinov seemed to tangle with a spectator. Witnesses claim that shots were heard and both men collapsed and were rushed to hospital by paramedics, Djerkinov supposedly having suffered a heart attack. Chaos ensued as these bizarre events unfolded with officials from UEFA and both teams uncertain what exactly had happened. The Spartak players were understandably distraught and worried about their manager and declined to take part in the official victory ceremony and the evening ended in a confused anti-climax.

[BobBev]

Pravda

Friday May 19th, 2007

Djerkinov In Critical Condition

Spartak Moscow manager Yuri Djerkinov is described by Swedish doctors to be in critical condition and is in intensive care in one of Gothenburg’s main hospitals. The 57-year-old collapsed at the end of a thrilling penalty shootout when his team won the UEFA Cup two days ago. TV Cameras captured what appeared to be a scuffle between the manager and an unknown spectator who appeared to have infiltrated the Spartak technical area. Doctors have refused to give any further details of his condition or any injuries that he might have sustained, referring all questions to club officials. Despite their historic victory the Spartak players were in sombre mood when they arrived back in Moscow yesterday and refused to display the trophy for the waiting press and photographers. None of the players would speak of the incident and there has been no official statement from the club. It is understood that Assistant Manager Ludek Miklosko will take charge of team affairs for the moment and prepare the team for next week’s Russian Cup Final.

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Friday May 25th, 2007

Spartak Lift Russian Cup

Ten days after their triumph in the UEFA Cup Final, Spartak Moscow added the Russian Cup to their trophy cabinet, beating bitter city rivals CSKA 1-0. Games between these two teams always have an edge between them but this was a particularly acrimonious encounter with ten yellow cards produced. Two of them went to Brazilian star Wagner Love leaving CSKA a man short just before half time. Spartak enjoyed the better of the game from then on and only some excellent goalkeeping by Igor Akinfeev kept the scoresheet blank. Having twice hit the woodwork Spartak finally went in front with 20 minutes remaining when Tarmo Kink found a yard of space in the area to fire home. With manager Yuri Djerkinov still occupying a hospital bed in Sweden, assistant Ludek Miklosko accepted a winner’s medal on his behalf. As a gesture of solidarity with their manager the Spartak players have not yet accepted their UEFA Cup medals, preferring to wait until Djerkinov returns home before doing so.

[BobBev]

The Times

Saturday May 26th, 2007

Chelsea Win The Cup

Chelsea are a football club that has been touched by more than their fair share of tragedy in recent times. Two years ago two members of their backroom staff were slain and they lost the services of their successful manager Yuri Djerkinov in the aftermath. Then two months ago owner Roman Abramovich was found brutally murdered outside the Stamford Bridge stadium, undoubtedly a victim of the same killer. But now with the whole of the country willing them on they lifted the FA Cup, dedicating the trophy to their late owner. The Ambramovich family have vowed to stick with the club despite the painful memories associated with it and Roman’s widow and children attended the one-sided final at Wembley where three goals in the opening 30 minutes was more than enough for a comfortable victory over Norwich.

[Guest]

Kink = job well done.

[BobBev]

The Guardian

Monday May 28th, 2007

Smirnoff Manhunt Called Off

The extensive manhunt for Vladimir Smirnoff, who escaped police custody after being extradited from Russia to stand trial in the so-called Stamford Bridge Slayings has now been officially declared over. According to the Metropolitan Police they received information from the Russian authorities some weeks ago that their quarry had already fled the country and was being tracked as he travelled across Europe. The fugitive was eventually apprehended in Sweden and is now believed to be in custody in a secure location in Moscow. Smirnoff is also the prime suspect in the recent murder of Roman Abramovich and the Foreign Office are in the process of discussing his return to the UK to face further charges.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Friday June 1st, 2007

Well it seems that the gods decided that it wasn’t my time to join Misha in the afterlife but it was a close run thing. As I suspected the comrade Colonel had decided to use me as bait to tempt Smirnoff into breaking cover. Of course he had placed bodyguards amongst my “backroom staff†in the dugout but even they had got so caught up in the drama of the penalty decider that their attention was distracted when The Impaler struck. Some instinct made me turn around at the crucial moment and his intended fatal blow was slightly off-target, fortunately for me. But his stiletto thrust still came close enough to my vital organs that it was touch and go for a while. The FSB men were on him in a flash and I believe that he was quite badly wounded when they shot him, but he too lived to tell the tale. The doctors tell me that I will be well enough to travel in a week or so and of course I have been keeping up to date with how the team are doing. Courtesy of the FSB I was even able to listen to the Russian Cup Final via satellite radio and I was delighted for Ludek and the boys. Even though we were not formally presented with the trophy on that dramatic night in Gothenburg I still feel that I fulfilled my silent vow to Misha and dedicate the win to him. The events of the last few weeks have really taken it out of me though and I am uncertain if I can, or want, to take charge of the team again on my return. The full details of the assault have not been made public, the pretence of a heart attack being used to explain my hospitalisation.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Friday June 15th, 2007

Djerkinov Returns To Hero’s Welcome

Spartak Moscow manager Yuri Djerkinov returned to Moscow after spending nearly a month in a Swedish hospital following his collapse in the aftermath of his team’s dramatic UEFA Cup Final victory. Allegedly having suffered a suspected heart attack rumours abound that the mystery assailant caught fleetingly by a TV camera was engaged in some form of assassination attempt. The man himself has refused to be drawn on the matter and, looking tired and worn as he descended from his aircraft, he spoke briefly to the waiting press. Refusing to answer any specific questions he expressed his delight at being back home and paid tribute to his players for their remarkable victory and congratulated stand-in boss Ludek Miklosko on guiding the team to their Russian Cup triumph. According to Djerkinov he has no immediate plans to take charge back at the Luzhniki, requiring more time to recover from his illness.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Monday June 18th, 2007

I have to say that it is wonderful to be back home! It was an emotional time for me when I was reunited with the players and I was very touched by the private ceremony that they arranged where we all received our UEFA Cup winner’s medals. The team has been in great form since our finest hour in Sweden and Ludek has been doing a fantastic job with the boys. I really enjoyed watching the game on Saturday and the new formation that Ludek is using certainly seems very effective. It is something that we had discussed in the past, playing with a narrower midfield and using an extra striker, and it seems to be working out well. I am still uncertain if I have the emotional energy needed to return and take up the reins just yet so I will leave Ludek in charge for the time being.

[BobBev]

The Guardian

Thursday June 21st, 2007

Abramovich Suspect Dies In Police Custody

The grisly saga of Vladimir Smirnoff has finally come to an end. The man suspected of the murder of Roman Abramovich earlier this year, as well as two members of the Chelsea backroom staff in 2005, was found hanged in a Moscow police cell in the early hours of yesterday morning. Long suspected by the Russian authorities as a senior member of that country’s criminal Mafia, the man known as The Impaler was implicated in a number of murders in his homeland as well as the Stamford Bridge slayings. Extradited to the UK after a drawn-out legal process he made a dramatic escape from police custody. Having lain low in England he is then believed to have returned to London to kill Mr. Abramovich and then fled the country. He was re-captured last month in Sweden after a joint intelligence operation between the Swedes and the Russians and was in custody in Moscow awaiting a further extradition hearing to return him to the UK once more. His apparently self-inflicted death brings a long and bloody tale to an end, and many may feel that his demise represents the most appropriate form of justice for his brutal acts.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Sunday July 24th, 2007

I had a most unexpected visit from Colonel Palichenko, Misha’s former superior at the FSB. In a strictly “off the record†conversation he dropped some heavy hints that Smirnoff’s death was not exactly at his own hands and that the FSB had in fact despatched him as a final act of vengeance. Whilst uncomfortable that our own security services would do such a thing my overwhelming feeling was one of satisfaction that Misha’s killer had finally received the fate that his callous actions deserved. No longer would he cast a shadow over my own life, although I will bear the scars of his attack for the remainder of my life, both physically and emotionally. But at least I can pick up the pieces safe in the knowledge that I don’t have to keep looking over my shoulder wondering when the maniac may try to strike again.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Wednesday July 18th, 2007

Well what a summer the team has been having under the guidance of the inspirational Ludek. Since our success in Europe we have been unbeaten in the league, our only defeat coming in the 2nd leg of the League Cup Quarter Final. Best of all we beat bitter rivals CSKA to overtake them and go top of the table and now have a five-point lead. We have won ten league matches in succession and inspired by our midfield trio of Boyarintsev, Kalinichenko and Titov we have shrugged off a bad injury to Andrejs Rubins and are playing some wonderful football. I am attending all of the games and even coming along to training most days but I do not yet feel fit enough to take up my previous position. Besides, Ludek is proving to be so capable that it would seem churlish to muscle my way back in at the moment. He is still kind enough to ask for my opinion on team selection and tactics and many of the players spend time with me talking about forthcoming matches so I feel that I am still making a contribution. But I see no pressing reason to disrupt the present arrangement and run the risk of upsetting the current momentum that the team has going.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Thursday August 30th, 2007

Despite a rash of injuries to key players the boys have managed to keep their form going and with four wins and a draw in their last five league matches they have maintained their five-point lead at the top of the table. But we now have Martin Jiranek, Freddy Guarín, Nemanja Vidic and Sergey Kovalchuk all in the treatment room and we will need to dig deep if we are to achieve our ambition of taking the league title. With the defence of our UEFA Cup just about to begin there are a lot of important matches coming up. I have been gradually spending more and more time back at the club but Ludek is still officially in charge of affairs on the pitch and I am very impressed with the way he has got the team performing. The former Czech international loves to see attacking football and the two of us are very much in tune as far as that is concerned. If we go on to take the title then much of the credit must go his way, no doubt about that.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Monday October 1st, 2007

September was another good month with three wins and a draw in the league and a 4-2 aggregate win over Legia of Warsaw to take us through to the group stages of the UEFA Cup. But CSKA are not dropping any points and our goalless draw at Zenith Peterburg yesterday has reduced our lead to three points. We missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed so it was a very frustrating afternoon. But to be honest everything had gone our way in the three previous league matches as we scored 9 goals without reply and our opponents had four players sent off in total. Our UEFA Cup group looks interesting and we will face Sevilla, Dinamo Kiev, Norwich and Esbjerf fB with three of the five teams moving into the next phase. I am hopeful that we will win our two home games and that should be more than enough to see us through.

[BobBev]

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Tuesday October 30th, 2007

The Premiership title is ours! A 1-1 draw at Lokomotiv Moscow was good enough to ensure that we would top the table for the first time since the club won their 7th consecutive title in 2001. A surprise 2-0 defeat for CSKA at home to Lokomotiv ten days ago put us in pole position and with Yegor Titov scoring some crucial goals in the run-in we did enough to be crowned champions with one league game remaining. We also made a good start in the UEFA Cup with a 2-0 win at home to Norwich and look like making progress in the Russian Cup with a 3-0 win at Amkar in the 1st leg of our 6th round tie. But the important thing was regaining the title that most of our fans believe is ours by right. I am feeling stronger week by week and it looks likely that I will re-take official control of the team in the off-season but for the moment I want Ludek and the players to take the plaudits for their fantastic achievement.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Sunday November 4th, 2007

Spartak Sign Off With Win

Premiership champions Spartak Moscow ended their hugely successful domestic league season with a 2-0 win at home to relegated Tom, both goals coming from peerless midfielder Yegor Titov. The victory came despite the home side having two players dismissed, Freddy Guarín booked twice in the first half and Andrejs Rubins suffering the same fate in the second period. Even with nine men the home side were far too strong for a limited Tom and rarely looked like conceding a goal. Titov scored the opener after quarter of an hour with a powerful header from around 12 yards out and his second came just after the hour with a simple tap-in from close range. The 31-year-old has been a key figure for Spartak this season and has recovered from injury to play some of the best football of his career. Acting manager Ludek Miklosko was quick to give credit to both his players and to his mentor Yuri Djerkinov, even though Dejrkinov has not been officially in charge since that dramatic night in Sweden in mid-May. With just a single league defeat all season, Spartak have added the championship to both the UEFA Cup and the Russian Cup to complete the best season in the club’s history.

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

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

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

| 1st | C | SPARTAK MOSCOW | 30 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 64 | 14 | +50 | 75 |

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

| 2nd | | CSKA Moscow | 30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 53 | 21 | +32 | 67 |

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

| 3rd | | FC Moscow | 30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 52 |

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

| 4th | | Krylja Sovetov | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 44 | 27 | +17 | 50 |

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

| 5th | | Dinamo Moscow | 30 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 47 | 45 | +2 | 47 |

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

| 6th | | Amkar | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 43 |

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

| 7th | | Saturn | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 42 |

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

| 8th | | Rostov | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 38 | 47 | -9 | 41 |

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

| 9th | | Lokomotiv Moscow | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 35 | 31 | +4 | 39 |

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

| 10th | | Kuban | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 38 |

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

| 11th | | Terek | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 30 | 38 | -8 | 38 |

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

| 12th | | Zenith Peterburg | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 34 | 39 | -5 | 36 |

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

| 13th | | Shinnik | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 26 | 45 | -19 | 33 |

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

| 14th | | Rubin | 30 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 26 | 40 | -14 | 28 |

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

| 15th | R | Tom | 30 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 30 | 66 | -36 | 22 |

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

| 16th | R | Torpedo Moscow | 30 | 1 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 41 | -26 | 13 |

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

</pre>

[axeman]

Quite a feat there mate

And sending Torpedo packing to the lower level too

[BobBev]

Cheers Mr. Axe!

From the Diary of Yuri Djerkinov

Tuesday November 6th, 2007

I am absolutely delighted for Ludek and the boys that we have taken our first Premiership title since 2001. This has been a fantastic year for the club and the players have performed admirably – Boyarintsev enjoyed his best season at Spartak, Titov was the architect of much of our success, Guarín made a big impact after his arrival and Kink finished as our top scorer.

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

| Name | Apps | Gls | Ast | MoM | Pas | Tck | Drb | Sh T | Av Rat|

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

| Denis Boyarintsev | 25 (3) | 4 | 17 | 5 | 74% | 1.96 | 2.86 | 53% | 7.86 |

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

| Martin Jiranek | 29 | - | 1 | 1 | 78% | 3.23 | 1.20 | - | 7.66 |

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

| Freddy Guarín | 29 (8) | 8 | 4 | 5 | 81% | 3.15 | 0.96 | 50% | 7.57 |

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

| Yegor Titov | 42 (1) | 18 | 8 | 3 | 84% | 1.22 | 0.75 | 50% | 7.51 |

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

| Clemente Rodríguez | 46 | - | 4 | 3 | 76% | 3.33 | 0.66 | - | 7.46 |

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

| Tarmo Kink | 30 (4) | 21 | 4 | 2 | 82% | 0.72 | 1.61 | 54% | 7.44 |

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

| Dmitry Khomich | 36 | - | - | 2 | 47% | - | - | - | 7.44 |

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

| Nemanja Vidic | 35 | 1 | - | 3 | 76% | 2.94 | 0.17 | - | 7.43 |

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

| Oscar Diaz | 10 | - | 1 | - | 79% | 1.98 | 0.44 | - | 7.40 |

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

| Pavel Pogrebnyak | 29 (4) | 15 | 12 | 2 | 82% | 0.47 | 1.69 | 55% | 7.39 |

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

| Andrejs Rubins | 29 (7) | 3 | 15 | 4 | 78% | 2.07 | 3.67 | 30% | 7.39 |

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

| Adrian Mihai Iencsi | 47 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 73% | 1.88 | 0.21 | 66% | 7.38 |

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

| Maxym Kalinichenko | 43 (2) | 12 | 7 | 2 | 78% | 1.45 | 1.10 | 47% | 7.36 |

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

| Konstantin Konoplev | 9 (3) | 2 | 1 | - | 76% | 1.70 | 0.40 | 57% | 7.25 |

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

| Velice Sumulikoski | 26 (3) | - | 3 | 3 | 79% | 2.47 | 0.53 | 26% | 7.24 |

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

| Wojciech Kowalewski | 18 (1) | - | - | - | 57% | - | - | - | 7.21 |

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

| Sergey Kovalchuk | 21 (14)| 2 | 10 | 1 | 77% | 2.00 | 2.88 | 44% | 7.17 |

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

| Gabriel Sebastian Tamas | 21 (2) | 1 | - | - | 73% | 2.67 | 0.42 | - | 7.09 |

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

| Vladimir Leshonok | 3 (10) | 1 | 1 | - | 81% | 2.16 | 1.08 | 45% | 7.08 |

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

| Mihajlo Pjanovic | 16 (14)| 8 | 4 | 1 | 82% | 1.12 | 1.42 | 56% | 7.07 |

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

| Denis Tkachenko | 2 (1) | - | - | - | 87% | 0.94 | 2.83 | 60% | 7.00 |

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

| Florin Costin Soavã | 6 | - | - | - | 77% | 4.09 | - | - | 7.00 |

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

| Igor Mitreski | 0 (1) | - | - | - | - | 6.92 | - | - | 7.00 |

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

| Ioan Cristian Dancia | 1 (2) | - | - | - | 81% | 1.80 | 0.60 | - | 7.00 |

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

| Diego Cárcamo | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5.00 | - | - | 7.00 |

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

| Nikita Bazhenov | 9 (4) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 82% | 0.75 | 2.36 | 37% | 7.00 |

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

| Alexandr Pavlenko | 7 (17) | 2 | - | 1 | 83% | 1.05 | 1.64 | 36% | 6.92 |

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

| Ãkos Buzsáky | 6 (7) | - | - | - | 81% | 1.20 | 0.30 | - | 6.85 |

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

</pre>

[BobBev]

Pravda

Wednesday November 14th, 2007

Russia Fall At Final Hurdle

After finishing close runners-up to Holland in their Euro 2008 qualifying group Russia crashed out of the competition after a two-legged playoff with Sweden. Having come within an ace of returning from the away leg with a goalless draw before conceding twice in the last minute, Gadji Gadjiev’s team tried hard to turn the game around in the home leg but failed to find a way past a determined Swedish defence. When Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in the 59th minute the tie was all but over and the 1-0 win on the night gave the Swedes a 3-0 aggregate win to take them through to the final stages next summer.

[BobBev]

Izvestia

Saturday November 17th, 2007

Gadjiev To Step Down

The Russian FA announced earlier today that Gadji Gadjiev will step down from his position as national team coach. The 62-year-old was appointed at the start of the year to oversee the Euro 2008 qualification campaign and after the recent playoff defeat he has decided to step down and concentrate on his role at Krylja Sovetov. The decision to allow Gadjiev to combine both roles was controversial and it now seems likely that the FA will look to put a full time coach in place for the forthcoming World Cup qualification programme. The early favourite for the post is said to be Spartak Moscow boss Yuri Djerkinov after his top-flight experience at Chelsea and his recent domestic and European success.

[BobBev]

Russky Telegraf

Tuesday November 20th, 2007

Djerkinov To Head National Team

The Russian FA announced this morning that Yuri Djerkinov has agreed to take up the position as national team coach in the wake of the resignation of Gadji Gadjiev. The people’s favourite has formally resigned from Spartak Moscow to take up the role and is said to be thrilled at the prospect of international management. In a remarkably brief career in top-level management the 57-year-old has captured Premiership titles in England and Russia and lifted both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. The World Cup qualification campaign does not get underway until late summer next year so the new man has some time to get familiar with his new job and start to shape his squad. If he can achieve anything like the same level of success that he has in the last few years at club level then the future of the national side looks very rosy indeed.