“Ural” is close to relegation from the RPL. In the first transition match, the Yekaterinburg team lost at home to Akron with a score of 0:2. Now we need to win decisively in Zhigulevsk. The Urals will have to do it without coach Viktor Goncharenko, who was fired after the first match. In general, the situation is very difficult. And the team’s relegation is, to a certain extent, the end of an era. “Ural” has been constantly playing in the RPL since 2013. Only Spartak, CSKA, Lokomotiv, Krasnodar, Zenit, Rostov and Akhmat (ex-Terek) have been in the elite for longer. What was Russian football like the last time Ural played outside the RPL?
The following clubs competed in the 2012/2013 Russian Championship: CSKA, Zenit, Anzhi, Spartak, Kuban, Rubin, Dynamo, Terek, Lokomotiv, Krasnodar, Amkar”, “Volga”, “Rostov”, “Krylya Sovetov” + “ Mordovia.” ” and “Alania” who left the FNL.
Keisuke Honda and Igor Shitov
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
CSKA became Russian champions for the fourth time. The military team led for most of the season and ultimately finished two points ahead of Zenit.
CSKA – champion of Russia – 2012/2013
Photo: Denis Tyrin, “Championship”
Anzhi, under the leadership of Guus Hiddink, won bronze medals in the RPL for the only time in its history. A powerful team has been assembled in Makhachkala: Samuel Eto’o, Lacina Traoré, Lassana Diarra, Mbark Boussoufa, Oleg Shatov, Yuri Zhirkov, Andrey Eshchenko, Vladimir Gabulov, Willian.
Samuel Eto’o and Rasim Tagirbekov
Photo: Sergey Rasulov, “Championship”
In September 2012, Zenit made two high-profile transactions on the same day. Saint Petersburg acquired forward Hulk from Porto and midfielder Axel Witsel from Benfica (both cost 40 million euros). And Luciano Spalletti coached them at Zenit.
Hulk, Axel Witsel and Miguel Danni
Photo: Elena Razina, “Championship”
In the summer of 2012, Spartak was led by Spanish coach Unai Emery. Under his leadership, the red and white defeated Fenerbahçe and reached the group stage of the Champions League. But due to unsatisfactory results, the future coach of PSG, Arsenal and Sevilla was fired in November. And Valery Karpin returned to the position of Spartak coach.
Unai Emery
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
Stanislav Cherchesov coached Terek Grozny and took 8th place with the club. But at the end of the season, Ramzan Kadyrov fired him from the team via social media.
Stanislav Cherchesov – head coach of Terek
Photo: Sergey Rasulov, “Championship”
Alania, who returned to the RPL, took last place, 16th. And he returned to the FNL. Until the 15th round, the team was coached by Vladimir Gazzaev, and then the Vladikavkaz team was coached by his father, Valery.
Valery Gazzaev – head coach of Alania
Photo: Alexander Kuzmin, “Championship”
The RPL was experiencing a “golden” era in terms of foreign stars. In addition to Hulk, Witsel and Eto’o, the league featured Kevin Kuranyi, Zoran Tosic, Keisuke Honda, Danny, Aiden McGeady, Vedran Corluka, José Salomón Rondón, Gökdeniz Karadeniz, Felipe Caicedo and Mario Fernández.
Kevin Kuranyi
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
The best scorers of the season were Krasnodar winger Vanderson and forward Yura Movsisyan, who replaced the Bulls with Spartak during the championship. Both players scored 13 goals. And the best Russian scorer of the season is Ruslan Mukhametshin (Mordovia, 11 goals).
Yura Movsisyan
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
The match with the highest attendance was the match between CSKA and Spartak, which took place on April 21, 2013 in Luzhniki. 67,740 spectators attended the match.
The most attended match was the match between CSKA and Spartak, held on April 21, 2013.
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
CSKA won the Russian Cup. In the final, the military team defeated Anzhi in the penalty shootout (1-1, 4-3). Double “golden” for Leonid Slutsky’s team!
CSKA – winner of the Russian Cup – 2012/2013
Photo: Denis Tyrin, “Championship”
And Rubin won the Russian Super Cup in July 2012. In the final, Kurban Berdyev’s team beat Zenit 2-0.
“Rubin” – winner of the Russian Super Cup – 2012
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
Zenit midfielder Igor Denisov caused a riot due to the difference in salaries between Russians and expensive foreign players at the club. He refused to take the field for the match against Krylia Sovetov, after which he missed a month. And at the end of the season he left Zenit.
Igor Denisov
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
And Roman Shirokov had a conflict with Zenit fans. In the match against Volga he came on as a substitute, scored at the end, made an indecent gesture to the fans and was sent off the field.
Roman Shirokov at Zenit
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
During the Dynamo – Zenit match on November 17, 2012, a firecracker flew from the visiting stands towards Moscow goalkeeper Anton Shunin. The game was interrupted and then the St. Petersburg team suffered a technical defeat.
Anton Shunin after the explosion of a firecracker
Photo: Vladimir Mayorov, “Championship”
Vagner Love returned to CSKA mid-season! He played nine games in the RPL and scored five goals.
love vagner
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
The 2012/2013 season is the only one in the RPL for the legendary meme striker Alexei Sapogov. He scored eight goals for Volga and in the match with the Russian national team-2 he headed the ball into an empty goal from half a meter.
Alexey Sapogov in the Russian national team-2
Photo: Alexey Starostin, “Championship”
CSKA unexpectedly lost to Swedish side AIK in the Europa League qualifying round. And Dynamo Moscow – German Stuttgart.
CSKA lost to Swedish side AIK in Champions League qualification
Photo: Denis Tyrin, “Championship”
Spartak qualified for the Champions League for the first and only time, beating Fenerbahce. But the red and white finished the group stage in fourth place, having achieved only one victory over Benfica. Although in the away match against Barcelona the Muscovites even led 2:1, in the end they lost 2:3.
“Barcelona” – “Spartak”
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Other teams had a little more success. Zenit finished third in the Champions League group, behind Málaga and Milan. The Saint Petersburg team reached the Europa League playoffs, where they advanced to the round of 16 against Liverpool. And in the next round they were eliminated by Basel.
“Zenit” – “Liverpool”
Photo: Elena Razina, “Championship”
Anji had an excellent season in the European Cup. The Makhachkala team qualified and advanced from the group along with Liverpool, Young Boys and Udinese (they beat the English in Moscow 1-0). Then, Hannover’s passage to the round of 16 and Newcastle’s elimination in the next phase.
“Anzhi” – “Newcastle”
Photo: Denis Tyrin, “Championship”
Rubin had the most successful European season. Kurban Berdyev’s team took first place in the Europa League group along with Inter (they were defeated at home 3-0), Partizan and Neftchi. Next, Atlético’s passage to the round of 16 (a year later the Madrid team would win Primera and reach the Champions League final) and Levante to the round of 16. And only in the quarterfinals did Chelsea stop Rubin. The hosts won in England 3-1 and in the second leg in Moscow the Kazan team defeated Les Bleus 3-2.
“Ruby” – “Chelsea”
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
After the disastrous Euro 2012, the Russian team was led by Fabio Capello. Under the leadership of the Italian, the team began qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. In October 2012, Russia beat Portugal 1:0 in Luzhniki. And in the end, the Russian team took first place and qualified for the World Championship in Brazil.
Russia – Portugal
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
The Russian U-17 team became European champions in May 2013! In the final, Dmitry Khomukha’s team beat Italy on penalties. For example, Alexander Golovin, Dmitry Barinov, Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Anton Mitryushkin played for that Russian national team.
Russia U17 – European Champion
Photo: RIA Novosti
How much the situation has changed not only in Russian football, but also in the world. But “Ural” played in the RPL all this time. Will the residents of Yekaterinburg be able to maintain their place in the elite or will the era end?
The RPL season is everything, but the league continues to give many important news:
Care of coaches and stars more important news about signings. The start of the off-season in the RPL is on fire!
