20 of the brightest youth breakthroughs in the history of the RPL. Who do you remember more than Batrakov?
Anatoly Romanov September 21, 2024, 07:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
But perhaps the Lokomotiv midfielder had the best start.
The most brilliant performance of Alexey Batrakov is the revelation of this RPL season. The young Lokomotiv midfielder tops the list of the most productive players of the new Championship. Batrakov’s breakthrough is a reason to compare his rise with that of other Russian footballers under 20 years old throughout history. Which one was the most impressive?
The young Lokomotiv midfielder has already surpassed the achievement of the current Real Sociedad player:
Stories
Batrakov broke Zakharyan’s record among RPL teenagers
Take part in voting and creating ratings. We have selected two dozen of the best, in our opinion, young debutants for it. In addition, there is the possibility of voting for someone else. Write in the comments why you voted for this or that player.
During the voting, players will be allocated to their places. The rating depends entirely on the votes of the “Championship” readers and is formed online.
If you think an option should be lower, press the down arrow “↓”. If you want to move an option up in the list, press the up arrow “ ↑”.
Important: The “Ranking” feature only works in the regular version of the “Championship”. If you accessed this material through the search page, you will only see the generated list without voting buttons.
Ranking: Who was the best young Russian footballer under 20?
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Igor Akinfeev
17-year-old Akinfeev made a big impression from his first match in the RPL, when he converted a penalty in Samara in the opening match of the 2003 season and secured a clear victory for CSKA. At the end of the following season in 2004, the young goalkeeper was included in the list of the 33 best players with the third number in his position and played for the Russian national team for the first time. And already at the age of 19 he lifted the UEFA Cup over his head.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Marat Izmailov
19-year-old Izmailov made an absolutely stunning debut in the top league in the 2001 season. The technical, skillful and creative midfielder instantly won the hearts of fans. In 29 championship matches he scored 6+7. In the same year he received a call-up to the Russian national team and played for it for the first time. He entered the list of the top 33 at number one.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Dmitri Sychev
Eighteen-year-old Sychev was a bright star in the 2002 season. The forward made a great debut for Spartak, scoring nine goals in 18 matches in the Russian championship. After four matches in the Major League, Oleg Romantsev decided to take Dmitry to the Russian national team: Sychev made his debut in the national team and went to the 2002 World Cup, where he scored against Belgium.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Alan Dzagoev
Dzagoev made his debut in the RPL at the age of 17 in the 2008 season and immediately made a name for himself. The young attacking midfielder impressed fans and experts with his mature game for his age. In his first championship he scored 8+8 in 20 matches. As a result, he joined the Russian national team in October 2008, and Alan was included in the list of the 33 best players at number three.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Andrei Arshavin
Young Arshavin had long been prepared to play in the first team, as he did not have good physical qualities. In the 2001 season, the then 20-year-old attacking midfielder really took off and helped Zenit achieve great success – they took bronze in the championship. Andrey scored 4+8 in 29 matches, took second place in his position in the list of the best 33, and in the spring of 2002 he made his debut in the Russian national team.
Photo: Pavel Tkachuk, “Championship”
Alexander Golovin
Golovin first played for the Russian national team in June 2015, when he was 19 years old. A year later, Alexander performed at Euro 2016 as part of the national team and became the best young footballer of the country, receiving the “First Five” award. And according to the results of the season, Alexander entered the list of the best 33 in third place.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Alexei Batrakov
Has any of the youngsters shot harder than Batrakov? To date, the 19-year-old midfielder has only played 13 matches in the RPL, in which he has scored six goals and provided five assists. On average, almost one effective action per game! In just a few months, Alexey has become a key figure in Lokomotiv’s attack. And he would have already made his debut for the Russian national team if the match with Thailand had not been cancelled.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Vladimir Beschastnykh
Beschastnykh, 19, scored 18 goals in 29 Russian championship games for Spartak in the 1993 season and won gold medals with the red-and-white team. He was included in the list of the 33 best players in the number one spot. And the talented forward made his debut in the national team at the age of 18, when he was just starting to shine in Oleg Romantsev’s team.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Alexander Kerzhakov
When 18-year-old Kerzhakov first joined Zenit, he failed to score for half a season. But then the forward made a breakthrough and finished the 2001 championship with good statistics: he scored 6+7 in 28 matches. He entered the list of the 33 best players in third place. The following year, Alexander scored 14 goals, already ranked first in the list of the 33 best players and made his debut for the Russian national team. He also played in the 2002 World Cup.
Photo: Igor Utkin/TASS Photo Chronicle
Igor Simutenkov
According to the results of the first Russian Championship of the 1992 season, at that time 19-year-old Simutenkov was included in the list of the 33 best in the second place. The following year, he scored 16 goals in the championship and again found himself in the top 33, taking the 2nd place. Thus began the rise of the forward, who in the 1994 season would become the top scorer of the league and make his debut in the Russian national team.
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Sergey Pinyaev
Pinyaev was expected to make a breakthrough, even though he was spectacular at youth level. At the age of 16, the winger made his debut in the RPL with Krylia Sovetov, and the following season he was already a prominent figure in the Russian championship. He scored 5+2 in 20 matches and won the “First Five” award in 2022. Then, at the age of 18 years and 15 days, Sergei played for the Russian national team for the first time, becoming the youngest footballer in its history and then the youngest scorer.
Photo: Sergey Apenkin, “Championship”
Matvey Safonov
The 19-year-old Safonov earned a place in the Krasnodar squad during the 2018/2019 season and was talked about from the very first matches. Matvey stood out for his brilliant linear play and beautiful saves; he looked like a very confident goalkeeper for a player of his age. The following season he was included in the list of the best 33, number two after Igor Akinfeev, and in 2020 he was included in the Russian national team for the first time.
Photo: Edgar Breshchanov, “Championship”
Konstantin Tyukavin
Tyukavin started playing for Dynamo at the age of 18: he scored 3+5 in 15 matches in his first season in the RPL. In the following championship, the forward made another 10 effective actions (6+4). Ahead of Konstantin was his debut in the Russian national team at the age of 19 and victory in the poll for the best young player in the country, winning the “First Five” award.
Photo: Denis Tyrin, “Championship”
Alexey Miranchuk
The 20-year-old Lokomotiv midfielder became the best young player in Russia in 2015, winning the “First Five” award. In the same year, even before turning 20, Miranchuk made his debut in the Russian national team, giving several very bright matches in the main team of the railway workers. And the next season, Alexey was included in the list of the 33 best at number three.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Vladislav Radimov
Eighteen-year-old Radimov became the revelation of the 1994 season. The young midfielder established himself in the CSKA squad, quickly became an important figure for the team and, following the results of the championship, was included in the list of the 33 best players as number one. Vladislav stood out for his technique and non-standard solutions on the field; in the same year he made his debut in the Russian national team.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Fyodor Chalov
Chalov is the best young player in Russia in 2017, which he received together with the “First Five” award. The CSKA forward, who was 19 years old at the time, scored six goals in 15 matches in his first season in the RPL. At the age of 20, Fedor played for the Russian national team and the following season he was included in the list of the 33 best players at number three.
Photo: Artyom Gusev, “Championship”
Arsen Zakharyan
17-year-old Zakharyan had a very bright debut in the RPL, in fact, from the first matches for Dynamo Moscow he started scoring and providing assists. In the first season he scored 3+5 in 13 matches, and in the next season he scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 29 matches. At the age of 18, Arsen started playing for the Russian national team and at the end of the championship he was included in the list of the 33 best, the number one.
Photo: “Championship”
The best young player was another player.
Who else could be in this ranking? For example, Artyom Bezrodny, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov or Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov. Scouts found Bezrodny in Ukraine: at the age of 16, the midfielder ended up at Spartak. He soon made his debut in the Champions League. Then Artyom was loaned to the German Bayern, and after returning, the 20-year-old had a powerful championship season in 1999. In particular, he scored a double against CSKA. Bezrodny made his debut in the Russian national team and at the end of the championship he was included in the list of the 33 best in the third place.
Bilyaletdinov first played for the national team in 2005, when he was 20 years old. The Lokomotiv midfielder won the “First Five” award and scored eight goals in 29 games for the railwaymen. At the end of the 2005 season, he was included in the list of the best 33 in the number two position.
At the age of 18, Suleymanov became the best joker in the RPL. He scored regularly when he came on as a substitute in Krasnodar. He scored eight goals in 20 matches. In 2019, he shared first place with Safonov in the fight for the “Top Five”.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Vladimir Bystrov
Bystrov, 19, shone for Zenit in the 2003 season, scoring four goals in 19 games to help Vlastimil Petrzhela’s team sensationally win silverware. That year, the right midfielder finished third in the list of the 33 best players in his position, and at the end of the 2004 season he finished first. At the age of 20, he made his debut for the Russian national team.
Photo: Igor Utkin/TASS Photo Chronicle
Ilshat Faizullin
In the first Russian championship of the 1992 season, 19-year-old Faizullin entered the list of the 33 best players in the number two spot. The following year, the forward, who stood out for his speed and technique, made his debut for the national team, scored eight goals and was again included in the list of the 33 best players in the number two spot. In addition, Ilshat scored against Marseille in the Champions League.
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Alexander Pavlenko
Pavlenko appeared at Spartak at the age of 16 and played in the “golden” season of 2001. The young midfielder-creator was highly praised, predicting a bright future for him. In the 2003 season, the still young Alexander began to really open up: in 21 matches for the red-and-whites he scored two goals and provided five assists, earning himself a place in the list of the best 33 in the third place.
Photo: Alexander Mysyakin, “Championship”
Alexander Kokorin
In 2011, Kokorin, who was then 20 years old, established himself in the ranks of Dynamo Moscow, scored five goals during the championship and won the award for the best young player in the country – the “First Five” award. In November 2011, the forward made his debut in the Russian national team. And by the end of the following season, Alexander was already number one in his position in the list of the 33 best.
