Krasnodar and Dynamo have not learned their lesson. Big words and old problems.
Dmitry Zimin August 25, 2024, 11:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
But the ambitions persisted.
That was exactly three months ago. On May 25, 2024, hundreds of Dynamo fans sang songs in the very center of Krasnodar. The team was accompanied excitedly to the stadium, where several thousand more had gathered. A draw would be enough for Dynamo to win the championship. And almost everyone was sure: the curse would be lifted. They have been at this for too long.
But there was another side to the story: Krasnodar. Murad Musaev did not have a very successful start after his return and his team looked too unstable in the spring. However, it turned out that, just like Dynamo, the southerners were able to win the title in the last round. But it was necessary to win.
And so they did, to the delight of the assembled crowd. The crowd was happy until the final whistle, when people grabbed their phones to find out about Zenit’s victory in St. Petersburg. First, Krasnodar took away Dynamo’s hope, and then they took it away from him. The story is truly cinematic and dramatic. It’s surprising that no one has released a documentary yet. It would definitely be a success.
What happened in the championship game that never was:
Galitsky still succeeded. Although he wanted to cry that day in Krasnodar
Three months have passed. Now they will meet in Moscow. And if you look at the sporting and public positioning of the clubs, not much has changed. The main thing is that both teams still want to fight with Zenit for the title. The only problem is that the words do not really correlate with their transfer policy.
Let’s take Dynamo as an example. Already at the end of last season it was clear: the club needs to be strengthened, regardless of the result. And they even identified problem areas: the center of defense, the flanks, the search for an alternative to Konstantin Tyukavin. What will we see on August 25? The signing of Andrey Lunev is a really cool reinforcement. Also: El-Mehdi Mawhoub. It’s not entirely clear what this is yet. Yes, we know that he competed in one Olympic Games and even scored a goal. But that’s all that is known about the guy. And although it’s difficult to call him a replacement for Tyukavin.
Konstantin Tyukavin
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
It is paradoxical, but with all these problems, Dynamo is now really Zenit’s main pursuer. They have one defeat in a head-to-head match and the rest are victories. However, it seems that Marcel Lička is now working against all expectations. And he is looking forward to transfers. Maybe the management will follow tradition and bring someone in September? But so far this is not visible.
Krasnodar has a different problem. It is about retaining the remnants of the leaders. Matvey Safonov has already left the club, as has Junior Alonso. Now it is important to keep Eduard Spertsyan and John Cordoba. If the first is already the captain and seems ready to stay, then the entourage of the second is still aiming to leave. Although the management does not stop trying to prevent it. Krasnodar has already strengthened two problematic positions: they took a central defender and a player on the flank. In addition, they intercepted Danil Kozlov from Zenit. But the club clearly does not want to transfer the striker. Simply because Cordoba will be very difficult to replace.
John Cordoba
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
But the coach, even before the Russian Super Cup match, specifically outlined the club’s tasks. Since the management in Krasnodar is not public, it has to do so. The goal is to win all the trophies. Naturally, without deviating from your style. Everything is as usual.
Conclusion: In three months, practically nothing has changed for the clubs: the same problems and the same harsh words. But now they are also different places in the table. However, if Krasnodar wins on Sunday, they will equal Dynamo in points.
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