Around Match Day 27

 

’Around the Match Day’ is a new feature on RussianFootballNews.com. We will take a look at all the major and minor stories surrounding the match day and give you an overview you do not get elsewhere.

 

The 27th match day of the Russian Premier League was played on the same weekend as the 70^th anniversary for the victory against Nazi-Germany in the Second World War, or the Great Patriotic War as it was known in the Soviet Union. Victory Day was celebrated Saturday the 9^th of May, one day after the Western countries celebrated the victory against fascism, because the news of Germany’s surrender first arrived in Moscow after midnight.

The Victory Day celebrations meant that no games were played on Saturday and that all games started with a moment of silence. In the days leading up to the national holiday several Russian clubs paid their tribute to the heroes from the Second World War by placing flowers at memorial grounds around the country. Rubin Kazan took it even further and offered free entrance to everybody who had contributed during the war.

In St. Petersburg almost 18,000 spectators witnessed impressive choreography from Zenit’s ultra-section in memory of the victory 70 years ago. In the other end, Rostov fans celebrated the club’s 85^th birthday with a banner tribute to the founder of the club Arkady Babudzhyan. Babudzhyan has been described as Rostov’s Nikolai Starostin, since he both captained and coached the club. Unfortunately for Babudzhyan he got injured in the Great Patriotic War and the doctors had to amputate his right leg from the knee down. After the war Babudzhyan worked for the regional committee for physical culture and sport before he died in 1984.

While the Zenit-Rostov match was interesting in the stands, Lokomotiv’s encounter with local rivals CSKA was the most intriguing on the pitch. As you might have seen in our highlight show, CSKA won 3-1, which turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for Lokomotiv coach Miodrag Bozovic, who resigned after the match. Lokomotiv has only collected nine points in their ten RPL matches this spring, and the club currently has dropped all the way down to seventh place.

After Bozovic’ resignation he stated:

“The team has suffered a series of defeats. It’s clear that the objectives for this season will not be achieved. Meanwhile, the club provides all the conditions for effective work, and the roster allows to fight for the title. I have given thought to the situation and decided to step down.

Unfortunately, I failed here as a coach, but I believe the club has a great future. I will support the guys in the Cup Final. I am thankful to the management, the players, and all staff for the joint work, and the fans for supporting the team. I wish all of them good luck. I’ll keep warm memories of Lokomotiv.”

Bozovic has been replaced by Igor Cherevchenko.

Lokomotiv-CSKA was not the only Moscow derby this weekend. Dinamo took on Torpedo at Arena Khimki in what would have been an uneventful 0-0 draw if not for an incident between Torpedo’s Anton Putsila and Hugo Vieira. As it can be seen in the GIF the incident happened after Vieira failed to capitalize on an open chance in the second half.

 

The Russian Football Union is now considering whether or not they should punish Anton Putsila for his actions. The decision will be taken on a meeting Thursday the 14^th of May, where both players are expected to show up to tell their version of the incident.

What else happened?

• Terek Grozny players got their victory bonuses trebled after an impressive 4-2 victory against Spartak Moscow. Furthermore, Gabonese striker Ablai Mbengue received a brand new Toyota Camry for his two goals.

  Mbengue in his new car.

• Sources inside Spartak have revealed to TASS that Murat Yakin’s Spartak future will be decided at a board meeting in the beginning of June. The same source claimed that Spartak will not extend the contract of the club’s general director Roman Askhabadze.
• Zenit’s Salomon Rondon and Ezequiel Garay have been called up to Venezuela and Argentina’s Copa America squads, respectively. So has Spartak-owned Paraguay Lucas Barrios, who played on loan at Montpellier this season. Neither Zenit’s Hulk nor CSKA’s Mario Fernandes have been included in Brazil’s Copa America squad.
• Dinamo’s 0-0 match against Torpedo gave Dinamo keeper Vladimir Gabulov clean sheet number 100. He’s the eight Russian goalkeeper in history to accomplish the feat.