Russian Premier League: The Best and Worst of 2011

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso@AlvarezGallosoX.com LogoChief Writer INovember 13, 2011

Russian Premier League: The Best and Worst of 2011

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    The year 2011 is drawing to a close and the Russian Premier League was the scene of major news stories. The RPL has witnessed the rise of one club and the fall of another.

    The RPL is at the center of a change in schedule in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in the country. Russia appears to be the last frontier for the footballers and their supporters in the year 2011.

    Russia and the RPL also have their detractors thinking that it is just a passing fad. Regardless, it is important not to underestimate Russia nor the RPL in football.

    The invitation is set for the people to sit back, relax and enjoy what Russia and the RPL offered to the world in the best and worst of  2011.

2011-2012 RPL Season Extension

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    The year 2011 for the Russian Premier League (RPL) started with new rules governing the season. The 2011-12 RPL Season kicked off in March 2011 and will end on May 2012.

    The reason for the prolonged RPL season is that the league decided to reschedule its season in line with other European nations which is winter-oriented. Russia is expected to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and has a desire to attract players, clubs and fans from Europe and other parts of the world.

    The first matches of the extended RPL gave Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow and Rubin Kazan victories over their rivals. St. Petersburg defeated FC Terek Grozny 1-0, Rubin Kazan defeated Kuban Krasnodar 2-0 and CSKA Moscow defeated Amkar Perm 2-0.

    While the change in schedule was a plus in the RPL, there were other burning issues that had to be resolved.

Racism and Hooliganism in Russian Football (The Worst)

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    Russia and the Russian Premier League (RPL) are facing the twin problems of racism and hooliganism. The year 2011 has not been an exception to what is an ongoing problem in world football.

    The hooligans in Russia take different forms, such as the laser pen assault against Andrey Dikan. Dikan (Spartak Moscow goalkeeper) was a victim of this form of hooliganism apparently from a Dynamo Moscow supporter when the two teams met.

    The supporters of Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow are supposedly the instigators of the violence. Roberto Carlos (Anzhi Makhachkala) was the recipient of a banana thrown at him by a St. Petersburg supporter.

    The incident occurred during a match between Anzhi Makhachkala and Zenit St. Petersburg, and there was a call to action. Russia has vowed to take action against hooliganism in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

    Russia is also planning to expand its laws governing laser pens to extend them to sports. Regardless, hooliganism and racism are a blight and could be the worst events for the RPL in the year 2011.

Samuel Eto'o and Anzhi Makhachkala (The Best)

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    Anzhi Makhachkala, owned by billionaire Suleiman Kerymov,  made news in the year 2011 with the signing of well-known world football players. Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan) signed with Anzhi Makhachkala in a deal that was worth $14.2 million a year.

    The duration of the contract between Eto'o and Anzhi is for three seasons, and kept Anzhi Makhachkala in the news for the year 2011. Anzhi Makhachkala was established in the early 1990s during the wars in the Chechen region of Russia (where Grozny and Makhachkala are located).

    The questions were asked about Eto'o signing with Anzhi especially when there were racist incidents against Roberto Carlos. The fact that Anzhi players fly from Moscow (where they live) to Makhachkala to play matches were also points of discussion.

    Anzhi Makhachkala was also the center of comments as to why it signed players such as Roberto Carlos and Yuri Zhivkov. Were the signings out of a desire for experience or a desire for money?

    My impression is that Anzhi Makhachkala signed up players (such as Samuel Eto'o, Roberto Carlos and Yuri Zhivkov) with the intention of using them to train future generations of football players in the Chechen region.

    Samuel Eto'o deserves to be the best RPL news story for his leap of faith in signing with Anzhi Makhachkala. It is not easy for a person to sign with a club in a country that is dealing with hooliganism and racism before a World Cup.

    Anzhi Makhachkala deserves to be the best RPL news story for its desire to learn from experienced players and apply the techniques to future generations.

Saturn Moscow Oblast Dissolution (Honorable Mention)

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    The year 2011 for the RPL will be remembered for the end of the FC Saturn Moscow Oblast. The club dissolved in the beginning of 2011 secondary to its mounting financial problems.

    The FC Saturn Moscow Oblast dissolution deserves to be mentioned as an example of lack of fiscal responsibility. After reading and writing about the tragic end of FC Saturn Moscow Oblast, I decided to give the story an honorable mention.

    I can only imagine that the officials of UEFA read or heard about FC Saturn Moscow Oblast when they approved the Fair Financial Play rules. It remains to be seen how the prolonged RPL season will play out until May 2012.

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