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Russian Premier League

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Article Genealogy
Parent: CSKA Moscow Hop 4
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Russian Premier League
Current season2023–24 Russian Premier League
SportAssociation football
Founded2001
Teams16
CountryRussia
ConfedUEFA
Domest cupRussian Cup
League cupRussian Super Cup
Confed cupUEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League
ChampionsZenit Saint Petersburg (2022–23)
Most champsSpartak Moscow (10 titles)
TvMatch TV
Websitepremierliga.ru

Russian Premier League. The Russian Premier League is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was founded in 2001 as the successor to the Top League and has been organized by the Russian Football Union (RFU). The competition features clubs from across the nation, with the most successful historically being Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow, and Lokomotiv Moscow.

History

The league's direct predecessor was the Top League, which operated from 1936 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Following this, the Russian Football Championship was established, which was rebranded in 2001. A significant early figure in its administration was Vitaly Mutko, who served as president. The competition has been dominated by clubs from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with the latter's Zenit rising to prominence in the 21st century under managers like Dick Advocaat and Lucescu. Major milestones include the introduction of the Russian Football Premier League (RFPL) governing body in 2011 and the league's temporary suspension following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Format and competition structure

The competition typically follows a double round-robin format, where each of the 16 clubs plays the others twice, home and away, for a total of 30 matches. The season traditionally ran from spring to autumn but switched to an autumn-spring calendar in 2011 to align with major European leagues like the Premier League and La Liga. The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to the Russian Football National League, while the team finishing 13th enters a promotion/relegation playoff. Qualification for European competitions is awarded to the top finishers, granting access to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League.

Clubs

A total of 18 clubs competed during the 2023–24 season, with the majority historically based in Moscow. The most prominent Moscow clubs are CSKA Moscow, Spartak Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, and Lokomotiv Moscow. Other significant clubs include Zenit Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar, and Rubin Kazan. Clubs from the Russian Far East, such as Sakhalin, have also participated. Notable stadiums used include Luzhniki Stadium, Gazprom Arena, and VEB Arena.

Champions and statistics

The most successful club is Spartak Moscow with 10 titles, followed by CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg. Zenit has been particularly dominant in recent years, winning multiple consecutive championships under managers like Sergei Semak. Other past winners include Lokomotiv Moscow and Rubin Kazan. Legendary players in the league's history include Andrey Arshavin, Igor Akinfeev, and Hulk. The record for most goals in a single season is held by Artyom Dzyuba.

Media coverage and sponsorship

Domestic television rights are primarily held by Match TV, which broadcasts matches nationally. International coverage has varied, with services like Setanta Sports and DAZN having held rights in different regions. The league has had several title sponsors over the years, including Rosgosstrakh and the current sponsor, Mir. Individual clubs also secure significant sponsorship deals, often with large Russian corporations like Gazprom, which sponsors Zenit, and Russian Railways, associated with Lokomotiv.

The winner qualifies for the Russian Super Cup, an annual match against the winner of the Russian Cup. Performance in the league determines qualification for UEFA club competitions, including the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. At the domestic level, all clubs participate in the Russian Cup, a knockout tournament. The league is also connected to the Russian Football National League, the second tier, through promotion and relegation. Youth development is linked through competitions like the Russian Premier League Under-21 Championship.

Category:Football leagues in Russia Category:National association football premier leagues Category:Russian Premier League