Russian Premier League

The Russian Premier League have had to strip the recently crowned "Miss Charming" of her title after she was exposed as a neo-Nazi and a racist.

CSKA Moscow fan Olga Kuzkova beat off competition from other clubs' representatives to win the title, but she lost it after sharing a number of highly controversial posts on the popular Russian social network, VKontakte.

The posts include one photo of Kuzkova making a Nazi salute in front of a wall bearing Nazi graffiti, and another comparing a group of African children in dirty clothing to a bar of chocolate, with the message, "I love chocolate, but after this image I developed an… aversion.”

Upon stripping Kuzkova of her title, Sergei Cheban, executive director of the Russian Premier League, told Sport Express, as per the Moscow Times:

"We do not tolerate manifestations of fascism, nationalism and racism. I will be glad if this situation will help Olga [Kuzkova] sort out her worldview."

Russian football has long had problems with racism. Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong, who currently plays for Ufa in the Russian Premier League, was sent off at the weekend after reportedly reacting to racial abuse from Spartak Moscow fans.

Russia is set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

[h/t the Moscow Times]

102-летний болельщик московского *Спартака* Отто Фишер. pic.twitter.com/BZeBsqDtDF

— Григорий Дроздов (@DrozdovGrigoriy) March 22, 2015

Spartak Moscow have come to the aid of an 102-year-old in his hour of need, raising around $8,000 when his life savings were stolen from him.

Otto Fischer had come to prominence when he attended a derby game against Dynamo, which was made more remarkable by the fact he lives 1,500 kilometres away from the capital.

The money was stolen from his home, but the club's fan groups sprang into action to raise awareness of his plight.

Players and fans have contributed, while Russian television network RT adds that a percentage of the club's next home gate will go to him as well.

The money raised so far was presented to him by Spartak Moscow player Vyacheslav Krotov on a television show:

С Отто Константиновичем, очень крутой мужик,пожелал больших побед ! Сказал по возможности будет приезжать на матчи ! pic.twitter.com/0LCRgwkjav

— Slava Krotov (@SlavaKrotov) March 26, 2015

Fischer is quoted as saying: 

“I am very glad to get this help. I bow my head to everyone who helped me in this situation. If I get another opportunity to see another game, I certainly will with great pleasure. We have a saying: 'It is better to see something once than to hear about it one hundred times.'”

Spartak are currently sixth in the Russian Premier League table.

[RT]

Belgium international Axel Witsel was enjoying a midseason break with his Zenit St. Petersburg team-mates in Doha, Qatar, when we sat down for an exclusive chat for Bleacher Report this week.

Bleacher Report: Axel, how do you reflect upon 2014?

Axel Witsel: Good, I feel good. It was a good year for Belgium with the World Cup. The World Cup was a good experience. We lost in the quarter-finals, didn’t do better, but overall, it was good tournament, and we qualified well.

B/R: Did Belgium achieve on their potential at the World Cup?

AW: No, we didn’t achieve the maximum. Belgium has a young team, and it was the first World Cup for most players with the exception of Daniel van Buyten, I think. At Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, the next tournaments, we should try to improve on this one. It was good, but in my understanding, we can do better.

B/R: Was the pulsating game against USA Belgium’s best performance?

AW: That game was crazy. Both teams were going forward nonstop, and the level of intensity was so high. That’s why I say it was one of our best games.

B/R: What’s the future of Belgium’s golden generation?

AW: We first have to qualify for Euro 2016 and finish first in our qualifying group. We have to produce a good European campaign. For now, I can’t say that we should reach the final of the Euros. There are a lot of good teams, like Germany, Spain and Italy. It is going to be difficult. We have to train hard and we will see what happens at Euro 2016, but first, our mind should be on qualifying.

B/R: Within the Belgian group, would be it fair to say you are the “second captain”?

AW: Yes, I think I am a second captain in terms of responsibility and leadership. The coach gives me a lot of trust and I give a lot back on the pitch. He put me in the No. 6 position of defensive midfielder and I play well. It’s true that I have been in the national team for eight years, and so I start to be one of the older ones in the group. (Vincent) Kompany, (Jan) Vertonghen and me are the leaders.

B/R: How is your relationship in midfield with Marouane Fellaini and Kevin De Bruyne?

AW: It’s really good. I played with Fellaini at Standard Liege, so I know him well. I like to play with De Bruyne because he has good qualities. De Bruyne has the qualities to one day play in one of the top clubs of Europe. But I play well with everyone; Nacer Chadli and (Mousa) Dembele. It’s the same for me.

B/R: Looking at 2015, what are your ambitions?

AW: Firstly, to become champions with Zenit St. Petersburg. We have to. Secondly, to progress as far as possible in the Europa League and, thirdly, have a good qualification campaign with the Belgian team (for the Euros).

B/R: In recent days, there has been talk of a possible move to Arsenal and links to AC Milan (Sport Mediaset, h/t Forza Italian Football). Any truth in those?

AW: No, these rumors are in the newspapers. I don’t know anything about it. I am here in Qatar training to be focused on my team, Zenit, and to try to regain a good physical condition. Even during the holidays, I did not think about leaving. I am focused.

B/R: Kompany, Hazard and Fellaini all play in the Premier League. Do you envisage yourself there?

AW: I want to play in one of the top clubs in Europe one day. It’s true that I like the Premier League, because it is one of the best leagues in the world, for me, together with Germany and Spain. It is a very good league; it is a crazy league. A lot of my colleagues play there, but we will see. I am still young, only 26. We’ll see in the future. I have always liked Manchester United from when I was young.

B/R: Being at Zenit, how has your game developed since 2012?

AW: The adaptation was not easy in the beginning. I was previously in Portugal with good weather, and the life was different from Russia. It was not easy for Hulk and me. After six months or the first year, I started to play better. When (Andre) Villas-Boas arrived at Zenit, he gave me a lot of trust. He put me in a higher position to be more offensive, and I got my game back. Last season was a good one, and I will do my best.

B/R: How is it to work with AVB?

AW: He is really a good coach. We train a lot with the ball, we train with goals and he mixes it up a lot. I have a good relationship with him. (Luciano) Spalletti was here for a long time, but with him I had a more defensive role. I like to be offensive and move forward, and that is the difference from a personal point of view. I play more offensively with Villas-Boas than during Spalletti’s time.

B/R: Last question—you are here in Qatar for a second time. You ply your trade in Russia. What do you think of both countries hosting the World Cup?

AW: The World Cup in Russia and to play there will be something special, because it is my third year at Zenit. I think it will be really good. In Qatar, it will be in 2022, I will be 33. Hopefully I will play, too. Qatar has the conditions to host the World Cup. The weather will be a problem, because in June and July, it is really hot here. But Qatar has everything to make this World Cup happen.

Christopher Samba has been charged by Russian Premier League club Dynamo Moscow for displaying an "unpleasant gesture" to rival fans. The ex-Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers centre-back was subjected to racial taunts from fans of city rivals Torpedo Moscow which apparently led to his reaction.

The incident occurred during a derby match this past Sunday at Torpedo's Saturn Stadium. Dynamo won the game 3-1 but had to play the second half without Samba, who was withdrawn in response to the abuse.

That's apparently when the 30-year-old reacted to the insults, according to the Associated Press (h/t USA Today):

Samba was substituted at halftime in apparent distress at the abuse, but faces a Russian Football Union charge he displayed an "unpleasant gesture" to Torpedo fans. The RFU did not elaborate.

RFU disciplinary committee chairman Artur Grigoryants told the R-Sport agency that the case will be heard on Saturday.

Torpedo was punished for the racist abuse on Thursday when the RFU ordered the closure of one stand for its next game.

The same report also indicated that this isn't the first time a player on the receiving end of racial slurs has faced a charge for his response. Dacosta Goore, at the time a defender for Alania, incurred a ban after giving a middle finger to his abusers.

It has since been confirmed that Samba "asked not to play the second half" because of the extent of the abuse, a fact Dynamo made public according to the Telegraph:

Dynamo manager Stanislav Cherchesov had originally claimed that Samba had gone off with a calf injury, but club vice-president Gennady Soloviev said last night: 'I can confirm Samba felt offended with Torpedo fans and didn’t want to go on the pitch for the second half. That is why he was replaced.'

This certainly isn't the first time Samba has encountered problems since moving to Russia's top flight from Rovers in February 2012. He had been a major hit in the English Premier League after arriving at Blackburn from Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin.

The Congolese powerhouse proved a determined and rugged defender with a flair for snatching goals from set pieces thanks to his tremendous aerial strength.

Those attributes were enough to encourage newly minted Anzhi Makhachkala to come calling. The club, barely 20 years old at the time, wanted Samba to underpin a new side that also included Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o.

However, in December 2012 Samba had very strong words for supporters of Zenit St Petersburg, during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live (h/t BBC Sport):

I'm not surprised. Everybody knows Zenit supporters are no good and racist.

They are living in another century. It's a sad day for Russian football.

In this time we have different communities and countries that constitute teams. If they can't accept that then they are never going to progress.

Midfielder Alex Witsel since described incidents of racism he'd encountered while playing for Zenit, via a report from RSport.ru. The latest incident is another unsavoury chapter in recent Russian football history.

Naturally, a lot of focus will be on the response. BBC Russian Service reporter Rafael Saakov detailed the extent of Torpedo's punishment:

Russian Football Union (RFU) ruled on Thursday Torpedo must shut the 'fan's sector' for their next league match.

However, all other parts of the Saturn Stadium will remain open.

The 'fans' sector' is the part of the arena where the most active fans of the home team sit. There are no restrictions in place to prevent those supporters from buying tickets to sit elsewhere in the stadium.

Given the details Saakov outlines, closing part of the Saturn Stadium is unlikely to be considered a stern enough punishment. It could certainly seem that way alongside whatever punishment Samba may receive.

There will be a lot of eyes on how the RFU treats Samba in the aftermath of this latest incident. The nation has been selected to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

That puts more scrutiny on how the domestic governing bodies respond to a problem that isn't going away.

Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia has joined Zenit St Petersburg after two years at the Premier League champions.   

The 27-year-old Spaniard's move was confirmed by Manchester City after many recent reports suggested that Garcia would be making the switch to Russia:

Garcia looked set to struggle to break into the Sky Blues first team in the new season after the addition by boss Manuel Pellegrini of Porto's Fernando.

Along with Yaya Toure and Fernandinho—City's first-choice central midfield options—the arrival of Fernando further marginalised Garcia at the club—he made only 15 league starts last season.

Furthermore, the recent arrival of Eliaquim Mangala at City meant Garcia's potential place as a centre-back—where he was often put to good use per the Independent's Jack Pitt-Brooke—looked to have also disappeared:

He joins last year's Russian Premier League runners-up Zenit, currently managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas.

The young Portuguese coach looks to be building a strong team in Russia's second city and Garcia rejoins his former Benfica teammates  Ezequiel Garay and Axel Witsel.

Zenit have won 4-0 and 8-1 in their opening two games of the new top-flight season and Garcia looks set to be assured of one of the seven starting places allowed for overseas players in league games under Russian rules.

With a starting place highly unlikely in the new season at City, Garcia looks to have made an astute move with Zenit also likely to benefit from his experience and talent.

Furthermore, having bought the player for £16 million, City have barely lost out in selling Garcia for a reported €15m according to Paul Clennam of Goal.com. They have also reduced the number of non-homegrown players in their squad—although they are still one over the Champions League limit.

Garcia is a very talented defensive midfielder and will likely thrive in Russia, especially under Villas-Boas who is taking the league by storm in its early stages.

Andre Villas-Boas has accepted a new managerial role at Zenit St Petersburg in the Russian Premier League and, despite being just 36 years of age, is headed for the sixth post of his career.

The news was released by Zenit's official website and Twitter account, confirming the Portuguese tactician had signed a new two-year deal set to commence on March 20.

Caretaker manager Sergey Semak will take charge of the Zenitchiki for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg tie against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, then AVB will assume the reins ahead of Monday's league clash with Krylya Sovetov Samara.

It's a surprise move, as many would have thought AVB would angle for another crack at a top job in England or Italy. There are potential openings at Milan, Internazionale, Newcastle United, Southampton and more in the next 12 months or so.

But his name has been dragged through the dirt in the UK after (ultimately) ill-fated spells with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, and the RPL might just be far enough away from the spotlight for him to begin rehabilitating his career.

Better yet, he links up with his former FC Porto star Hulk at Zenit, serving up the potential for another spectacular, trophy-winning combination between the two.

It's a clever move from the Portuguese, who has developed an alarming pattern throughout his career of requiring a long-range shooting expert to get consistent points from games.

If he can replicate, to an extent, the tactics he used at Porto to get Hulk firing in excess once again, he'll be able to use Zenit as a springboard for a bigger, better job in the months to come.

During the 2010-11 season when AVB managed FCP, Hulk scored 21 goals and assisted 15 as the Dragoes romped toward the Liga Sagres title and Europa League glory.

Despite the star-studded presence of the likes of Joao Moutinho and Radamel Falcao, victories were founded more on Fernando's sterling defensive displays and Hulk's ability to conjure something from absolutely nothing.

Fast-forward to 2012 and Gareth Bale's cannon of a left foot bailed Spurs out on multiple occasions in their quest for the top four, but the club fell just short. Erik Lamela arrived in his place, but the Argentine failed to settle, had injury issues and scuppered AVB's like-for-like "swap."

Hulk is already in sensational form for Zenit this season, with 13 goals and 10 assists to his name from just 24 appearances. If AVB can get Axel Witsel, Konstantin Zyryanov, Roman Shirokov and Danny humming in his preferred 4-3-3, the RPL title looks eminently winnable this season.

With a refreshed trophy cabinet and C.V., Villas-Boas might just be in a position to throw his hat in the ring for some of the world's top jobs once again soon enough.

Taking on the task at Zenit shows AVB knows where he stands in the market, and he's picked a job that can help easily raise his stock over the next 24 months.

Andre Villas-Boas has been named the new coach of Zenit Saint Petersburg and will return to management after nightmarish spells with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. 

The Portuguese boss' two-year contract was confirmed on Zenit's club website:

Zenit has agreed terms on a contract with new head coach Andre Villas-Boas. The contract will be signed and Mr. Villas-Boas will be presented in St. Petersburg as Zenit’s new head coach on March 20. Mr. Villas-Boas’ contract begins in March, 2014, and is valid for two seasons (2014/2015, 2015/2016).

Zenit are the sixth team AVB has managed, remarkable considering he is just 36 years old, and will allow the improving tactician a different challenge away from the Premier League.

The Gazprom-owned club are currently second in the Russian top flight, lingering three points behind Lokomotiv Moscow. Villas-Boas will be expected to ensure his team capture the domestic title and qualify for next season's Champions League, an extremely important feat considering Zenit are likely to be out of this year's European competition by the time their new coach is introduced.

Villas-Boas shot to prominence as Porto manager, where his most famous win came with a Radamel Falcao-inspired Europa League triumph in 2010-11. His tenure at the Estadio do Dragao is reminiscent of his expectations in Russia, where AVB will be challenged to win all national trophies and improve his club's stature as a continental force.

It's certainly a change of emphasis from the English Premier League, where Villas-Boas struggled to adapt to the constant spotlight and media attention. He developed insidious relationships with the press—highlighted by his decision to confront Daily Mail writer Neil Ashton after Spurs' 2-2 draw with Manchester United, per David Kent of the same publication—and he failed to produce the results he wanted on the pitch.

Roberto Di Matteo led Chelsea to their first Champions League title during the season AVB left, while Tim Sherwood is currently struggling to assert his aggressiveness at White Hart Lane. The Spurs interim boss initially provided the club with a lift—brought on by an increased emphasis on attacking football—but that has since dissipated.

Villas-Boas' inability to replace Gareth Bale slowly led to his dismissal at Spurs. He spent over £100 million on players such as Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen, Etienne Capoue and Nacer Chadli, but it is fair to say only the dynamic Dane has proven a success.

Even so, Spurs' decision to sack AVB is now looking a poor choice, per Sky Sports News and via Bleacher Report UK:

Wayne Veysey of Goal.com suggests Villas-Boas is perhaps fortunate to continue landing top jobs after his recent record:

Villas-Boas may find the Zenit post refreshing after a difficult stint in England. He has the funds and ambition to build a winning side around Hulk—a player he wanted to sign for Spurs, per Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail—and he can be expected to continue Zenit's building process as they struggle to maintain pace at the top of the Russian Premier League.

Should success follow, Villas-Boas may earn the chance to seal a Premier League return in the future. With many years ahead of him, it will be interesting to see if AVB is tempted by the lure of unfinished business.

Zenit and Borussia Dortmund meet in the Champions League on Tuesday night in the first leg of a last 16 tie that sees two clubs with contrasting transfer activity come head-to-head.

While it has been the Germans who have achieved considerable success in European competition over the past two seasons, their opponents have taken the headlines for their frequently lavish transfer spending.

Per Transfermarkt, Zenit have spent well over 200 million euros in the past five seasons. Over the same period, Dortmund have spent half that amount despite two Bundesliga title wins.

However, there are also contributing factors to the differences in approach that are beyond Zenit's control and have to be taken into consideration.

Dortmund's method

Borussia Dortmund have acquired a considerable reputation over recent years for their extensive scouting network that has allowed them to "discover" a number of emerging footballing stars.

Of the current squad, the likes of Mats Hummels, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Neven Subotic, Lukasz Piszczek, Sven Bender and Robert Lewandowski were brought in for low fees over the past few years. Of those already departed, Shinji Kagawa and Ivan Perisic were also considerable successes.

Buying low and selling high is a transfer policy that several clubs have attempted to replicate, but it requires expertise in the area of scouting and recruitment.

With any side, there will be hits and misses. The trick is to make sure that there are enough successes to ensure that the mistakes are quickly forgotten. For Dortmund, that has most definitely been the case.

Success is relative and, for some, the fees attracted for their players would be a good enough reward. Dortmund, though, have achieved on-field glory with their methods, while also integrating club youth products into the first-team.

Over the past couple of seasons, though, things have begun to change. As their performances have attracted attention, leading players have departed on a semi-frequent basis and replacements have been sought.

To maintain competition, high-level players have been sought. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus have arrived for sizeable fees. However, with all three players under 25 years of age and performing well, their value should only increase.

In years to come, it will be interesting to see whether the side can maintain competitiveness in spite of many of their rivals' major spending. For the moment, though, their approach and willingness to gamble on unproven players is bringing major rewards.

Zenit's method

In contrast to Borussia Dortmund, Zenit have tended to be free-spending when it comes to first-team recruitment.

The likes of Danny, Hulk, Domenico Criscito and Axel Witsel all commanded major fees to arrive in Russia, while even lesser-known recruits such as Neto or Cristian Ansaldi did not come cheap.

For sides in Russia, though, foreign player limits dictate that the few spaces available have to be used wisely and Zenit, with their sizeable financial backing have spent heftily to ensure that is the case.

While differing rules in Germany, added to the free movement of EU nationals, enable Dortmund to cast their net wide, Zenit are not so fortunate.

The necessity for a strong Russian core also dictates that clubs spend heftily on wages and transfer fees in order to attract the best local players possible.

It is a problem seen around the world in countries where wealthy clubs are required to sign a quota of domestic players, with prices quickly inflating to non-competitive levels.

A bubble is formed and, for Zenit, it is a major factor in their transfer spending. Right-back Igor Smolnikov, for example, cost 6 million euros to recruit from FK Krasnodar last summer at well above external market value, per Transfermarkt.

In the Russian Premier League, where a handful of top sides compete year upon year for the title, such expenditure is almost seen as a necessity. With generous backing, it is not a major concern for the club's owners Gazprom—sponsors of the Champions League.

Despite numerous title wins, Zenit's expenditure has not brought success in the Champions League—although they did win a UEFA Cup in 2008.

Many would see their methods as far from ideal. However, for Russian teams to achieve any such success in international competition it is a necessary evil.

In spite of both teams' differing transfer approaches, the two sides have been fairly settled as units for a number of years.

In Zenit's case, a Russian core built on the likes of Aleksandr Anyukov, Andrei Arshavin, Vyacheslav Malafeev, Roman Shirokov and Konstantin Zyryanov have been in or around the club for a number of years.

Several foreign players, too, have become firmly established at the club, with just a small number of major additions made each season. Albeit, that the cost of such additions has grown.

Dortmund's approach is, of course, seen as more favourable by the wider football community given their lesser spending. However, the market conditions discussed aid in that respect.

The club, though, should be commended for their faith in youth and ability to detect rising talent from across the world.

For Zenit, though, they will care little should they beat Dortmund over the coming two legs. The manner success is achieved, after all, is just embellishment upon the success itself.

Victory, then, would be justification of the outlays they have made in the pursuit of success. Dortmund, meanwhile, face another summer that will see the loss of a key player in Lewandowski.

They are very different approaches and attract very different responses from the general football fan. Both clubs, though, have consistently been near the summit of their respective leagues over recent years and that is justification in itself for their chosen approach.

Hulk got tongues wagging when the Brazil striker posted a picture of him arriving in a private jet at Luton airport.   

The forward, who currently plays for Zenit St. Petersburg, would surely interest several London clubs. Chelsea usually have money to spend, Arsenal are in need of a striker, and even Spurs could do with a boost up front.

So was Hulk about to enter talks with one of those clubs? Or, as some more mischievous souls on Twitter suggested, even join local side Luton?  

Brazil striker Hulk is at Luton airport, apparently. I can't wait to see the dream strike duo of him and Paul Benson tear up the Conference.

— Liam Happe (@liamhappe) January 24, 2014

The truth is probably less exciting than any of the above, however.

According to the accompanying text, Hulk is simply en route to Porto, where he used to play, for his holiday. As Eurosport journalist Reda Maher points out:

RT @Reda_Eurosport: Hulk photo at Luton red herring - Instagram states heading to Porto w/Luis Neto. It's Russian off-season. Holidays.

— Eurosport Transfers (@eurosportmoves) January 24, 2014

And why not? Zenit don't have another game until February with the Russian Premier League finished for the time being.

Of course, it's transfer season, so it could just be lies on top of lies, and Hulk is indeed on his way to the Premier League. Or, it could be that the simple explanation is usually the right one.