The system of Russian football leagues comprises 3 divisions – the Premier League, the Football National League (FNL) and the Professional Football League (formerly the Second Division), divided into 5 zones: “West”, “Centre”, “South”, “Ural-Povolzhye” and “East”.
Since the 2011/2012 season under the regulations the Russian Premier League has been called “SOGAZ the Russian Football Championship among the Premier League Clubs”. At the end of each season, 15th and 16th places go to the FNL, where they are replaced by two top teams of this division. The teams ultimately occupying the 13th and 14th places play butting matches with FNL representatives (3rd and 4th places), winners obtain the right to play in the Russian Professional Football League next season. The tournament had been called the Top League till 1997, and in 1998 it was renamed to the Top Division. The championship had been long conducted pursuant to the “fall-spring” system, until the new RFS management implemented a reform in 2010. The 20th championship of Russia began in spring 2011, consisted of four laps and ended in spring 2012. Thus, since 2012, the championship of Russia is held according to the “fall-spring” system.
The most award-winning Russian Premier League club is “Spartak Moscow”, which has won the tournament 9 times during the first ten years of its history. “Spartak Alania” (Vladikavkaz) managed to win it once in 1995. At the same time “Spartak Moscow” leads in the number of points scored in the entire history of the championship and the number of participation of Russian clubs in European competitions.
|
Team/Prize |
1st place |
2nd place |
3rd place |
Cup |
Super Cup |
|
Spartak Moscow |
9 times |
5 times |
2 times |
3 times |
- |
|
CSKA |
5 times |
5 times |
3 times |
7 times |
6 times |
|
Zenit |
3 times |
3 times |
2 times |
2 times |
2 times |
|
Lokomotiv Moscow |
2 times |
4 times |
5 times |
5 times |
2 times |
|
Rubin |
2 times |
- |
2 times |
1 time |
2 times |
|
Alania |
1 time |
2 times |
- |
- |
- |
|
Rotor |
- |
2 times |
1 time |
- |
- |
|
Dynamo Moscow |
- |
1 time |
4 times |
1 time |
- |
|
Torpedo Moscow |
- |
- |
1 time |
1 time |
- |
|
Krylia Sovetov |
- |
- |
1 time |
- |
- |
|
Anzhi |
- |
- |
1 time |
- |
- |
|
Terek |
- |
- |
- |
1 time |
- |
|
Rostov |
- |
- |
- |
1 time |
- |
“Spartak Alania” (Vladikavkaz) is the only team, that left the Top Division after becoming a champion in 1995.
The Brazilian Daniel Carvalho (CSKA) became the first foreign footballer to be named the best player of the year in the Premier League.
The greatest number of matches among legionnaires (excluding the neighboring countries) were played by Elvir Rahimić (282 games).
The first foreign coach who won the Russian championship was Dick Advocaat (“Zenit”, 2007).
All in all 4 teams participated in all Russian championship competitions, they are “Dynamo Moscow”, “Lokomotiv Moscow”, “Spartak Moscow” and “CSKA Moscow”.
In 2014, for the first time in history, 4 clubs simultaneously left the Premier League: “Volga” and “Anzhi” took the last two places, while “Tom” and “Krylia Sovetov” (13th and 14th places) lost their butting matches.
The most effective stage of the Russian Premier League was the 6th round of the 2012/13 season – 36 goals were scored during eight games.
The longest period without missing a ball belongs to the goalkeeper of “Lokomotiv” Ruslan Nigmatullin and is equal to 934 minutes.
Records of winning streaks belong to “Lokomotiv” and “CSKA”, which managed to win 12 rounds in a row.
