Football news

A fake Luhansk 'Zorya' will participate in the Russian football championship for the 2025/2026 season.

Last summer, in 2024, several propaganda Russian media outlets reported that a football club named 'Zorya' appeared in temporarily occupied Luhansk, which has nothing to do with the original participant of the Ukrainian Premier League. The fake team has already been registered for the Russian 'Commonwealth Football Unified Championship,' and the team will also compete in the Russian FNL for the 2025/2026 season.

The counterfeit club from temporarily occupied Luhansk has former employees of the original UPL club in its management and coaching staff. The management includes the former general director of the original Luhansk club, Stanislav Oganov, who sided with the 'LPR' terrorists. He was part of the Luhansk team from 2020 to 2022, after which he left Yevhen Heller’s team, citing differences in views.

The head coach of the 'LNR' team was appointed as Maksym Tyshchenko, a graduate of Zaporizhzhia’s 'Metallurg,' who worked in the Dynamo Kyiv system from 1992 to 1993, and since 1995 has only played and worked in Russian clubs. The club president is Araik Asatryan, a former player of the real 'Zorya' academy. The Guardian reports that he claims to intend to 'preserve the historical traditions of the pre-war 'Zorya.''

It should be noted that the 'Zorya' clone was founded in December 2023 with the support of the 'LPR' terrorists. It has already managed to play 82 matches for teams from occupied territories and the FNL. Among their opponents was the fake 'Shakhtar' from Donetsk.

A team called 'Shakhtar', which has no relation to the real team from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Donetsk, intends to register for the Russian championship.

In the Ukrainian Donetsk temporarily occupied by Russians, there are plans to register a football club called 'Shakhtar' and apply it for participation in the second league of the Russian championship.

According to several propagandistic Telegram channels, a club fantasized by the sick imagination of the occupiers has already started undergoing licensing. Representatives of the pseudo-'Shakhtar' visited the FNL office and received approval to participate in the next season. It is known that the club’s budget will be about 60 million rubles.

The fake 'Shakhtar' will not participate in the Russian Cup due to possible sanctions from FIFA and UEFA towards the RFU. It is also noted that the team plans to hold its home matches not in Donetsk, but in Crimea, which is also still under the control of Russian occupying forces.

The so-called physical culture and sports society called 'Shakhtar', which appropriated the name of the legendary Ukrainian club currently performing in the UPL and representing our state in the Euro arena, took first place in the championship of amateur teams from the occupied territories of Ukraine and 'earned the right to go to a new level'.

The former footballer from Russia, Dmitry Alenichev, seems tired of watching his national team’s “friendly” matches against obscure teams and therefore reached out for help from his Belarusian brothers.

— We are friends with the Belarusians, we can come up with something together, some kind of unofficial tournament. Just like they held a tournament in Israel back in the day, sponsored by Roman Abramovich — the “First Channel Cup,” Alenichev is quoted by the local Metaratings.

The defender of Odesa’s “Chornomorets,” Yaroslav Rakitsky, talked about his attitude towards his performances for the Russian “Zenit”.

— I let go of the situation with the Ukrainian national team back when I was playing in the lower leagues. I believe I could have been called up at least once or twice. But apparently, I didn’t deserve it. I think the issue was not with the quality of play, but rather the social context. I understand all of that.

Honestly, at that time I didn’t understand why it was happening. It seemed there should have been a call, but there wasn’t one. Then it became clear why. I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat: who knew? I often hear people say: “Why didn’t you go here or there?” And I respond: “Why didn’t anyone offer me any proposals?” If there had been offers — I would have gone.

For example, there was an option with “Besiktas,” there were certain negotiations. But we didn’t come to an agreement — either with the president or someone else. And that was it. Although logically, it seemed a solution could have been found to stay and agree. It would have been easy to do. But that’s how it turned out,” said the former Donetsk resident on the YouTube channel “Trendets.”

The Russian third division club "KDV" announced the signing of Ukrainian forward Danil Kondrakov. The details of the cooperation with the striker are unknown.

Kondrakov was born in Luhansk, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. He played for the youth teams of "Zorya" and later played for Zaporizhzhia "Metalurh", "Zirka" and "Rukh". The Lviv club Kondrakov left in the summer of 2022 and moved to the Lithuanian "Suduva".

There was information that he left Ukraine through the volunteer system "Shlyakh".

Next in his career was the Bulgarian "Pirin", Maltese "Sliema Wanderers" and again two clubs from Bulgaria— "Botev" and "Hebar".

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during a press conference after the UEFA congress in Belgrade answered questions about the mechanism for returning Russia to international competitions.

— The decision to exclude Russia was made jointly with FIFA. Since we are in contact with FIFA, we will do this together when making a decision. But I reiterate, to avoid any doubts: Russia’s return will happen after the war ends, — Ceferin briefly explained.

One of the German football officials, Hans-Joachim Watzke, sees no reason to discuss Russia’s return to international tournaments, reports DPA.

— The status quo has not changed; this is not a topic for discussion, — he said to the agency during the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Watzke, who is also a representative of the German Football League and Vice President of the Federation, emphasized that the "issue" of Russia will not be considered at all.

We remind you that Russian teams were withdrawn from international competitions under UEFA auspices after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The person referred to as the president of the so-called RPL, a certain Alexander Alaiev, hears "signals" from FIFA and UEFA about bringing the unfinished football of the terrorist country back to international competitions.

— A return is close. I am so sure because I have long seen certain signals and indicators — interviews by Alexander Ceferin, speeches by representatives of UEFA and FIFA. Now I see additional signals to this, — said the official to local propagandists.

Former FIFA referee Myroslav Stupar commented on the fact that UEFA is awarding points to the coefficient table for disqualified Russia.

— The awarding of points to Russia, which has not played for three years, is beyond common sense. One could appeal to the conscience of UEFA representatives. But, as it seems, they have none. Unfortunately, the two major international football associations — UEFA and FIFA — have always been sympathetic towards Russia. Just recall how Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, tirelessly pushed for Russia to host the World Cup in 2018. At that time, he was not even stopped by the fact of the RF invasion of Crimea and Donbass. Clearly, the leaders of these associations have some common interests with the aggressor country," Stupar said.

Four foreign football players did not show up for the training camps of Russian clubs in the last week.

The athletes are looking for ways to terminate their contracts and play outside Russia. The first to refuse to come to the training camp at Dynamo was Brazilian Bitello. The next to miss the location of Krylia Sovetov was Chilean Mendes. Chilean midfielder of Orenburg, Jordi Thompson, cited personal problems.

A player from the first league club made a getaway. Forward of SKA-Khabarovsk, Yao Jean Charles Olivier, did not return from vacation, although a plane ticket had been purchased for him. Even such smart guys as football players eventually figured out what was going on, writes the Telegram channel "Crimean Wind".

Czech coach of the Russian "Dynamo" from Moscow Marcell Lichka has long worked in teams of the aggressor country, but does not want to obtain a Russian passport, despite the fact that it would guarantee him the continuation of work across the border.

— I have a Czech passport, I am not seeking another citizenship. A work visa is not a big problem for me. If suddenly they do not want to give it to me, then that’s fate and I will have to look for a new job. I do not think about a Russian passport, I do not need it,— said Lichka in an interview with one of the local propaganda resources.

Russia will be awarded 4,333 points in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) coefficient table following the 2024/2025 season.

"According to the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee adopted on April 18, 2024, at the end of the 2024/2025 season, Russia will be awarded 4,333 points in the association's coefficient table. That is, the same number of points as in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons," the UEFA press service said at the request of Russian propagandists.

Russia is ranked 23rd in the UEFA coefficient table excluding points for the 2024/2025 season (18,299 points). This guarantees the participation of one team in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, one in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, and two in the second qualifying round of the Conference League. If the Russians return to the competition.