How important is football to Russia?

 

As a keen observer of the soccer world, Alexander Sabadash has become a trusted source of news and commentary about all things football. In this blog, he wishes to share his thoughts on Russian football.

Image source: aa.com.tr

Are Russians crazy about football? If you look at the way things are going at the Russian Premiere League, you'd have to say yes.

The Russian league, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season, was long a backwater of European football. Indeed, it barely registered on the radar of most people. But now, TV audiences for some games are as big as those in some of the biggest leagues in Europe. According to Alexander Sabadash, some £850 million has been invested in a new 70,000-seater Spartak Stadium in Moscow's southern suburbs.

Image source: europeanleagues.com

According to figures from UEFA, the body that governs European football, Russian clubs now receive as much as £30 million a year from TV rights, compared to little more than £10 million from those who follow British clubs. In fact, according to a recent survey, the English Premier League did not even register in this global power ranking of football TV ratings.

Russian clubs are on the rise, even though some of their players still complain that they do not get paid, shares Alexander Sabadash. Match-fixing scandals continue to dog the league, but this has done little to shake Russians' passion for their national sport, which transcends the poor facilities, the dodgy officials, and even the long, hard winters.

The Russian league has come a long way since its inception in 1992, when it was dominated by teams like CSKA Moscow with plenty of foreigners. There are now more home-grown players in Russia. There is absolutely no lack of Russian strikers to choose from if you are in the market for one.