It came down to the final round of the First Division, but Anzhi Makhachkala and Sibir Novosibirsk have secured spots in the Russian Premier League in 2010. Both clubs gained promotion on Wednesday after handily defeating their respective opponents.
Sibir Novosibirsk win promotion
Anzhi dominated relegation-bound Metallurg Lipetsk 3-0, thus winning the championship of the First Division. The scoring sheet was opened at the 12 minute mark by Anzhi’s stand-out striker, Otar Martsvaladze. A former Dynamo Kyiv and current Georgia National Team member, Martsvaladze finishes the season having scored 13 goals in only 22 appearances for the Dagestani club. Just before the end of the half Sandro Iashvili would score the team’s second goal—leaving Anzhi in total command of the match. Magomed Magomedov added a third in the 54th minute to seal the victory and promotion.
Going into Wednesday’s match against FK Chita, Sibir needed a win or draw to secure their position in the RPL, being tied on points with FK Alania Vladikavkaz but leading on goal differential. Having only given up 21 goals in 37 matches, Sibir were heavily favored, as Chita also held the dubious distinction of having scored the least goals of any club in the First Division (excluding MVD Rossya Moscow, who were forced to drop out of the league in July due to financial difficulties).
Sibir did not disappoint, routing Chita 4-0; Alexei Medvedev had a brace, bringing the former Krylia Sovetov Samara attacker’s goal total to 18 (making him the league leader). Sibir’s defense again demonstrated why they have been the best in the First Division this year, bringing their clean sheet total to twenty-fourth for the 2009 campaign.
Alania Vladikavkaz, despite having a four match win streak, finished their season in dismal fashion, being heavily defeated by FK Krasnodor 5-1.
For Anzhi, their return to the RPL comes after seven years in the First Division, having been relegated after the 2002 season. The Dagestani club played in the UEFA Cup in 2001-2, making headlines abroad after Rangers refused to travel to Makhachkala due to safety concerns (Makhachkala is the capital of the Republic of Dagestan, which borders Chechnya to the east)—eventually losing a controversial match held in the neutral location of Warsaw. In 2001 they also advanced to the final of the Russian Cup, where they were defeated by Lokomotiv Moskva.
Anzhi’s home city of Makhachkala, a port town that lies on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, will make them the southernmost club in the Russian Premier League.
Sibir Novosibirsk, while having bounced around the lower divisions in Russia, will be playing in the Premier League for the first time in the 2010 season. The 2009 season saw a dramatic improvement in their team performance, having finished in 14th place in 2008. They will become the second Siberian club in the RPL, joining Tom Tomsk.
Sibir and Anzhi will be replacing FK Khimki and most likely Kuban Krasnodor, who are 5 points behind both Amkar Perm and Spartak Nalchik in the race to save their spot in the RPL.
Recent Comments