Tag: spartak

Igor Netto: the forgotten legend of Russian football

This feature is part of The Tsars of Football Nowadays the term ‘fair play’ has degenerated into kicking the ball out of the pitch when a player is faking an injury while…

Valeriy Gazzaev and the journey to greatness

This feature is part of The Tsars of Football As Valeriy Gazzaev glances over at the concrete pitch, a nostalgic grin spreads across his face. The goalposts are rusting, the nets are…

Oleg Romantsev: the incredible man of two halves

This feature is part of The Masterminds and The Tsars of Football ONE OF THE most beautiful aspects of football is its potential spontaneity and unpredictability, be it a subtle swerve of…

An interview with Spartak Moscow legend Nikita Simonyan

NIKITA PAVLOVICH SIMONYAN IS A NAME THAT, while relatively unknown to young people today, holds a special place in the hearts of those who were around to watch him play. Known for his…

This is Russia: a story of west and east

“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Winston Churchill’s famous words in October 1939 at the breakout of World War Two ring out as loudly today as they did…

Spartak Moscow and the Physical Culture Day of 1936

A WAGON WITH A PORTRAIT OF VLADIMIR LENIN on the front and a huge, white statue of the Soviet Union’s leader Joseph Stalin on the top is rolling through the Red Square. Behind…

A Tale of One City: Moscow

This feature is part of A Tale of One City “Daddy needs vodka, or he can’t ensure victory.” When Oleg Romanstev sent his five-year-old son into the VIP box at Anfield during a…