2002 Russian Premier League

2002 was the first season of the Russian Premier League. While the structure of the competition did not change, the top level clubs gained independence from the Professional Football League.

Russian Premier League

Season	2002
Champions	Lokomotiv Moscow 1st title
Relegated	Anzhi Makhachkala Sokol Saratov
Champions League	Lokomotiv Moscow CSKA Moscow
UEFA Cup	Spartak Moscow Torpedo Moscow
Matches played	240
Goals scored	584 (2.43 per match)
Top goalscorer	Rolan Gusev & Dmitri Kirichenko (15)
← 2001 2003 →

Spartak's six-year dominance in the league was broken by Lokomotiv.

Teams

As in the previous season, 16 teams are playing in the 2002 season, with the name of the league changing from the 'Top Division' to the 'Premier League'. After the 2001 season, Fakel Voronezh and Chernomorets Novorossiysk were relegated to the 2002 Russian First Division. They were replaced by Uralan Elista and Shinnik Yaroslavl, the winners and runners up of the 2001 Russian First Division.

Venues

Alania	Anzhi	CSKA	Dynamo
Republican Spartak Stadium	Dynamo Stadium	Central Stadium	Central Stadium
Capacity: 32,464	Capacity: 15,200	Capacity: 36,540	Capacity: 36,540
Lokomotiv Moscow	CSKA Dynamo Lokomotiv Saturn Spartak Torpedo Torpedo-ZIL Alania Anzhi Uralan Krylia Rostselmash Rotor Shinnik Sokol Zenit Locations of teams in 2002 Russian Premier League		Krylia Sovetov Samara
RZD Arena			Metallurg Stadium
Capacity: 27,084			Capacity: 33,001
Rostselmash			Rotor
Olimp-2			Central Stadium
Capacity: 15,840			Capacity: 32,120
Saturn			Shinnik
Saturn Stadium			Shinnik Stadium
Capacity: 14,685			Capacity: 22,871
Sokol			Spartak
Lokomotiv Stadium			Luzhniki Stadium
Capacity: 15,000			Capacity: 81,029
Torpedo	Torpedo-ZIL	Uralan	Zenit Saint Petersburg
Luzhniki Stadium	Eduard Streltsov Stadium	Uralan Stadium	Petrovsky Stadium
Capacity: 81,029	Capacity: 13,450	Capacity:	Capacity: 21,570

Personnel and kits

Team	Location	Head coach	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Alania	Vladikavkaz	Bakhva Tedeyev	Adidas	-
Anzhi	Makhachkala	Gadzhi Gadzhiyev	Nike	-
CSKA	Moscow	Valery Gazzaev	Umbro	-
Dynamo	Moscow	Viktor Prokopenko	Nike	-
Lokomotiv	Moscow	Yuri Semin	Nike	MZD
Krylia	Samara	Aleksandr Tarkhanov	Umbro	-
Rostselmash	Rostov-on-Don	Sergei Balakhnin (Caretaker)	Diadora	Alfa-Eko
Rotor	Volgograd	Vladimir Salkov	Umbro	-
Saturn	Ramenskoye	Vladimir Shevchuk	Nike	-
Shinnik	Yaroslavl	Aleksandr Pobegalov	Nike	Yaroslavl Tire Plant
Sokol	Saratov	Leonid Tkachenko	Umbro	-
Spartak	Moscow	Oleg Romantsev	Adidas	Lukoil
Torpedo	Moscow	Sergei Petrenko	Diadora	-
Torpedo-ZIL	Moscow	Vadim Nikonov	Umbro	ZiL
Uralan	Elista	Revaz Dzodzuashvili	Lotto	-
Zenit	Saint Petersburg	Boris Rappoport	Diadora	Gazprom

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
Dynamo	Aleksandr Novikov		April 2002		Viktor Prokopenko	April 2002
Sokol	Alexander Koreshkov		April 2002		Anatoli Aslamov (Caretaker)	April 2002
Zenit	Yury Morozov		April 2002		Mikhail Biryukov (Caretaker)	April 2002
Anzhi	Leonid Tkachenko		May 2002		Aleksandr Reshetnyak (Caretaker)	May 2002
Sokol	Anatoli Aslamov (Caretaker)		May 2002		Leonid Tkachenko	May 2002
Anzhi	Aleksandr Reshetnyak (Caretaker)		June 2002		Myron Markevych	June 2002
Alania	Vladimir Muntyan		July 2002		Bakhva Tedeyev	July 2002
Torpedo	Vitaly Shevchenko		July 2002		Sergei Petrenko	July 2002
Zenit	Mikhail Biryukov (Caretaker)		July 2002		Yury Morozov	July 2002
Zenit	Yury Morozov		July 2002		Mikhail Biryukov (Caretaker)	July 2002
Anzhi	Myron Markevych		August 2002		Aleksandr Reshetnyak (Caretaker)	August 2002
Anzhi	Aleksandr Reshetnyak (Caretaker)		August 2002		Gadzhi Gadzhiyev	August 2002
Rostselmash	Anatoly Baidachny		August 2002		Sergei Balakhnin (Caretaker)	August 2002
Uralan	Sergei Pavlov		August 2002		Yuri Shishlov (Caretaker)	August 2002
Uralan	Yuri Shishlov (Caretaker)		August 2002		Revaz Dzodzuashvili	August 2002
Zenit	Mikhail Biryukov (Caretaker)		August 2002		Boris Rappoport	August 2002

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Lokomotiv Moscow (C)	30	19	9	2	46	14	+32	66	Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round[a]
2	CSKA Moscow	30	21	3	6	60	26	+34	66	Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
3	Spartak Moscow	30	16	7	7	49	36	+13	55	Qualification to UEFA Cup first round
4	Torpedo Moscow[b]	30	14	8	8	47	32	+15	50	Qualification to UEFA Cup qualifying round
5	Krylia Sovetov Samara	30	15	4	11	39	32	+7	49
6	Saturn	30	13	8	9	41	37	+4	47
7	Shinnik Yaroslavl	30	13	8	9	42	37	+5	47
8	Dynamo Moscow	30	12	6	12	38	33	+5	42
9	Rotor Volgograd	30	11	5	14	27	34	−7	38
10	Zenit St. Petersburg	30	8	9	13	36	42	−6	33
11	Rostselmash	30	7	10	13	29	49	−20	31
12	Alania Vladikavkaz	30	8	6	16	31	42	−11	30
13	Uralan Elista	30	6	11	13	32	42	−10	29
14	Torpedo-ZIL Moscow	30	6	10	14	20	39	−19	28
15	Anzhi Makhachkala (R)	30	5	10	15	22	43	−21	25	Relegation to First Division
16	Sokol Saratov (R)	30	5	8	17	24	45	−21	23

Source: RFPL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. The title was decided in a championship playoff as Lokomotiv Moscow and CSKA Moscow finished with equal points.
2. Torpedo qualified for the UEFA Cup thanks to Spartak winning the Russian Cup in 2003.

Championship play-off

21 November 2002

18:00 UTC+3

Lokomotiv Moscow	1–0	CSKA Moscow
Loskov 6'	Report

Dynamo Stadium, Moscow

Attendance: 34,000

Referee: Valentin Ivanov

Results

Home \ Away	ALA	ANZ	CSK	DYN	KRY	LOK	ROS	ROT	SAT	SHI	SOK	SPA	TOR	TZM	URE	ZEN
Alania Vladikavkaz		1–1	0–1	1–2	1–4	1–1	2–1	0–1	0–1	2–1	3–2	4–3	1–1	5–2	2–3	1–0
Anzhi Makhachkala	0–1		2–1	0–1	0–2	0–0	4–1	2–1	1–1	0–1	0–1	3–3	0–1	0–0	1–1	2–0
CSKA Moscow	1–0	3–1		2–3	2–0	0–1	5–1	2–0	2–3	2–0	3–0	2–1	2–3	4–0	2–1	1–0
Dynamo Moscow	0–1	2–0	1–2		0–1	1–2	5–0	2–3	1–1	0–1	2–1	0–1	3–3	1–1	1–0	0–2
Krylia Sovetov Samara	1–0	4–0	0–2	0–0		1–0	3–2	1–0	1–0	4–1	0–1	0–2	1–0	0–0	1–1	1–0
Lokomotiv Moscow	1–0	0–0	0–0	3–0	2–0		3–0	3–0	2–0	2–1	2–0	1–1	1–0	3–0	1–0	2–1
Rostselmash	1–1	2–0	3–2	1–1	0–3	2–3		0–3	2–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–1	1–1	2–0	1–2
Rotor Volgograd	2–1	0–0	0–1	0–0	2–0	0–2	0–0		1–1	2–0	2–1	0–3	1–0	0–0	2–0	2–1
Saturn	1–0	1–1	0–3	0–3	3–1	2–1	2–0	2–1		2–3	2–1	1–2	0–0	1–3	5–2	1–2
Shinnik Yaroslavl	2–0	6–0	1–1	2–1	4–2	0–0	1–1	1–0	1–3		2–1	2–2	2–1	2–0	1–0	1–1
Sokol Saratov	1–1	1–0	0–1	0–1	0–0	0–3	1–2	3–1	0–0	1–3		2–2	0–4	0–0	2–0	2–2
Spartak Moscow	2–1	2–1	0–3	1–0	3–1	1–2	0–0	2–0	0–2	3–0	2–1		0–1	2–1	0–2	4–3
Torpedo Moscow	2–0	3–0	2–3	2–0	4–3	2–2	0–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	1–0	1–2		2–1	2–2	1–1
Torpedo-ZIL Moscow	0–0	1–0	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–0	1–0	2–0	0–2	2–1		2–2	1–2
Uralan Elista	2–0	0–1	3–3	1–3	1–0	0–0	0–0	2–0	1–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–1	1–0		3–3
Zenit St. Petersburg	2–1	2–2	0–2	1–2	1–2	1–1	0–2	1–0	1–2	1–1	2–0	0–1	2–2	0–0	2–1

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top goalscorers

As of matches played on 21 November 2002.

Rank	Player	Club	Goal
1	Rolan Gusev	CSKA	15
	Dmitri Kirichenko	CSKA
3	Aleksandr Kerzhakov	Zenit	14
4	Vladimir Beschastnykh	Spartak Moscow	12
	Andrei Karyaka	Krylia
6	Robertas Poškus	Krylia	11
	Serghei Rogaciov	Saturn
	Igor Semshov	Torpedo
9	Aleksandr Shirko	Torpedo	10
	Zurab Tsiklauri	Uralan

Awards

On December 10 Russian Football Union named its list of 33 top players:^[1]

Goalkeepers

1. Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
2. Ruslan Nigmatullin (CSKA Moscow)
3. Valeri Chizhov (Saturn)

Sweeper

1. Sergei Ignashevich (Lokomotiv Moscow)
2. Sargis Hovsepyan (Zenit)
3. Bohdan Shershun (CSKA Moscow)

Right backs Vadim Evseev (Lokomotiv Moscow) Dmytro Parfenov (Spartak Moscow) Dmitri Sennikov (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Stopper Gennadiy Nizhegorodov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Oleg Pashinin (Lokomotiv Moscow) Omari Tetradze (Alania)

Left backs Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv Moscow) Ibra Kébé (Spartak Moscow) Denis Yevsikov (CSKA Moscow)

Defensive midfielders

1. Elvir Rahimić (CSKA Moscow)
2. Yevgeni Aldonin (Rotor)
3. Igor Semshov (Torpedo Moscow)

Right wingers Rolan Gusev (CSKA Moscow) Andrei Arshavin (Zenit) Ognjen Koroman (Dynamo Moscow)

Central midfielders Dmitri Loskov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Vladimir Maminov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Yegor Titov (Spartak Moscow)

Left wingers Andrei Karyaka (Krylia Sovetov) Andrei Solomatin (CSKA Moscow) Igor Yanovsky (CSKA Moscow)

Right forwards Sergei Semak (CSKA Moscow) James Obiorah (Lokomotiv Moscow) Dmitri Kirichenko (CSKA Moscow)

Left forwards Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Zenit) Ruslan Pimenov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Denis Popov (CSKA Moscow)

Medal squads

1. FC Lokomotiv Moscow

Goalkeepers: Sergei I. Ovchinnikov (31). Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (29 / 1), Gennadiy Nizhegorodov (29), Vadim Evseev (24 / 7), Dmitri Sennikov (24 / 1), Oleg Pashinin (24), Jacob Lekgetho (23 / 2), Yuri Drozdov (18), Milan Obradović (17). Midfielders: Dmitri Loskov (30 / 7), Vladimir Maminov (29 / 4), Narvik Sirkhayev (15 / 4), Marat Izmailov (14 / 2), Bennett Mnguni (4). Forwards: James Obiorah (23 / 5), Maksim Buznikin (23 / 2), Ruslan Pimenov (19 / 7), Júlio César (11 / 3), Nemanja Vučićević (9), Baba Adamu (8 / 1), Giorgi Demetradze (6), Sergei V. Ovchinnikov (1). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets) One own goal scored by Dmytro Semochko (FC Uralan Elista). Manager: Yuri Syomin. Transferred out during the season: Giorgi Demetradze (to FC Alania Vladikavkaz).

2. PFC CSKA Moscow

Goalkeepers: Ruslan Nigmatullin (15), Veniamin Mandrykin (13), Dmitriy Kramarenko (3). Defenders: Denis Yevsikov (29), Deividas Šemberas (28), Andrei Solomatin (26 / 3), Vyacheslav Dayev (22 / 1), Bohdan Shershun (18 / 1), Aleksei Berezutski (16), Aleksandr Berketov (8), Yevgeni Varlamov (2), Vasili Berezutski (2). Midfielders: Rolan Gusev (30 / 15), Elvir Rahimić (30 / 2), Igor Yanovsky (29 / 4), Juris Laizāns (27 / 3), Sergei Semak (24 / 6), Aleksei Triputen (9), Artur Tlisov (3). Forwards: Denis Popov (28 / 7), Dmitri Kirichenko (26 / 15), Spartak Gogniyev (21 / 2), Roman Monaryov (12), Igor Piyuk (1). One own goal scored by Martin Hyský (FC Dynamo Moscow). Manager: Valery Gazzaev. Transferred out during the season: Igor Piyuk (to FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow).

3. FC Spartak Moscow

Goalkeepers: Maksym Levytskyi (19), Stanislav Cherchesov (7), Dmitri Goncharov (6). Defenders: Igor Mitreski (27), Ibra Kébé (24 / 3), Moisés (23 / 1), Dmitri Ananko (21), Dmytro Parfenov (16 / 2), Yuri Kovtun (16 / 1), Jerry-Christian Tchuissé (12), Valeri Abramidze (6), Dmitri Khlestov (6), Andrei Streltsov (4), Samuel Ogunsania (1). Midfielders: Vasili Baranov (24 / 1), Dmitri Kudryashov (22 / 5), Yegor Titov (20 / 4), Eduard Tsykhmeystruk (20 / 2), Maksym Kalynychenko (11 / 1), Artyom Bezrodny (6 / 1), Aleksandr Pavlenko (5), Dmitri Torbinski (3), Marcelo Silva (2), Pyotr Nemov (2), Aleksandr Sheshukov (2), Aleksei Rebko (1), Aleksandr Samedov (1), Robert Scarlett (1). Forwards: Vladimir Beschastnykh (30 / 12), Aleksandr Danishevsky (21 / 4), Dmitri Sychev (18 / 9), Okon Flo Essien (9 / 1), Aleksandr Sonin (8 / 2), Pavel Pogrebnyak (2), Raman Vasilyuk (1). Manager: Oleg Romantsev. Transferred out during the season: Dmitri Ananko (to AC Ajaccio), Eduard Tsykhmeystruk (to FC Metalurh Donetsk), Dmitri Sychev (to Marseille), Dmitri Goncharov (to FC Alania Vladikavkaz), Raman Vasilyuk (to FC Dinamo Minsk).

See also

2002 in Russian football