The situation start today in the regular championship of Russia, it seems, is not much different from the situation in the previous, which ended two weeks ago. Including the balance in the fight for gold: Zenit looks too clear contender for third in a row. But some of the nuances, including those associated with extreme by Russian standards, the schedule for the upcoming season, forced to think that the intrigue still exists.This is exactly the case when the arguments of someone who wants to prove that in the new championship of Russia known in advance not just obvious, but strategisation favorite, are at hand. Zenit have won the last two Championships — not the finish of the season, ahead of rivals in the cages, and convincingly with a huge margin. And don’t get any fresh reasons to think that this stock is in “depth” and the cost of the benches in handling — was able to go somewhere. In the end, the pandemic coronavirus turned the break between two consecutive Championships, past and upcoming, in a meager two and a half weeks. Over this period it is hardly possible to lose or, conversely, to find the tone. During this period it is impossible to undertake any radical adjustments, forcing to cock up the gaming potential.All the clubs that should be attributed to the competitors “Zenith”, have worked on the transfer market. Some, almost all, made a promising acquisition. But it’s still a cosmetic change to seriously argue that any of them in terms of power suddenly ahead of “Zenit”, which, refreshing application, lost one key character — Branislav Ivanovic — and then immediately compensated for the loss of no less strong and more young Dejan Lovren. The transfer window this year will be open until October 5, however, it is unlikely that even such a period at all sluggish because of the same pandemic of the market asset that can shake up the balance.Sensible, fact-based forecast for this season should look something like this: “Zenit” almost doomed to take his third consecutive gold (and this series, no one in Russia was not since the beginning of the century — from the end of Spartak’s dominance, max — “doubles”), a battle — resistant, with intrigue — will be conducted only for two less valuable rewards and European tours. Participants it must be like not handing over positions “the locomotive” and “Krasnodar”, CSKA. Still, it can be used to bite them, “Rostov”, perked Dynamo podskali, but trying to crawl out of the crisis through reforms in the management of “Spartak”.Something, however, makes you think that the intrigue in the fight for the gold medal is possible — even in addition to monitoring, saying that it is not always the leader of the Russian Premier League for financial resources in their championship picks. In the past ten years and so it was that on top of climbing clubs that are not in the top three ranking in the price (see reference).The fact that this championship will be very specific in certain circumstances, innovations. And if the format of the limit on foreign players, limiting their number in the application eight players coming instead of a format with six foreigners on the field at the same time, is still not the factor to seriously talk about what a terrible headache it is for clubs, the calendar is exactly what a headache. Pandemic have condensed it, putting the start by about a month compared with a normal time, to the limit according to domestic standards (see reference). But really to assess the workload of the clubs, exclusively on the next championship is wrong, and correct to “attach” to him ending eight rounds that preceded it, breaks between tournaments actually was not.* after the transition to system autumn-spring.And that’s what happens. In June—July “Zenith” was intense finish of the championship plus two Cup matches. Yesterday he opened the season with a meeting for the super Cup with Lokomotiv (see story on this page). It will be followed by a brutal six rounds, three weeks — Aug. For him — the crisp autumn Champions League and international matches, which will be attended by many Zenit players… Yes it can kill a team with any in terms of length and quality of the bench.Alex Armor, Eugene Fedyakov
