Russian First Division — News

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28 Mar 2027
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8 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Mar 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Nikolay Giorgobiani tops the scoring charts

Nobody in the division bettered it last month: 4 goals in 4 appearances for Fakel.

Scoring charts

Fanil Sungatulin is the division's player of the month — 8.14

A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Ural man on 8.14 with 4 goal contributions.

Scoring charts

Souleymane Alio is the month's best young player — 7.26

The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.26 over the month and 4 goal contributions, from a Ural player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.

Market

Dmitry Tikhiy asks to leave Volga

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Market

Volga say no — this time

The offer from Rostov for Yegor Baburin was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Scoring charts

Alexandr Selikhov leads the division for assists — 7.98

The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 3 of them made by a Ural player marked 7.98, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.

Scoring charts

Highest marks in the league belong to a Yenisey man

Alexandr Nadolskiy averaged 8.56 over 3 appearances. Nothing about that will trend, and anybody who watched all four games would tell you it was the most accurate thing on this page.

Market

Mikhail Shtepa’s move to Tyumen falls through

The deal that would have taken Mikhail Shtepa to Tyumen has collapsed at the last stage, and he reports back to Chernomorets with a summer to forget and a season still to play. Nobody is saying which side walked away.

Market

Eyes on Ilja Stefanovich again

The phone has started ringing about Ilja Stefanovich again, and this time the name on the line is Dinamo Brest. Shinnik are listening politely and promising nothing.

Scoring charts

Ilja Safronov keeps the pressure on

3 goals in 4 appearances for Rotor leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Alexandr Nadolskiy makes the list

3 appearances, 3 goals, and a place among the division's leading scorers for the month. Strikers measure a season in exactly these lines.

Scoring charts

Still scoring: Fanil Sungatulin

4 in 4 for Ural. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.

Back issues
7 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Nobody scored more than Borislav Rupanov

The month closes with Borislav Rupanov out in front — 5 goals in 5 games, and Shinnik have the division's most feared finisher.

Scoring charts

Miloš Brnović is the division's player of the month — 8.04

A club's paper reports this as one of its own being honoured. On this page it is what it actually is: a verdict on everybody who played, and it went to a Arsenal Tula man on 8.04 with 2 goal contributions.

Scoring charts

The division's brightest kid this month plays for Neftekhimik

Ivan Bober was marked 7.60 and had a hand in 1 goals. Every recruitment department in the country now has a file open, and the club that has him knows exactly what that means.

Market

Kirill Gotsuk hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Torpedo Moscow can pretend not to have heard.

Market

Ural turn down Nagoya Grampus for Martin Sekulić

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Scoring charts

Nobody made more than Nikita Chagrov this month

4 assists, 6.19, and a Rotor player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.

Scoring charts

Highest marks in the league belong to a Arsenal Tula man

Edarlyn Reyes averaged 8.14 over 5 appearances. Nothing about that will trend, and anybody who watched all four games would tell you it was the most accurate thing on this page.

Market

Ural may not be able to give Léo Cordeiro what he wants

It is the most legitimate ambition in the sport and the hardest for most clubs to satisfy. Léo Cordeiro wants continental football; whether Ural can provide it is a question about the next two seasons, not about him.

Market

Eyes on Ilja Dyatlov again

The phone has started ringing about Ilja Dyatlov again, and this time the name on the line is CSKA Moscow. Rodina are listening politely and promising nothing.

Scoring charts

Ramazan Gadjimuradov keeps the pressure on

2 goals in 5 appearances for Chelyabinsk leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Stanislav Biblyk makes the list

5 appearances, 3 goals, and a place among the division's leading scorers for the month. Strikers measure a season in exactly these lines.

Scoring charts

Alexandr Chupaev is right behind him

3 goals in 5 appearances for Spartak Kostroma, and a chart that would look very different if two of them had gone in off the post instead of past it.

6 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Jan 2027
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Nobody scored more than Gleb Popolitov

The month closes with Gleb Popolitov out in front — 3 goals in 4 games, and Chaika U19 have the division's most feared finisher.

Scoring charts

The month belonged to Stanislav Magkeev

Marked 8.58 across it, 3 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Fakel have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.

Scoring charts

The division's brightest kid this month plays for Chaika U19

Gleb Popolitov was marked 8.26 and had a hand in 4 goals. Every recruitment department in the country now has a file open, and the club that has him knows exactly what that means.

Market

Jesús Molina asks to leave Chaika

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Scoring charts

Nobody made more than Mamadou Camara this month

3 assists, 7.77, and a Spartak Kostroma player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.

Scoring charts

Pavel Kireenko is the division's best-marked player — 8.64

The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 8.64 across 4 matches for Sokol.

Scoring charts

Ivan Ignatjev is right behind him

3 goals in 4 appearances for Arsenal Tula, and a chart that would look very different if two of them had gone in off the post instead of past it.

Scoring charts

Soltmurad Bakaev keeps the pressure on

3 goals in 4 appearances for Rodina leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Still scoring: Stanislav Magkeev

3 in 4 for Fakel. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.

Scoring charts

Ramazan Gadjimuradov up among the month's scorers

A productive month at Chelyabinsk — 3 goals from 4 appearances, and a place near the top of the charts.

Market

Dilan Ortíz linked with a move away

The name of Dilan Ortíz keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Ufa say nothing, which says plenty.

Market

Kirill Folmer placed on the list

Volga have made Kirill Folmer available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.

5 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Dec 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Nobody scored more than Andrey Mazurin

The month closes with Andrey Mazurin out in front — 3 goals in 4 games, and Yenisey have the division's most feared finisher.

Scoring charts

The month belonged to Andrey Mazurin

Marked 8.53 across it, 3 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Yenisey have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.

Scoring charts

Ruslan Cherviakov is the month's best young player — 7.71

The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.71 over the month and 1 goal contributions, from a Chaika player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.

Market

Khetag Kochiev asks to leave Chelyabinsk

“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.

Scoring charts

Georgy Natabashvili leads the division for assists — 6.23

The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 4 of them made by a Chernomorets player marked 6.23, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.

Scoring charts

Andrey Mazurin is the division's best-marked player — 8.53

The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 8.53 across 4 matches for Yenisey.

Scoring charts

Mattéo Ahlinvi makes the list

4 appearances, 3 goals, and a place among the division's leading scorers for the month. Strikers measure a season in exactly these lines.

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Reziuan Mirzov up among the month's scorers

A productive month at Arsenal Tula — 2 goals from 4 appearances, and a place near the top of the charts.

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Still scoring: Julio Cerpa

2 in 4 for Chernomorets. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.

Scoring charts

Migran Ageyan up among the month's scorers

A productive month at Ufa — 2 goals from 4 appearances, and a place near the top of the charts.

Market

The Belajdi Pusi question follows Fakel around

Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Belajdi Pusi’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.

Market

The shop window has Albek Gongapshev in it

Shinnik have let the market know Albek Gongapshev can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.

4 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Nov 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Mamadou Camara tops the scoring charts

Nobody in the division bettered it last month: 4 goals in 5 appearances for Spartak Kostroma.

Scoring charts

The month belonged to Mamadou Camara

Marked 8.26 across it, 5 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Spartak Kostroma have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.

Scoring charts

The division's brightest kid this month plays for Chaika

Ruslan Cherviakov was marked 7.58 and had a hand in 2 goals. Every recruitment department in the country now has a file open, and the club that has him knows exactly what that means.

Market

Mikhail Maltsev hands in a written request

“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Sokol can pretend not to have heard.

Scoring charts

Nobody made more than Alexey Kuznetsov this month

5 assists, 6.62, and a SKA Khabarovsk player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.

Scoring charts

Nikita Demchenko is the division's best-marked player — 8.34

The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 8.34 across 5 matches for Spartak Kostroma.

Scoring charts

Nikita Demchenko keeps the pressure on

3 goals in 5 appearances for Spartak Kostroma leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Ivan Ignatjev keeps the pressure on

3 goals in 5 appearances for Arsenal Tula leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Dmitry Kamenschikov is right behind him

4 goals in 5 appearances for Volga, and a chart that would look very different if two of them had gone in off the post instead of past it.

Scoring charts

Amur Kalmykov keeps the pressure on

3 goals in 5 appearances for Spartak Kostroma leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Market

KAMAZ and Dmitry Lavrischev are talking past each other

“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.

Market

The Amur Kalmykov talk will not go away

Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Spartak Kostroma know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.

3 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Oct 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Edarlyn Reyes tops the scoring charts

Nobody in the division bettered it last month: 4 goals in 4 appearances for Arsenal Tula.

Scoring charts

The month belonged to Stanislav Magkeev

Marked 8.10 across it, 3 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. Fakel have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.

Scoring charts

Gleb Popolitov is the month's best young player — 7.86

The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 7.86 over the month and 1 goal contributions, from a Chaika U19 player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.

Market

Kirill Folmer puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Volga, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

Shinnik turn down Pari Nizhniy Novgorod for Albek Gongapshev

The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.

Scoring charts

Nobody made more than Darko Todorović this month

3 assists, 7.19, and a Fakel player who spent four weekends being the reason somebody else's name went in the paper. It is the least-rewarded skill in football and the easiest one to notice its absence.

Scoring charts

Anton Antonov is the division's best-marked player — 8.54

The chart that catches everybody a goal tally never will: the centre-half who was immense for four weekends, the holding midfielder nobody outside his own ground has heard of. 8.54 across 4 matches for Chernomorets.

Market

Léo Cordeiro wants European nights

The general version of this complaint is that a player wants more. The specific version names the thing: he wants to walk out under floodlights against clubs from other countries, and he has stopped pretending otherwise.

Market

The Baltika deal is off

Everything was agreed until it was not, and Nikolay Prisyazhnenko reports back to Neftekhimik with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.

Scoring charts

Pavel Kireenko makes the list

4 appearances, 2 goals, and a place among the division's leading scorers for the month. Strikers measure a season in exactly these lines.

Scoring charts

Anton Antonov keeps the pressure on

2 goals in 4 appearances for Chernomorets leave him among the month's leading marksmen.

Scoring charts

Stanislav Magkeev is right behind him

3 goals in 4 appearances for Fakel, and a chart that would look very different if two of them had gone in off the post instead of past it.

2 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Sep 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Scoring charts

Andrey Mazurin tops the scoring charts

Nobody in the division bettered it last month: 4 goals in 5 appearances for Yenisey.

Scoring charts

The month belonged to Konstantin Pliev

Marked 7.99 across it, 2 goals and assists between them, and no serious argument from anybody else in the division. SKA Khabarovsk have had the whole benefit of a month somebody else will spend the summer trying to buy.

Scoring charts

Ruslan Cherviakov is the month's best young player — 8.40

The award the rest of the division reads as a transfer rumour. 8.40 over the month and 3 goal contributions, from a Chaika player whose price has just gone up without anybody at his club doing anything.

Market

Ivan Lomaev puts it in writing

“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Ufa, and it is not being withdrawn.

Market

Ural say no — this time

The offer from Pacos de Ferreira for Martin Sekulić was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.

Scoring charts

Artur Anisimov leads the division for assists — 5.85

The chart that decides who the scorers ought to be thanking. 4 of them made by a KAMAZ player marked 5.85, and not one will be in the montage at the end of the season.

Scoring charts

Highest marks in the league belong to a Chaika man

Ruslan Cherviakov averaged 8.40 over 4 appearances. Nothing about that will trend, and anybody who watched all four games would tell you it was the most accurate thing on this page.

Scoring charts

Stanislav Magkeev is right behind him

3 goals in 5 appearances for Fakel, and a chart that would look very different if two of them had gone in off the post instead of past it.

Scoring charts

Amur Kalmykov up among the month's scorers

A productive month at Spartak Kostroma — 3 goals from 5 appearances, and a place near the top of the charts.

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Daniil Shamkin makes the list

5 appearances, 2 goals, and a place among the division's leading scorers for the month. Strikers measure a season in exactly these lines.

Scoring charts

Still scoring: Ruslan Cherviakov

3 in 4 for Chaika. Nobody outside his own ground is talking about him, which tends to be true of everybody on this list except the man at the top of it.

Market

No place for David Kokoev in the plan

“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” David Kokoev has his answer from Neftekhimik; what he does with it is the next window’s story.

1 Edition

The First Division Courier

1 Aug 2026
From our football correspondent Steady

Market

Léo Cordeiro told to find a new club

“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Léo Cordeiro has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Ural.

Market

Nobody at Spartak Kostroma has picked up the phone to Daniel Sappa

11 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.

Market

The Dilan Ortíz question follows Ufa around

Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Dilan Ortíz’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.