The Volga Sentinel
Squad21 Sep 2026
The knee: Oleg Krasilnichenko out for 116 days
116 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Volga lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Player ratings21 Sep 2026
Artur Murza beats them one at a time
Successful dribbles: 32. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Squad21 Sep 2026
Words exchanged at Volga
Dmitry Tikhiy and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The terraces21 Sep 2026
The crowd has taken to Astemir Khashkulov
At 21 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
Match19 Sep 2026
Volga get the job done against KAMAZ
A 1‑0 win over KAMAZ, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Player ratings21 Sep 2026
Konstantin Kovalev was the difference for Volga
Marked 7.61. Ask anyone leaving the ground what settled it and you will get one name, which is the only award that has ever really counted.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
Alexandr Kryukov has his say
“We earned that. I asked them for a reaction and I got one, and now I want the same again on Saturday.” Alexandr Kryukov on a 1‑0 afternoon that pleased him more than he was prepared to show.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
No hiding place for Denis Rakhmanov
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Denis Rakhmanov, and the manager let it.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
Ruslan Shagiakhmetov asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
In brief
- Squad Luka Bagatelia: “I am not a substitute”
- Player ratings Off the bench and decisive: Astemir Khashkulov
- The dugout Devid Kokoev left out for tactical reasons at Volga