Marked for Alexandr Stenyakin
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market15 Jan 2029
“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.
Squad15 Jan 2029
Tom Marriott falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout15 Jan 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Anton Kobzev, and the manager let it.
Squad15 Jan 2029
Harvey Duggins was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad15 Jan 2029
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
The dugout15 Jan 2029
Sergey Aidarov knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad18 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad18 Dec 2028
Arturs Rugins falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
Somebody else has been better, the manager has said so with a team sheet, and there is no argument to be had. He will get the shirt back the only way it can be got back.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
The plan did not have a place for Javid Medvedev
Nobody at Rodina 2 is suggesting he is out of form. The manager simply wanted somebody with a different set of qualities for ninety specific minutes, and there is nothing a player can train to fix that.
The dugout18 Dec 2028
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market11 Dec 2028
“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.
Market11 Dec 2028
Only the photograph left for Sergey Aidarov
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Sergey Aidarov will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Rodina 2 the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad11 Dec 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad11 Dec 2028
“The easiest signature of my career.” Rodion Zharov and Rodina 2 agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
There is no complaint available here and everybody involved knows it, which does not make the walk to the bench any shorter. Form is the only currency in football that cannot be borrowed against.
Market11 Dec 2028
Ed Nolan is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Rodina 2 has been clear about where Ed Nolan stands, which is more than many ever get.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
The manager wanted a different profile for this opponent, which is a real football reason and no consolation. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
The dugout11 Dec 2028
Arturs Rugins knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Arturs Rugins trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Squad11 Dec 2028
Sergey Aidarov speaks, and the room listens
“I am not asking anybody to be better than they are. I am asking everybody to be as good as they are, every week.” Said out loud, in front of everybody, and the room at Rodina 2 was different afterwards.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad4 Dec 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev 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.
Squad4 Dec 2028
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Arturs Rugins is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout4 Dec 2028
The manager makes an example of Sergei Kotov
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad4 Dec 2028
Ed Nolan makes the team of the month
Four or five weekends of consistency, measured against everybody else in the division. A quieter compliment than an award and a more reliable one.
The dugout4 Dec 2028
The one version of being left out a player cannot argue with, and the one he takes worst. Somebody else has been better and the team sheet says so, in public, every week until it changes.
The dugout4 Dec 2028
Ninety specific minutes wanted a different sort of player, and the manager picked one. He is not out of form and he is not in the side, and both are true.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad20 Nov 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout20 Nov 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout20 Nov 2028
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Astemir Khezhev trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad23 Oct 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market23 Oct 2028
Arturs Rugins is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Rodina 2 has been clear about where Arturs Rugins stands, which is more than many ever get.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Makar Chizhov, and the manager let it.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
Somebody else has been better, the manager has said so with a team sheet, and there is no argument to be had. He will get the shirt back the only way it can be got back.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
Arturs Rugins knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout23 Oct 2028
Ed Nolan does not fit this one
Ninety specific minutes wanted a different sort of player, and the manager picked one. He is not out of form and he is not in the side, and both are true.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad25 Sep 2028
Arturs Rugins was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
There is no complaint available here and everybody involved knows it, which does not make the walk to the bench any shorter. Form is the only currency in football that cannot be borrowed against.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
Makar Chizhov knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
Ninety specific minutes wanted a different sort of player, and the manager picked one. He is not out of form and he is not in the side, and both are true.
Market25 Sep 2028
Rodina 2 have let the market know Astemir Khezhev can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.
The dugout25 Sep 2028
Played out of position, hooked on the hour, asked to be somebody he is not — the details vary and the mood does not. Rodina 2 have a player doing his work under protest.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market28 Aug 2028
Maxim Danilin 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 Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maxim Danilin is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Alan Agaev 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.
Market28 Aug 2028
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Javid Medvedev has his answer from Rodina 2; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
The dugout28 Aug 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alan Agaev, and the manager let it.
The dugout28 Aug 2028
It is not much of a headline and it is the reason players believe the next promise. Rodina 2 told Nikita Patkovich something would happen and then it happened, which in this industry passes for remarkable.
The dugout28 Aug 2028
The shape wanted a different profile against this opponent, which is a real football answer and no comfort at all to the man it is about. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
Market28 Aug 2028
Rodina 2 have let the market know Daniel Svintsov can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Competition arrives for Alan Agaev
A new face in his position and a shirt he thought he owned suddenly up for discussion. Rodina 2 have promised nothing, which is what clubs promise at this stage.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market31 Jul 2028
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad31 Jul 2028
Artem Biryukov is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 22 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad31 Jul 2028
Artem Biryukov was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market31 Jul 2028
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Rodina 2 have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
The dugout31 Jul 2028
The manager makes an example of Timofey Danilov
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings31 Jul 2028
Nobody's fault and entirely his: a goal that goes into the book with his name against it and nothing about it intended. Rodina 2 deserved better, and so did he.
The dugout31 Jul 2028
The plan did not have a place for Artem Biryukov
Nobody at Rodina 2 is suggesting he is out of form. The manager simply wanted somebody with a different set of qualities for ninety specific minutes, and there is nothing a player can train to fix that.
Market31 Jul 2028
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Alexandr Stenyakin’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
The dugout31 Jul 2028
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Kamil Tashtemirov trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market3 Jul 2028
“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.
Market3 Jul 2028
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad3 Jul 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad3 Jul 2028
Maxim Danilin falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad3 Jul 2028
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
Squad3 Jul 2028
Every shape has positions in it and this one does not have his. Rodina 2 will either change the shape, change his job, or change his club, and he is waiting to hear which.
The dugout3 Jul 2028
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Daniil Chernyshev trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout3 Jul 2028
Vsevolod Korsakov loses the manager who believed in him
A change in the dugout is not one story, it is twenty-five of them. This is Vsevolod Korsakov's: he was somebody's player, and now he has to be somebody else's, starting from nothing.
Market3 Jul 2028
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Alexandr Stenyakin’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market26 Jun 2028
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market26 Jun 2028
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
Squad26 Jun 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout26 Jun 2028
“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.
Squad26 Jun 2028
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Javid Medvedev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Market26 Jun 2028
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Daniel Svintsov may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad19 Jun 2028
A knee injury of the worst kind for Nikita Patkovich
21 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Rodina 2 lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Market19 Jun 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Squad19 Jun 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Artem Biryukov and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout19 Jun 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout19 Jun 2028
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Alexandr Stenyakin trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad5 Jun 2028
A knee injury of the worst kind for Nikita Patkovich
36 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Rodina 2 lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Market5 Jun 2028
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market5 Jun 2028
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Denis Mushkarin will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Rodina 2 the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad5 Jun 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Gleb Knyazev commits to Rodina 2 for another 4 years.
Squad5 Jun 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad5 Jun 2028
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Gleb Knyazev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market8 May 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Market8 May 2028
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad8 May 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market24 Apr 2028
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
The dugout24 Apr 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad24 Apr 2028
Astemir Khezhev was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The terraces17 Apr 2028
The mood at Rodina 2 has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Market17 Apr 2028
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad17 Apr 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Gleb Knyazev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout17 Apr 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alexandr Stenyakin, and the manager let it.
The dugout17 Apr 2028
Gleb Knyazev 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.
Market17 Apr 2028
Rodina 2 have made Alexandr Gapechkin available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market10 Apr 2028
“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.
Market10 Apr 2028
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad10 Apr 2028
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad10 Apr 2028
Gleb Knyazev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout10 Apr 2028
“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.
Market10 Apr 2028
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Alexandr Stenyakin’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The terraces20 Mar 2028
The mood at Rodina 2 has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Market20 Mar 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Squad20 Mar 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Astemir Khezhev 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.
Squad20 Mar 2028
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Gleb Knyazev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout20 Mar 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alexandr Stenyakin, and the manager let it.
The dugout20 Mar 2028
“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.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad13 Mar 2028
21 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Rodina 2 lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Market13 Mar 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad13 Mar 2028
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Gleb Knyazev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad13 Mar 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Alan Agaev 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 dugout13 Mar 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout13 Mar 2028
“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.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad6 Mar 2028
30 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Rodina 2 lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Market6 Mar 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Squad6 Mar 2028
“The easiest signature of my career.” Alexandr Stenyakin and Rodina 2 agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad6 Mar 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad6 Mar 2028
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one Rodina 2 will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
The dugout6 Mar 2028
The manager makes an example of Pavel Baranov
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad14 Feb 2028
52 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Rodina 2 lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Market14 Feb 2028
“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.
Market14 Feb 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad14 Feb 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Gleb Knyazev 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.
Squad14 Feb 2028
Astemir Khezhev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout14 Feb 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout14 Feb 2028
“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.
Squad14 Feb 2028
“I did not sign to watch. Nobody does.” The oldest complaint in the game, and Rodina 2 will have to answer it with minutes or with a move.
The dugout14 Feb 2028
The manager makes Gleb Knyazev a promise
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Rodina 2. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market17 Jan 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
Market17 Jan 2028
Pablo Martínez has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad17 Jan 2028
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Gleb Knyazev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad17 Jan 2028
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Alan Agaev 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.
Player ratings17 Jan 2028
An afternoon Gleb Knyazev will want back
Marked 5.76. Nothing he attempted worked and by the hour mark he had stopped attempting much, which is the part a manager notices rather than the mistakes.
The dugout17 Jan 2028
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The terraces27 Dec 2027
Supporters organise against the Rodina 2 board
A bad atmosphere can be waited out. A group of people meeting afterwards to decide what to do about it cannot, and everybody in the building knows which stage this is.
Market27 Dec 2027
“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.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad27 Dec 2027
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Nikolay Pridava 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.
Squad27 Dec 2027
Astemir Khezhev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Rodina 2 pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
Boardroom27 Dec 2027
The music was off and the showers ran late. What was said in that dressing room stays there, but Saturday will publish the minutes.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market20 Dec 2027
Only the photograph left for Pablo Martínez
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Pablo Martínez will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Rodina 2 the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad20 Dec 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad20 Dec 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Gleb Knyazev is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout20 Dec 2027
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Rodina 2 pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
The dugout20 Dec 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout20 Dec 2027
The shape wanted a different profile against this opponent, which is a real football answer and no comfort at all to the man it is about. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market22 Nov 2027
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market22 Nov 2027
Pablo Martínez has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad22 Nov 2027
At 18 he is doing things this season that he could not do last season, and doing them every week. Form comes and goes; this has stayed long enough to be called something else.
Squad22 Nov 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout22 Nov 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad22 Nov 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Pavel Klinov is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Market22 Nov 2027
Pablo Martínez is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Rodina 2 has been clear about where Pablo Martínez stands, which is more than many ever get.
The dugout22 Nov 2027
The shape wanted a different profile against this opponent, which is a real football answer and no comfort at all to the man it is about. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
Player ratings22 Nov 2027
5.78. Every footballer has these and most of them happen away from a full ground; his did not, and he will be aware of that all week.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market8 Nov 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
The dugout8 Nov 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Rodina 2 may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad8 Nov 2027
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Nikita Patkovich 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.
Squad8 Nov 2027
Gleb Knyazev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout8 Nov 2027
The manager makes an example of Alan Agaev
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom8 Nov 2027
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
Market8 Nov 2027
“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Javid Medvedev has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Rodina 2.
Squad8 Nov 2027
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
The dugout8 Nov 2027
The manager wanted a different profile for this opponent, which is a real football reason and no consolation. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market25 Oct 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market25 Oct 2027
“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.
Squad25 Oct 2027
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Alan Agaev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad25 Oct 2027
Gleb Knyazev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alexandr Stenyakin, and the manager let it.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
The shape wanted a different profile against this opponent, which is a real football answer and no comfort at all to the man it is about. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
Player ratings25 Oct 2027
Marked 5.74. Nothing he attempted worked and by the hour mark he had stopped attempting much, which is the part a manager notices rather than the mistakes.
Squad25 Oct 2027
At 25 he is in the side on merit and somebody else is watching. Places at Rodina 2 are won quietly and lost loudly, and this one was won.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market27 Sep 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market27 Sep 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Rodina 2 can pretend not to have heard.
The dugout27 Sep 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad27 Sep 2027
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Javid Medvedev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad27 Sep 2027
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Salman Ələsqərov and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Market27 Sep 2027
No place for Pavel Klinov in the plan
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Pavel Klinov has his answer from Rodina 2; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
The dugout27 Sep 2027
The manager wanted a different profile for this opponent, which is a real football reason and no consolation. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
Market27 Sep 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Alexandr Stenyakin signs something — a contract at Rodina 2 or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
The dugout27 Sep 2027
Gleb Knyazev 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.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market30 Aug 2027
“I know what people will say. I know what I want, and it is here.” Spartak Kostroma had the fee agreed and the shirt ready; they did not have the player, and now they will not.
Market30 Aug 2027
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Rodina M waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
Market30 Aug 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Pablo Martínez 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.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Arseny Khorin is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Arseny Khorin
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
The manager wanted a different profile for this opponent, which is a real football reason and no consolation. He did nothing wrong and he did not play.
The dugout30 Aug 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Alexandr Stenyakin trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Somebody is after Nikita Savin’s shirt
A new face in his position, and Nikita Savin suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Rodina 2 have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market19 Jul 2027
“It was not right for me. I am not going to explain why to anybody except the people I owe an explanation to.” A deal agreed between two clubs, and a player who declined to be part of it.
Market19 Jul 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Market19 Jul 2027
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Market19 Jul 2027
“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 Rodina 2, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Stanislav Basyrov was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Boardroom19 Jul 2027
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Daniel Svintsov is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
Somebody else is better right now than Nikita Savin
The team sheet says it in public every week until it changes. The only version of being dropped a footballer cannot argue with, and the one he takes hardest.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market14 Jun 2027
“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.
Market14 Jun 2027
Only the photograph left for Ilja Antonov
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ilja Antonov will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Rodina 2 the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad14 Jun 2027
At 19 he is doing things this season that he could not do last season, and doing them every week. Form comes and goes; this has stayed long enough to be called something else.
Squad14 Jun 2027
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Vladislav Samko and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Market14 Jun 2027
Add another name to the list: Rudar Velenje have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Matvey Burlakov. The answer from Rodina 2 has not changed — yet.
Squad14 Jun 2027
Astemir Khezhev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad14 Jun 2027
“I did not sign to watch. Nobody does.” The oldest complaint in the game, and Rodina 2 will have to answer it with minutes or with a move.
The dugout14 Jun 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Pavel Baranov, and the manager let it.
The dugout14 Jun 2027
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Maxim Danilin has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match31 May 2027
Rodina 2 are in real trouble now
Position 6, 15 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
The dugout31 May 2027
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Rodina 2 have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market31 May 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Rodina 2 is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad31 May 2027
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Rodina 2 know it.
Squad31 May 2027
Pablo Martínez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad31 May 2027
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Denis Mushkarin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout31 May 2027
The manager makes an example of Arseny Khorin
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout31 May 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Rodina 2, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad31 May 2027
“I did not sign to watch. Nobody does.” The oldest complaint in the game, and Rodina 2 will have to answer it with minutes or with a move.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad10 May 2027
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Vladislav Samko 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 dugout10 May 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Vladislav Samko, and the manager let it.
Squad10 May 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Svyatoslav Kozhedub is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad26 Apr 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad26 Apr 2027
Svyatoslav Kozhedub falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market26 Apr 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Rodina 2 know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The dugout12 Apr 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad12 Apr 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Rodina 2 this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market12 Apr 2027
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at Rodina 2, another week without a signature from Vladislav Samko.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Pavel Klinov is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alexandr Stenyakin, and the manager let it.
Squad12 Apr 2027
“I did not sign to watch. Nobody does.” The oldest complaint in the game, and Rodina 2 will have to answer it with minutes or with a move.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match5 Apr 2027
Rodina 2 sink to position 6
15 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market5 Apr 2027
Only the photograph left for Ivan Vozrastov
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ivan Vozrastov will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Rodina 2 the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Denis Bogatikov is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 18 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Words exchanged at Rodina 2
Vladislav Samko 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.
Squad5 Apr 2027
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Rodina 2 are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Svyatoslav Kozhedub is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Daniel Svintsov, and the manager let it.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
“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.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Pavel Baranov has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad29 Mar 2027
A falling-out at Rodina 2
Vladislav Samko and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad29 Mar 2027
A row about effort at Rodina 2
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Svyatoslav Kozhedub was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market29 Mar 2027
No place for Ilja Antonov in the plan
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Ilja Antonov has his answer from Rodina 2; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
Arseny Khorin 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.
Market29 Mar 2027
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Maxim Danilin’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market22 Mar 2027
Ilja Antonov has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Rodina 2 they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad22 Mar 2027
Svyatoslav Kozhedub was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad22 Mar 2027
Words at Rodina 2 training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Arseny Khorin is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout22 Mar 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Gleb Knyazev, and the manager let it.
The dugout22 Mar 2027
Vladislav Samko 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.
Market22 Mar 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Rodina 2 know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The dugout15 Mar 2027
Ruslan Maltsev: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Rodina 2 have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market15 Mar 2027
So close: Nikita Savin’s move dies late
The fee was agreed and the flight was looked at — and then the phone stopped ringing. Cherepovets moved on, Nikita Savin reports back to Rodina 2, and everybody pretends Monday is just Monday.
Squad15 Mar 2027
Vladislav Samko was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad15 Mar 2027
Svyatoslav Kozhedub falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad15 Mar 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Alexandr Stenyakin and Rodina 2 agree another 4 years.
Squad15 Mar 2027
27 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Market15 Mar 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
The dugout15 Mar 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Arseny Khorin, and the manager let it.
The dugout15 Mar 2027
Vladislav Samko 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.