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
Season2002
ChampionsLokomotiv Moscow
1st title
RelegatedAnzhi Makhachkala
Sokol Saratov
Champions LeagueLokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow
UEFA CupSpartak Moscow
Torpedo Moscow
Matches played240
Goals scored584 (2.43 per match)
Top goalscorerRolan 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
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 Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
    Alania Vladikavkaz Bakhva Tedeyev
    Anzhi Makhachkala Gadzhi Gadzhiyev
    CSKA Moscow Valery Gazzaev Umbro N/A
    Dynamo Moscow Viktor Prokopenko Nike N/A
    Lokomotiv Moscow Yuri Semin Nike MZD
    Krylia Samara Aleksandr Tarkhanov
    Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don Sergei Balakhnin (Caretaker) Nike N/A
    Rotor Volgograd Vladimir Salkov Umbro Rotor
    Saturn Ramenskoye Vladimir Shevchuk
    Shinnik Yaroslavl Aleksandr Pobegalov
    Sokol Saratov Leonid Tkachenko Umbro
    Spartak Moscow Oleg Romantsev Adidas Lukoil
    Torpedo Moscow Sergei Petrenko Diadora N/A
    Torpedo-ZIL Moscow Vadim Nikonov
    Uralan Elista Revaz Dzodzuashvili Lotto N/A
    Zenit Saint Petersburg Boris Rappoport 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
    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 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 32 42 −10 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) Champion; (R) Relegated.

    As CSKA and Lokomotiv finished at the top of the table with equal points, the title was decided in a championship play-off.

    Lokomotiv Moscow1–0CSKA Moscow
    Loskov 6' (Report)
    Attendance: 34,000
    Referee: V. Ivanov

    Torpedo qualified for the UEFA Cup thanks to Spartak winning the Russian Cup in 2003.

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

    References
    1. Названы имена лучших футболистов России (in Russian). Sport Express. 2002-12-10.
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