The State of Russian Football
Kurban Berdyev, the former head coach of Rubin Kazan, has shared his thoughts on the current condition of Russian football. He admitted that he no longer follows the Russian championship, citing a significant drop in quality.
“I don’t watch the Russian championship. Not at all. The level has fallen,”Berdyev stated. He is currently managing Turan Tovuz, a club in Azerbaijan that has secured a spot in the Conference League. Under Berdyev’s leadership, Rubin Kazan won the Russian Premier League title twice, in 2008 and 2009, along with the Russian Cup in the 2011/12 season and the Russian Super Cup in both 2010 and 2012. These achievements highlight his past success in a league he now finds unappealing.
Tragic Events in Football
In other football news, the death of 46-year-old Georgy Kamalov has been reported. Kamalov, a former player for Era Vladivostok from 2003 to 2011, ended his playing career due to injury and transitioned into coaching, starting within the Era system. In recent years, he worked with the club Anri, guiding them to the level of the Russian Cup. According to Dmitry Nizovtsev, Kamalov
“was up to his neck in debt. That’s why he signed the contract. He paid off the debt after receiving the payment. But then he had to go fight. And die. At the age of 46. Such a grim story.”
These events shed light on the challenging state of Russian football and the tragic circumstances many former athletes face after their careers end. The lack of interest in the national championship and the struggles of ex-professionals raise serious questions about the country’s football infrastructure and support systems for players. Georgy Kamalov’s death underscores the difficult path that many former players walk, often finding themselves in harsh life situations once their playing days are over.
The challenges faced by former players in Russian football are further highlighted by the recent tragic news surrounding the death of Georgy Kamalov. His story, marked by financial struggles and the harsh realities of life after football, reflects a broader concern about the support systems in place for athletes. To understand more about the current state of affairs in Russian football, including how events like the championship celebration impact the community, read about the recent events involving a popular ABBA song during Zenit's title win here.