Russian Premier League facts for kids
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| Organising body | Russian Football Union (RFU) |
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| Founded | 1992 (as Top League) 2001 (as Premier League) |
| Country |  Russia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | First League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Russian Cup Russian Super Cup |
| Current champions | Zenit Saint Petersburg (10th title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Spartak Moscow Zenit Saint Petersburg (10 titles) |
| TV partners | List of broadcasters |
The Russian Premier League (RPL) is the top professional association football league in Russia. It is also known as the Russian Premier Liga. This league was started in late 2001. Before that, from 1992 to 2001, the top league was called the Russian Football Championship.
There are 16 teams that play in the Russian Premier League. In the past, the top teams could qualify for big European tournaments like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League. However, Russian teams are currently not allowed to play in these international competitions.
At the end of each season, the two teams at the very bottom of the league table move down to the Russian First League. The teams in 13th and 14th place play special games against teams from the First League. These games decide if they stay in the Premier League or move down.
Since 2022, the league has been called Mir Russian Premier League for sponsorship reasons. This means "Mir" is part of its official name. Since the Premier League started in 2002, several teams have won the title. Zenit Saint Petersburg has won the most, with 10 titles. They have won every season from 2018–19 to 2023–24. Other winners include CSKA Moscow (6 times), Lokomotiv Moscow (3 times), Rubin Kazan (2 times), and Spartak Moscow (1 time).
Contents
History of Russian Football
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, each country that was part of the Soviet Union started its own national football championship. In Russia, six teams that used to play in the Soviet Top League joined with 14 teams from lower divisions. Together, they formed a new 20-team Russian Top Division in 1992.
Over the next few years, the number of teams in the top division was reduced. By 1994, it had 16 teams. This number has mostly stayed the same ever since.
Spartak Moscow was very strong in the early years, winning nine out of the first ten titles. The only team that broke their winning streak was Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz, which won in 1995. Later, other teams like Lokomotiv Moscow and CSKA Moscow also became champions. In 2007, Zenit St. Petersburg won their first Russian title. In 2008, Rubin Kazan, a team new to the top flight, also won the league.
In 2018, the league changed its look with a new logo. This was part of a rebranding effort.
Because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, all Russian club and national teams were banned from European competitions. This meant that Russian clubs could not play against teams from other European countries in tournaments like the Champions League.
How the Competition Works
In the Russian Premier League, each team plays every other team twice. They play one game at home and one game away. This means each team plays a total of 30 matches in a season.
- Teams get 3 points for a win.
- They get 1 point for a draw (a tie).
- They get 0 points for a loss.
If two or more teams have the same number of points at the end of the season, there are rules to decide which team ranks higher. They first look at how many games each team won. Then, they look at the goal difference (how many goals they scored minus how many they let in). If teams are tied for first place, they might even play an extra championship game to decide the winner.
Before the ban, the champions would qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The second-place team would also get a spot in the Champions League qualifying rounds. Teams in third and fourth place would qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The two teams at the bottom of the league table are moved down to the Russian First League. The teams in 13th and 14th place play two special games against teams from the First League. The winners of these games get to play in the Premier League the next season.
The league used to play from March to November to avoid the cold Russian winter. But now, it runs from autumn to spring, like most other European leagues. This means there is a long winter break from mid-December to mid-March.
Youth Championship
The Youth Championship is a special league that runs at the same time as the Russian Premier League. It is for the youth or reserve teams of the Premier League clubs.
- Each Premier League team must have a youth team in this championship.
- The number of older players (over 21) or foreign players allowed on the field is limited.
- The youth matches are usually played a day before the main senior team matches.
- Youth teams do not get moved down based on their own results. Instead, their fate depends on how their senior team performs in the main Premier League. If the senior team gets moved down, their youth team also moves down.
Some big clubs even have a third team. This third team might play in a lower division and helps develop young players for the main team. For example, Krasnodar-2 plays in the Russian First League.
Youth Championship Winners
- 2001: Rotor Volgograd
- 2002: Dynamo Moscow
- 2003: Dynamo Moscow
- 2004: Terek Grozny
- 2005: CSKA Moscow
- 2006: Spartak Moscow
- 2007: Spartak Moscow
- 2008: Spartak Moscow
- 2009: Zenit Saint Petersburg
- 2010: Spartak Moscow
- 2011: Lokomotiv Moscow
- 2012: Dynamo Moscow
- 2012–13: Spartak Moscow
- 2013–14: Dynamo Moscow
- 2014–15: Dynamo Moscow
- 2015–16: Lokomotiv Moscow
- 2016–17: Spartak Moscow
- 2017–18: Krasnodar
- 2018–19: CSKA Moscow
- 2019–20: Dynamo Moscow
- 2020–21: CSKA Moscow
- 2021–22: CSKA Moscow
Current Clubs (2024–25 Season)
The following teams are playing in the 2024–25 Russian Premier League season:
| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Tolyatti | Zhigulyovsk | Kristall Stadium | 3,065 | Zaur Tedeyev |
| Akhmat Grozny | Grozny | Akhmat-Arena | 30,597 | Magomed Adiyev |
| Fakel Voronezh | Voronezh | Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion | 32,750 | Igor Cherevchenko |
| CSKA Moscow | Moscow | VEB Arena | 30,457 | Vladimir Fedotov |
| Dynamo Makhachkala | Makhachkala | Dynamo Stadium | 15,200 | Khasanbi Bidzhiyev |
| Dynamo Moscow | Moscow | VTB Arena | 26,700 |  Marcel Lička |
| Khimki | Khimki | Arena Khimki | 18,636 | Andrey Talalayev |
| Krasnodar | Krasnodar | Krasnodar Stadium | 34,291 | Murad Musayev |
| Krylia Sovetov | Samara | Solidarnost Arena | 44,918 | Igor Osinkin |
| Lokomotiv Moscow | Moscow | RZD Arena | 27,320 | Mikhail Galaktionov |
| FC Nizhny Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium | 44,899 |  Saša Ilić |
| Rostov | Rostov-on-Don | Rostov Arena | 45,000 | Valeri Karpin |
| FC Orenburg | Orenburg | Gazovik Stadium | 10,046 |  David Deogracia |
| Spartak Moscow | Moscow | Lukoil Arena | 44,307 | Dejan Stanković |
| Rubin Kazan | Kazan | Kazan Arena | 45,379 | Rashid Rakhimov |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | Saint Petersburg | Krestovsky Stadium | 67,800 | Sergei Semak |
League Champions (1992-Present)
This table shows the champions, runners-up (second place), and third-place teams each season. It also lists the top goal scorer for that year.
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Spartak Moscow | Spartak Vladikavkaz | Dynamo Moscow |  Vali Gasimov (16 goals) Yuri Matveyev (20 goals) |
| 1993 | Spartak Moscow (2) | Rotor Volgograd | Dynamo Moscow (2) | Victor Panchenko (21 goals) |
| 1994 | Spartak Moscow (3) | Dynamo Moscow | Lokomotiv Moscow | Igor Simutenkov (21 goals) |
| 1995 | Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz | Lokomotiv Moscow | Spartak Moscow | Oleg Veretennikov (25 goals) |
| 1996 | Spartak Moscow (4) | Alania Vladikavkaz (2) | Rotor Volgograd | Aleksandr Maslov (23 goals) |
| 1997 | Spartak Moscow (5) | Rotor Volgograd (2) | Dynamo Moscow (3) | Oleg Veretennikov (22 goals) |
| 1998 | Spartak Moscow (6) | CSKA Moscow | Lokomotiv Moscow (2) | Oleg Veretennikov (22 goals) |
| 1999 | Spartak Moscow (7) | Lokomotiv Moscow (2) | CSKA Moscow |  Georgi Demetradze (21 goals) |
| 2000 | Spartak Moscow (8) | Lokomotiv Moscow (3) | Torpedo Moscow | Dmitri Loskov (18 goals) |
| 2001 | Spartak Moscow (9) | Lokomotiv Moscow (4) | Zenit Saint Petersburg | Dmitri Vyazmikin (18 goals) |
| 2002 | Lokomotiv Moscow | CSKA Moscow (2) | Spartak Moscow (2) | Rolan Gusev (15 goals) Dmitri Kirichenko (15 goals) |
| 2003 | CSKA Moscow | Zenit Saint Petersburg | Rubin Kazan | Dmitri Loskov (14 goals) |
| 2004 | Lokomotiv Moscow (2) | CSKA Moscow (2) | Krylia Sovetov Samara | Aleksandr Kerzhakov (18 goals) |
| 2005 | CSKA Moscow (2) | Spartak Moscow | Lokomotiv Moscow (3) | Dmitri Kirichenko (14 goals) |
| 2006 | CSKA Moscow (3) | Spartak Moscow (2) | Lokomotiv Moscow (4) | Roman Pavlyuchenko (18 goals) |
| 2007 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | Spartak Moscow (3) | CSKA Moscow (2) | Roman Pavlyuchenko (14 goals) Roman Adamov (14 goals) |
| 2008 | Rubin Kazan | CSKA Moscow (4) | Dynamo Moscow (4) |  Vágner Love (20 goals) |
| 2009 | Rubin Kazan (2) | Spartak Moscow (4) | Zenit Saint Petersburg (2) | Welliton (21 goals) |
| 2010 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (2) | CSKA Moscow (5) | Rubin Kazan (2) | Welliton (19 goals) |
| 2011–12 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (3) | Spartak Moscow (5) | CSKA Moscow (3) |  Seydou Doumbia (28 goals) |
| 2012–13 | CSKA Moscow (4) | Zenit Saint Petersburg (2) | Anzhi Makhachkala |  Yura Movsisyan (13 goals) Wánderson (13 goals) |
| 2013–14 | CSKA Moscow (5) | Zenit Saint Petersburg (3) | Lokomotiv Moscow (5) | Seydou Doumbia (18 goals) |
| 2014–15 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (4) | CSKA Moscow (6) | Krasnodar | Hulk (15 goals) |
| 2015–16 | CSKA Moscow (6) | Rostov | Zenit Saint Petersburg (3) | Fyodor Smolov (20 goals) |
| 2016–17 | Spartak Moscow (10) | CSKA Moscow (7) | Zenit Saint Petersburg (4) | Fyodor Smolov (18 goals) |
| 2017–18 | Lokomotiv Moscow (3) | CSKA Moscow (8) | Spartak Moscow (3) |  Quincy Promes (15 goals) |
| 2018–19 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (5) | Lokomoscow (5) | Krasnodar (2) | Fyodor Chalov (15 goals) |
| 2019–20 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (6) | Lokomotiv Moscow (6) | Krasnodar (3) |  Sardar Azmoun (17 goals) Artem Dzyuba (17 goals) |
| 2020–21 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (7) | Spartak Moscow (6) | Lokomotiv Moscow (6) | Artem Dzyuba (20 goals) |
| 2021–22 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (8) | Sochi | Dynamo Moscow (5) | Gamid Agalarov (19 goals) |
| 2022–23 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (9) | CSKA Moscow (9) | Spartak Moscow (4) | Malcom (23 goals) |
| 2023–24 | Zenit Saint Petersburg (10) | Krasnodar (1) | Dynamo Moscow (6) |  Mateo Cassierra (21 goals) |
How Clubs Have Performed
This table shows how many times each club has won the league, finished second (runners-up), or finished third.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Seasons won | |||||
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| Spartak Moscow |
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1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2016–17 | |||||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg |
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2007, 2010, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 | |||||
| CSKA Moscow |
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2003, 2005, 2006, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16 | |||||
| Lokomotiv Moscow |
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2002, 2004, 2017–18 | |||||
| Rubin Kazan |
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2008, 2009 | |||||
| Alania Vladikavkaz |
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1995 | |||||
| Rotor Volgograd |
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| Dynamo Moscow |
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| Rostov |
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| Krasnodar |
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| Sochi |
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| Torpedo Moscow |
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| Krylia Sovetov Samara |
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| Anzhi Makhachkala |
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Total | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Player Records
Most Appearances (Games Played)
This list shows the players who have played the most games in the Russian Premier League.
| Rank | Player | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igor Akinfeev |
568 |
| 2 | Sergei Ignashevich |
489 |
| 3 | Sergei Semak |
456 |
| 4 | Dmitri Loskov |
453 |
| 5 | Igor Semshov |
433 |
| 6 | Artem Dzyuba |
422 |
| 7 | Vasili Berezutski |
402 |
| 8 | Ruslan Adzhindzhal |
397 |
| 9 | Igor Lebedenko |
394 |
| 10 | Valery Yesipov |
390 |
Most Goals Scored
This list shows the players who have scored the most goals in the Russian Premier League.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Avg/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artem Dzyuba |
161 | 422 | 0.39 |
| 2 | Oleg Veretennikov |
143 | 274 | 0.52 |
| 3 | Aleksandr Kerzhakov |
139 | 340 | 0.41 |
| 4 | Dmitri Kirichenko |
129 | 377 | 0.34 |
| 5 | Dmitri Loskov |
120 | 453 | 0.26 |
| 6 | Fedor Smolov |
108 | 323 | 0.34 |
| 7 | Roman Pavlyuchenko |
104 | 309 | 0.34 |
| 8 | Sergei Semak |
102 | 456 | 0.22 |
| 9 | Andrey Tikhonov |
98 | 346 | 0.28 |
| 10 | Igor Semshov |
98 | 433 | 0.23 |
Media Coverage
How to Watch the Games (2020–21 and 2021–22 Seasons)
In Russia and Nearby Countries
| Channel | Summary | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Match TV | Shows 60 live matches each season. | |
| Match Premier | Shows all 240 live matches. |
Around the World
All 240 matches are shown live around the world on YouTube. You need a subscription to watch them. There are two levels of membership for viewers outside Russia, nearby countries, and China:
- The first level costs $2.99 a month. It includes two matches with English commentary each matchday.
- The second level costs $4.99 a month. It gives you access to all eight matches in Russian, plus the two matches with English commentary.
In earlier seasons, YouTube used to show four live matches for free each week.
| Country/Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Southeast Europe | Sportklub |
 Belarus |
Belarus 5 |
| Brazil |
Grupo Bandeirantes |
| CIS | Qsport |
 Hong Kong |
i-cable |
| Latin America | Gol TV |
Images for kids
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European Russia.png
Map showing the locations of teams in the 2024–25 Russian Premier League.
See also
In Spanish: Liga Premier de Rusia para niños
- Football in Russia
- Russian Cup
- Soviet Top League
- List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues
- List of foreign Russian Premier League players
