Russian Premier League 2026/27 season kicks off and Zenit's dominance is questioned

The new Russian Premier League season kicked off with the opening match between CSKA Moscow and Baltika. The prospects of Spartak, CSKA, Krasnodar, Dinamo and Lokomotiv Moscow, along with Zenit's motivation, are among the season's key storylines.

Scraper SystemJuly 24, 2026, 09:00 AM

Russian Premier League 2026/27 season kicks off and Zenit's dominance is questioned

The 2026/27 Russian Premier League season officially kicked off on Friday, July 24, with the CSKA Moscow vs Baltika match. Transfer activity, coaching changes, and clubs' internal dynamics following last season have raised five key questions for the new campaign.

Zenit's motivation will be tested

Zenit, with the strongest squad of the last decade, has lost the championship only twice since 2017. The team, which has added recent title winners like Igor Diveev, Maksim Glushenkov and Aleksandr Sobolev, is once again the top favorite on paper. However, the lack of European football is said to potentially dampen the players' motivation. Having endured difficult moments against Spartak in the Super Cup, whether Zenit will fall into complacency this season is one of the biggest talking points.

Spartak Moscow aims to end 10-year title drought

Spartak Moscow won their last league title in 2017 under Massimo Carrera. Since then, the red-and-whites have lifted one Super Cup and two Russian Cups, and now they have pinned their hopes on Spanish coach Juan Carlos Carcedo. Although Carcedo failed to guide the team into the top three last season, he managed to win a cup at the end of the campaign and put in a good performance in the Super Cup match against Zenit ahead of the new season.

Igdisamov era begins at CSKA Moscow

CSKA Moscow, who started last season under Fabio Celestini, led the table for the first 12 weeks and stayed in the top three until the 18th round. But after the winter break, the team collapsed. By the time Celestini was sacked in May, CSKA had won just 4 of 13 league and cup matches, losing heavily to Krasnodar and Dinamo, and even falling to bottom-placed Sochi. Academy graduate Dmitry Igdisamov took charge, but the team was eliminated from the cup by Spartak and finished fifth in the league. Nevertheless, the board removed Igdisamov's interim status, showing confidence in him. It remains to be seen whether he can repay that faith in the new season.

Krasnodar moves on without star Spertsyan

Krasnodar's star Eduard Spertsyan, instead of the expected move to Europe, signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli. The Armenian player, who will earn 6 million euros per year until 2029, had played nearly 300 matches for Krasnodar since 2010, contributing 82 goals and 71 assists, and played a leading role in the historic 2025 title win. For coach Murad Musaev, filling the void left by such a figure in a short time will be very difficult. Therefore, Krasnodar are not expected to be serious contenders in the title race this season.

Sandro Schwarz returns to Dinamo Moscow

After parting ways with Valery Karpin, Dinamo Moscow also failed to get the desired results under Rolan Gusev and finished the season in seventh place with 12 wins and 9 defeats. Ahead of the new season, Sandro Schwarz, who left the club under strange circumstances in 2022, was brought back. The German coach stated upon his arrival that they had a good pre-season. Dinamo are expected to challenge for the top spots this time.

Financial uncertainty and Batrakov concern at Lokomotiv Moscow

Lokomotiv Moscow, who made a superb start to last season and remained unbeaten leaders for a long time, slumped in the spring and barely held on to third place. Subsequently, rumors emerged that the club was experiencing financial difficulties. The return of Dmitry Vorobyov, who contributed 12 goals and 7 assists last season, to Krasnodar weakened the team's attacking power. The main concern, however, is the situation of Aleksey Batrakov, one of the biggest talents in domestic football. The possible departure of the young star, who has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, could put Lokomotiv in a predicament similar to what Krasnodar faced after Spertsyan's exit.

Russian Premier League 2026/27 season kicks off and Zenit's dominance is questioned