For more than one year, special places have been allocated in the Russian Premier League, which do not directly fly to the lower division, but get the opportunity to win back. These are the so-called play-offs, the results of which determine the performance in a particular league for the next season. It is on the joints that it is worth talking in more detail in order to have an idea of how they are carried out, according to what rules and when to expect worst teams elite according to the results of the 2018/2019 draw.
A bit of history
The first play-offs in Russian football were held in 2012. By the way, it was at that moment that the opposition between the teams switched to the "autumn-winter" variant. The latest adjustment has so far caused a lot of controversy and discussion. But it was impossible to do without it, looking at the example of the European championships. True, there are no problems with the joints in any season. This is really the right decision to leave only best teams in the elite Russian football... In addition, clubs from the second most important division are more motivated to conduct the season at a high level and get a ticket to the Premier League.
It is necessary to consider the question of who succeeded during recent years show top scores at the joints, and who went to the basement.
In the 2015/2016 season, Anji and Kuban were identified as representatives of the Premier League at the joints. The first team managed to outplay Volgar both at home and away, but Kuban was better only at home with the support of native stands. It was they who had to go down to the FNL. Instead, the Tom football club became the new representative of the elite.
In the next draw, when Spartak became the champion for many years, Orenburg and Arsenal Tula were the outsiders of the RFPL, stopping at the 13th and 14th lines, respectively. Here, on the contrary, the second club was able to maintain its registration in the top division of Russian football. By the way, it is worth noting that Anji scored an identical number of points with Orenburg, but managed to escape due to additional indicators.
Last season 2017/2018, once again Anji went to take off. Together with him, Amkar was among the outsiders of the championship. Now luck was not on the side of the Makhachkala team, and they lost to the representative of the FNL "Yenisei". “Amkar” remained in the elite, but literally after a while it became known that due to financial problems they ceased to exist. For this reason, tickets for the return journey were received by Anji players who will take part in the next RFPL draw.
That is, each season, play-offs allow FNL teams to additionally advance to the top division of the Russian football championship. This creates a kind of renewal of clubs and increased competition in the future on the European arena.
Fundamental rules
Initially, teams need to play all major matches in the domestic division. Subsequent play-offs 2018/2019 will depend on where the team will end up in standings... Under the joints fall football clubs, which in the elite of Russian football will stop on the 13th and 14th lines, and in the FNL - on the 3rd and 4th lines. If in the first case it is a shameful mission to play for elimination, then the teams of the second most important division almost dream of getting the opportunity to be in the Premier League.
Next is the command that stopped at the 13th line in the table Russian Premier League, on its field will host the club that took 4th place in the FNL. Accordingly, the 3rd line of the second division at home will play against the 14th elite team. Only at the end of the current season can we talk about who will become a real participant play-offs... Throughout the season, there is a chance to establish itself with better side and demonstrate skills in playing on the field.
After the first matches are played, one should wait for the return confrontations, which will take place on the fields of the opponents. This suggests that confrontations in two circles are mandatory. But situations may arise when even such meetings will not be enough and the football clubs of the Premier League and FNL will not be able to determine the best and the loser. Then additional established rules begin to operate:
With an identical number of goals for both rivals, the team that showed itself in the best way in the away confrontation will go further. This indicates the need to play at a sufficient level not only at home, but also at a party.
If these indicators remain identical with each other (for example, 3: 2 and 2: 3), the fight continues for two more extra times, each for 15 minutes. Here, of course, the teams will have much less strength than before, but still sometimes it allows you to find out the exact leader.
In the event of a tie as a result of the extra times spent, all fans expect a penalty shootout. This will definitely allow you to finally determine the winner of the pair.
Only this option is to establish teams that have received the right to play for the next draw in the Russian Premier League.
Team perspectives
It is very difficult to talk about who will remain in the red zone at the end of the rally. After all, even the first round in the Premier League of Russian football has not yet begun. But we can assume and orient ourselves on how the teams carried out their activity during the open transfer window. From the basement, Yenisei stands out, which lured quite strong players from the disbanded Tosno and Amkar. But they all played in the top division and showed a decent game on the field. Moreover, the Tosno footballers won the country's cup in the last draw. This suggests that with a well-coordinated game, it is Yenisei who is one of the representatives to retain his residence permit.
Anji can be named as a clear contender for relegation. They have financial problems that did not allow them to buy in with dignity and change players in the first squad. Over the past at least three seasons, they have been constantly dragging along with the outsiders, and only a fluke allows them to stay in the Premier League once again. If not the last places, then a place in the joints is simply provided for them, if nothing in the team fundamentally changes.
Wings of the Soviets have finally returned to the Premier League. They do not have the level of play that is needed at the top. And the budget is quite simple in comparison, even with the average representatives of the division. Well, as another contender for the play-offs, Ural can be called, which also recent times shows absolutely not the kind of football that they want to see in the Premier League.
It cannot be ruled out that the same "Rostov" will not sink into the joints. Of course, they are unlikely to be able to fly out due to more experience and professionalism than representatives of the FNL. But they may well be there, given the failures of the last rally. For this reason, these clubs should be monitored during the next season and watched the results. Only such an approach will make it possible to pinpoint the representatives of the football elite who do not belong here.
On May 26, 2019, the last round of the Russian football championship will be held. May 22 was defined as a reserve day. After that, the applicants for departure will definitely be clear. For this reason, on May 30 and June 2, 2019, play-off matches between representatives of the Russian Premier League and the FNL will take place, following which you can meet new participants in the top division.
MOSCOW, May 29. / TASS /. The transitional matches for the right to play in the Russian Football Premier League (RFPL) of the 2017/18 season gave the top division a new point on the country's map - SKA-Khabarovsk, which sensationally outplayed Orenburg. And Tula “Arsenal”, having won a hard fight against Krasnoyarsk “Yenisei”, was able to stay in the Premier League for the first time in the history of the club.
After the first matches, the balance of power looked different. “Arsenal” lost to “Yenisei” (1: 2), which took the third place ahead of schedule in the championship of the National Football League (FNL) after Moscow “Dynamo” and “Tosno”. “Orenburg” drew with “SKA-Khabarovsk” (0: 0), which snatched fourth place in the FNL standings only following the results of the final round.
Both return matches, which took place on the fields of the Premier League clubs on Sunday, turned out to be dramatic. “Orenburg” had an advantage throughout the match, at times surpassed the opponent in the number of shots on goal, and in the 39th minute the team's midfielder Blago Georgiev could not realize the 11-meter. However, the Khabarovsk team survived both the main time and the extra time, and in the penalty shootout they were more accurate - the save of goalkeeper Alexander Dovbny, who deflected the kick of Andrey Malykh, became the decisive one. “Enisey” in the return meeting again did not look weaker than the opponent in the game, but the goal of the Tula striker Igor Shevchenko in the 29th minute remained the only one.
Thus, SKA-Khabarovsk for the first time in history made it to the Premier League, and Arsenal was able to gain a foothold in it for the first time (the club made its debut in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season, but flew to the FNL at the end of that season).
Tikhonov complained about refereeing
After meeting in Tula Main coach Krasnoyarsk Andrey Tikhonov made it clear that the arbitration was in favor of the opponent; the meeting was judged by Vladimir Seldyakov from Balashikha near Moscow. “Look at which penalty kick they scored a goal, what kind of foul there was. Maybe the referee was in the wrong position, did not see the moment, but this is not a trifle, it leads to a certain result,” the TASS specialist said later. At the same time, Tikhonov noted that his players were unacceptably many mistakes "because they were too nervous."
The head coach of Tulyakov Sergey Kiryakov, who attended the press conference later than his colleague, thanked his charges, who gave all their strength to the field. He also ironically thanked all the critics, including Tikhonov, who admitted that he did not expect such a straightforward game from the Tula.
The head coach of “Orenburg” Robert Evdokimov did not look for reasons for the failure on the side, noting the poor implementation of his own moments. The team's midfielder Dmitry Efremov is in solidarity with him: “Nobody argues, they (SKA-Khabarovsk) are great, but we had to beat them, we shouldn't have gone below our bar. I'm not saying that we are supposedly from the prime minister - league, it means that we are better, this balance of power was only on paper. It is very disappointing, but, probably, it is our own fault. "
SKA-Khabarovsk coach Alexei Poddubskiy noted the discipline and patience of the team players. “We knew that Orenburg played very aggressively at home, but we managed to endure. good chances to score a goal, but in the end everything was decided by the lottery - a penalty kick, we were more fortunate, "the specialist commented on the course of the match.
Evdokimov leaves, Kiryakov - in question
Evdokimov, who has been heading Orenburg since 2012 and brought him to the Premier League for the first time in history, announced immediately after the match that his time at the club was coming to an end. Orenburg President Vasily Stolypin said that next season the team will face the task of returning to the top division. “I cannot blame anyone for failure, everyone played with full dedication. Perhaps they burned out, because everything was at stake,” he also noted.
Arsenal's general director Dmitry Balashov said that Kiryakov managed to complete the task for the season, but his further work at the club will be discussed at the board of trustees, which will be held in the coming days. The specialist himself, in a conversation with a TASS correspondent, refused to answer the question whether he wants to stay. "My contract ends on May 31, there is something to discuss with the management, there is something to talk about," the coach said. The specialist, in particular, noted that he does not want the situation of last summer, when the team was staffed with free agents, to repeat itself.
The general director of SKA-Khabarovsk, Oleg Flegontov, said that Poddubsky would definitely keep his post. He also noted that the governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Vyacheslav Shport has already promised the team full support, including financial, which, in particular, will help solve problems with the stadium, which does not meet the requirements of the RFPL.
Tikhonov said that he has yet to discuss the extension of the contract with the club's management. When asked if he would like to remain the head coach of the Krasnoyarsk team, Tikhonov replied: “I would like to work where they set big tasks. I want to live and devote myself to football.”
The official admission of "SKA-Khabarovsk" to the RFPL, and "Orenburg" - to the FNL should take place in early June, when, as planned, the league meetings will be held.
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classmates
Enisey won a landslide victory over Anji (3: 0), practically solving the issue of the historic first entry into the Premier League. Tambov lost in Perm and could concede more than two goals from Amkar (0: 2). "Sport Day by Day" - about the first play-off matches "RFPL - FNL".
Enisey - Anji: who plays where?
Krasnoyarsk "Enisey" from the beginning of the season was among the favorites of the FNL. With care top scorer Andrey Kozlov's team in Orenburg, Dmitry Alenichev's team lost a little in quality, which is why they lost the leadership to the same Orenburg and Wings of the Soviets, but retained their corporate identity.
Alenichev's Spartak did not show even half of the beauty that Yenisey is showing now. "Walls" and "running" - this is how the Krasnoyarsk team lives, showing football from the red and white 90s. “Anji” in the Krasnoyarsk arena was not at all like the representative of the Premier League. Having conceded two goals in the first half, Makhachkala residents began to sort things out among themselves right on the field. It did not come to fights, but regular mistakes in simple situations showed that everything is bad in the team. Alexander Budakov's injury only exacerbated the situation. 21-year-old Vladimir Sugrobov managed to make a mistake in each of Yenisei's three scoring attacks, but not only defense moaned at Anji.
During the break, Vadim Skripchenko changed one of those who tried the most on the field - Vladimir Polyyakhtov. Substitute Pavel Yakovlev did not come up with any ideas for an attack. Either the residents of Makhachkala got lost in unusual conditions, or the coaches did not watch the Yenisei matches at all, but Dmitry Alenichev's team effortlessly defeated Anji in the first match for the Premier League. The fans in the arena's only tribune rejoiced, as if they had already entered the Premier League, the players with smiles were preparing to accept bronze medals for the third place in the FNL, which they were awarded immediately after the game against Anji. Only Alenichev and Yegor Titov were unhappy, pondering what to say to the players so that they retain the correct attitude to the return game.
Amkar - Tambov: Talalaev's team was enough for a half
Unlike Anji, Amkar did not plan to give the initiative to an opponent from the FNL. “Tambov” is not “Yenisei”: a sufficient level of skill required to resist RFPL clubs, does not possess. Of course, in the first division, Andrey Talalaev's team showed interesting football and deservedly took fourth place this season, but this is not enough for playing in the Premier League.
In almost every episode, there were banal mistakes made by the Tambov players, who directly said that the team was not yet ready to switch to more high level... Even SKA-Khabarovsk showed a more confident game in the play-offs with Orenburg, while the Khabarovsk team showed the most dull football in the whole RFPL history, having issued a flight to the FNL ahead of schedule.
The Tambov players held back the not-too-skillful attacks of the Permians until they ran out of strength. As soon as the fresh Mikhail Kostyukov entered the field, he gave an assist to Janush Gol, cutting off several Tambov defenders at once. After 20 minutes, Sergei Balanovich ran away from the opponent's standing defense and skillfully rolled the ball past Denis Vavilin - almost one of the Tambov players with Premier League experience.
It's nice that the club is moving forward in its development: first it fights for the "joints", then gets into the "four" and hires the first charter in club history to fly to Perm. However, it is too early for "Tambov" to go to the Premier League, because he simply will not pull it, at least in terms of playing qualities.
Play-off matches
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk, D1) - Anji (Makhachkala) - 3: 0
Enisey: Filippov - Hasanov, Zhirov, Kichin - Chicherin, Semakin, Fatullaev, Komkov (Kamesh, 62) - E. Ivanov (k) - Kutin (Lomakin, 67), Sarkisov (Serderov, 74)
Anji: Budakov (Sugrobov, 12) - Musalov, Armash, Samardzhich, Poluyakhtov (Yakovlev, 46) - Khubulov, Tetrashvili (k), Anton, Markelov - Budkovsky, Prudnikov (Lescano, 61)
Goals: Kutyin, 25, from the penalty spot; Sarkisov, 32; Kutyin, 58
Warnings: Filippov, 78; Zhirov, 81; Chicherin, 87 / Poluyakhtov, 41; Khubulov, 50; Markelov, 60
Judge: Mikhail Vilkov (Nizhny Novgorod)
Amkar (Perm) - Tambov (D1) - 2: 0
Amkar: Nigmatullin - Milkovich, Idovu, Belorukov, Sivakov, Zanev (k) - Goal (Balanovich, 70), Ogude, Ryazantsev (Kostyukov, 56) - Forbes, Komolov (Gaschenkov, 69)
"Tambov": Vavilin - Rybin (k), Gorbatyuk, Mishchenko, Shlyakov - Trusevich (Gultyaev, 66), Kashchelan, Ovsienko, Murnin (Chernyshov, 78) - Ignatovich, Biryukov (Chasovskikh, 51)
Goals: Goal, 60; Balanovich, 79
Warnings: Gaschenkov, 75 / Gultyaev, 74
Judge: Sergey Lapochkin (St. Petersburg)