“Fakel” played out a goalless draw with “SKA-Khabarovsk” and became the first team to secure promotion from the Pari League to the Russian Premier League. “Rodina” also had a chance to clinch their spot—they just needed to beat mid-table “Chelyabinsk” in Khimki, while also avenging a 4-0 loss from the first half of the season. The Moscow side accomplished both objectives, with Gharibyan scoring and getting sent off within minutes.
Rodina (Moscow) 2–0 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk)
The visitors, uncharacteristically quick out of the blocks, created an early chance: Volkov punched the ball away from a cross by Gadzhimuradov, only for it to fall to N’Diaye, but a teammate, Levin, blocked his shot. Chelyabinsk initially matched Rodina in possession and shots, pressing effectively and racking up fouls (a 5:1 ratio by the 15th minute told the story).
However, the favorites soon remembered their status. In the 25th minute, they capitalized on their first real opportunity with a stroke of luck. Egorychev sent a cross from the right, and the ball struck the crossbar over a bewildered Tuseev, rebounding directly to Maksimenko. Maksimenko headed it down for Timoshenko to finish—his 10th league goal of the campaign.
After that, Rodina took control of the game, though Chelyabinsk occasionally showed teeth. Their attacks never troubled Kryzhan, who dealt with every danger. Early in the second half, however, Kryzhan’s poor clearance forced Volkov to react quickly to a close-range shot by Berdnikov.
The main subplot was obvious from the start: Reyna had recently picked up an injury and missed all week of training but still pushed for a place in the lineup. He offered little attacking threat. The decisive moment came late in regulation time when substitute Gharibyan used his body to shield Kocheev, shrugged off Samoilov, and slotted the ball past Tuseev. Maksimenko had earlier tested the keeper from distance with a fine effort that missed narrowly.
Gharibyan, however, let his emotions get the better of him shortly after. He shoved Baytukov during a throw-in, sparking a mass brawl. The referee sent him off—scoring and being dismissed in the same match. Kocheev also received a straight red for grabbing Gharibyan’s face.
With this result, Moscow will once again have five clubs in the RPL, reminiscent of the days when Torpedo was there. More notably, three of them are privately owned: Krasnodar, Akron (if they avoid relegation), and now Rodina. In 11 years, Rodina has gone from a youth football school to the top flight. Two previous teams that made the leap have already established themselves, with one even challenging for dominance.
Sporting director Alexei Zinin recently outlined transfer plans for the summer in an interview with our publication: “The most important phase of strengthening the team is keeping the players who are useful and helping them reach a new level. We value our players—that comes first. We do need additions, but they will be minimal and targeted.”
The aim is to follow in the footsteps of Baltika rather than Sochi, who practically built an entirely new squad.
There was also celebration in Voronezh today:
“Fakel” returns to the RPL—but it was far from a comfortable watch.