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Dec 31
2008

Russia's FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok a European Side?

Posted by Andrew McNair in RussiaFC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok

Andrew McNair

I was having a flick through my 4-4-2 magazine when my attention was drawn to the amazing Russian Premier League (Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia).

The 16 team league is one of the richest leagues in the world, thanks to plenty of other Abramovich types taking an interest in the football in their own back yard for a change. It is also like the Barclay's Premier League, as it is full of foreigners.

What I noticed was plenty teams being linked to Moscow and it got me thinking. London has Fulham, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and West Ham United, which is a quarter of England's top flight.

CSKA Moscow, Dynamo Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Moscow, FC Saturn Moscow and Spartak Moscow make up 6 of 16 top Russian sides, so would that mean the league was less representative of the country?

Well that's what I thought until I realised that two teams are actually, in Asia

FC Tom Tomsk and FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok may be in one of Europe top leagues but god help fellow Europeans if the Vladivostok side ever make Europe.

As we all know, Russia is one of the longest trips for British teams in Europe but that is just to Moscow or St Petersburg. What if I told you that Vladivostok is around 15,000km's east of St Petersburg, Arsenal wouldn't be back in time for the next weekends league game!

The city is only a few miles from China and North Korea.

Famous Russian keeper, Igor Akinfeev once said that he believed they should play in Japan.

And not many would argue with that.

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