While Russia has been celebrating victory in the race to host the 2018 football World Cup, its football community has been busy arguing over dramatic changes to the national championship’s format.
After decades of having the season run from spring to autumn, the Russian Football Union (RFU) decided earlier this year to switch to the “autumn-to-spring” model used by most major European leagues.
The last games of the 2010 season in the Russian Premier League were played at the end of November, many of them in very cold and snowy conditions, even for Russia.
The next – transitional – championship will start in early spring in 2011 and end in late spring in 2012. The first “autumn-to-spring” tournament will be held soon afterwards.
RFU head Sergei Fursenko argues that the change will lead to considerable improvements in Russia’s football infrastructure, including that of the lower leagues.
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