Gazprom Announced As New Official Sponsor of Crimea

TFN’s Dave Wild with some breaking news from the East…

Following lengthy discussions between Vladimir Putin and Sepp Blatter today, it has been annouced that Gazprom are to become the new official sponsors of Crimea, ushering in an ‘unprecedented era of content, nostalgic prosperity’ in ‘The Champions Peninsula’

Of course, Gazprom was the first to approach us with a proposal,” said Crimea’s first deputy prime minister Rustam Temirgaliev, his eyes fixated on the peaceful landscape projected onto his telescreen every morning at 08:15. Continue reading

Capello’s Russia Rock ‘n’ Rolling

Footbal. Russian national team holds training session

The False Nine’s Russian correspondent, Andy Shenk, looks at Fabio Capello’s promising start in the Russian national team hotseat after seven months in charge…

Almost eight months have passed since Russia crashed out of Euro 2012, falling 1-0 to the Greeks on June 16 in Warsaw and failing to advance from a group with Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic. Four years earlier, a nearly identical squad had reached the tournament Semi-Finals. Continue reading

Russia’s Under-21 Squad Set for Euro 2013

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Ahead of Russian Under-21s versus Norway Under-21s in Spain tonight, The False Nine’s Russian correspondent, Andy Shenk, looks at the positive progress made by Russia’s young charges in an important decade for the country…

Yekaterinburg, population 1.3 million, gave Russia’s Under-21s a hearty Siberian welcome last winter, playing host to their final Euro 2013 qualifying matches. On September 6 and 10 more than 17,000 fans roared in approval as the team handled Poland 4-1 and drew with Moldova 2-2 to move top of their group. Several weeks later, in the return leg of their play-off tie with the Czech Republic, the Russians drew 2-2, securing the 2-0 advantage established in Jablonec nad Nisou a few days earlier to advance to Europe’s Under-21 Football Championship for the first time since 1998. Continue reading

The Mystery of Andrei Arshavin

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False Nine editor Hugo Greenhalgh reflects on the Russian star’s troubled career at Arsenal… 

An interesting bit of trivia emerged just before Arsenal’s Capital One Cup Quarter Final away at Bradford. If a certain player had travelled to Yorkshire that night, he would be returning to the site of his professional debut. Continue reading