Support The Moscow Times!

Zenit Crowned Russian Champions With Two Games to Spare

Zenit St. Petersburg, managed by Andre Villas-Boas, won their fourth Russian Premier League title on Sunday after drawing 1-1 at FC Ufa.

The point proved to be enough with Zenit moving into an unassailable lead on 64 points, eight ahead of their nearest challengers CSKA Moscow who have two games left.

FK Krasnodar, nine points behind with three games remaining, cannot overhaul Zenit due to their head-to-head record.

League top scorer Hulk increased his tally to 15 for the season with a goal just after the half hour for Zenit.

A late headed equalizer from Haris Handzic wasn't enough to dampen the celebrations for the club which has now won three titles in the past five seasons.

Zenit took the Russian Premier League title in 2007, 2010 and 2012 and was also crowned Soviet champions in 1984.

The title is the first in Russia for Villas-Boas, the former Porto, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss, since the Portuguese manager took over in March 2014.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more