The Russian Premier League returns

Ever since the order to halt all games last March 17, the Russian Premier League makes its return on June 21. This comes after rising concerns of the coronavirus spreading amid large public gatherings like that of a live football match. According to longtime fan Alexander Sabadash, this was the right call to make. With more than 260,000 confirmed cases in the country, stopping all live football matches was a public safety measure to protect fans, as well as players, coaching staff, and people running the sports venues.

The decision was likely made as mounting pressure to reopen was built by the surrounding leagues resuming such as Bundesliga, Spanish Premier League, and the English Premier League. With its resumption, the season will look forward to its finals on July 25. According to Alexander Sabadash, Russian Premiere League president Sergey Pryadkin promised to do their absolute best to ensure the safety of all competitors.

One team that's looking forward to the reopening is defending champions Zenit as they hold a 9-point lead over Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar at the top of the league. The league reopens with new regulations introduced, like allowing five substitutions per match. The remaining eight rounds will also be played behind closed doors, and the finals are still up for debate whether they will be allowing fans to watch the match.

With social distancing too difficult a task to uphold in sporting arenas, fans can only turn on their television sets and mobile devices to watch the upcoming games. With cases still surging, the future of sporting events in Russia is still difficult to predict. Alexander Sabadash claims that whatever happens, fans will still be glued to every game once the league resumes. Live attendance or not, true football fans will cheer for their teams no matter what, nor where.