Russia welcomes foreign influx

When Czech coach Vlastimil Petrzela led FC Zenit St. Peterburg to the runners-up spot in last season's Russian Premier-Liga, he set an example for others.

Foreign coaches
The Czech's success has led four other clubs to take on foreign coaches over the winter. Portuguese coach Artur Jorge has replaced Valeri Gazzaev at champions PFC CSKA Moskva; Italian Nevio Scala is now in charge at FC Spartak Moskva; another Czech, Jaroslav Hrebík, is in command at FC Dinamo Moskva; and FC Alania Vladikavkaz have employed Frenchman Rolland Courbis.

Usual suspects
Seeing how these foreign coaches fare should add a little spice to the fairly predictable race for the title. CSKA and FC Lokomotiv Moskva remain the most financially powerful sides in the league and they are the most realistic contenders this season, with nine-times Russian champions Spartak the only other team expected to challenge for the title.

Transfer market
On one level, it looks like a battle between Russian coaching talent, as represented by Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin, and foreign nous, in the form of Jorge and Scala, but with an increasingly buoyant transfer market in Russia, big-name closed-season transfers could yet make a major impact.

Record broken
Champions CSKA broke the Russian transfer record again when they signed the €5.6m Brazilian Dani Carvalho, as well as acquiring the more modestly priced Argentinian Osmar Ferreira from CA River Plate.

Exciting signings
Elsewhere, Zenit bought Czech forward Marek Kincl, whose goal sent AC Sparta Praha through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, Spartak signed the leading Uruguayan midfield player Marcelo Sosa, and FC Krylya Sovetov Samara swooped for RC Celta de Vigo striker Catanha and Brazilian defender Rafael Schmitz from Lille OSC.

Anyone's guess
All this transfer activity among the smaller clubs makes guessing the destiny of the UEFA Cup slots in Russia a bit of a lottery. Zenit's mighty performance last year has shown that provincial clubs can still pack a punch in Russia. The likes of FC Rubin Kazan, Dinamo, Zenit, FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast and Alania are unpredictable - they could end up in the top three or the bottom three - but they have shown they are more than capable of giving the big clubs a run for their money.

Big budgets
Money will be a major feature of the 13th Russian championship. Russia's biggest businesses are paying increasingly close attention to football, and while the real owners of many clubs prefer to keep their identities secret, the budgets available to Russian clubs are proof of the power behind the throne. Some have estimated that the combined budget for the 16 top-flight clubs will be around €250m for the season.

New regulations
However, while the budgets will be higher, so will be the pressure to stick to the rules. After the scandal that erupted after Spartak captain Yegor Titov received a lengthy ban for using the banned substance bromantan, doping tests are to become routine for Russian players. From the beginning of the season, officials will take tests at one game in each round, testing two players from both teams.