by Aleks V |


They're back.

Dynamo Moscow reserved themselves a spot in the 2017/18 Russian Premier League less than a year after being relegated for the first time in their 93-year history.

The club, which currently plays in the Football National League, Russia's First Division, won promotion with seven games to go, breaking a six-year league record for earliest promotion (in 2013, FC Ural won promotion with five games remaining).

A scoreless draw against FC Khimki meant the results of the Baltika-SKA Khabarovsk match would determine their fate. As luck would have it, 90 minutes in Kaliningrad produced an identical scoreboard, guaranteeing Dynamo a top-two finish.

The Blue-and-Whites also extended their unbeaten run in the FNL to 13 games.


Midfielder, Anatoli Katrich, has had a standout performance, racking up a goal and three assists in the last four games.

Dynamo goalkeeper, Anton Shunin, has noticeably improved in goal under Goalkeeper Coach, Roman Berezovsky. The former Dynamo and Armenia keeper fine-tuned Shunin's skills over the course of the season, contributing to the team's goal difference of +30.

The back line is a story as well, with such talents as Swedish centre-back, Sebastian Holmén, Australian international, Luke Wilkshire, and seasoned club veteran, Vladimir Rykov.

In less than a season in charge, Head Coach, Yuri Kalitvintsev, reinvigorated a team whose spirit was at an all-time low. A former Dynamo player, Kalitvintsev, who led Ukraine to victory in the 2009 UEFA Under-19 Euro, was the perfect choice to lead the historic side. He brought together both young and experienced players, whose collective effort now boasts a 22-8-3 (W-D-L) record.

by Aleks V |



In April 2017, the U.S. Women's National Football Team will play two friendly games against Russia in Texas. They last met in 2014, also playing two games on U.S. soil. Those came after a 12-year hiatus.

The last time the U.S. Men's National Football Team played Russia was in 2012, a friendly that ended in a 2:2 draw at Kuban Stadium in Krasnodar. They've only met 10 times in both the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Their first and only meeting in official competition was the 1988 Olympic Games in South Korea, where the USSR walked away with a 4:2 victory, finishing top of Group C and knocking the US out of the tournament. The Soviet team went on to beat Brazil in an extra-time final.



At club level, the two probably last met in 1990, when the likes of CSKA and Dynamo Moscow played friendlies against the Atlanta Chiefs and Washington Diplomats. One such game was fittingly played in Washington D.C., where Dynamo won against the Diplomats 6:1.

A lot has changed on both the sporting and political arenas since then. The fall of the Soviet Union led to the establishment of a Top Division, and in 2001, the Russian Premier League. The 90's gave rise to Major League Soccer and a World Cup held in the US. Both leagues continue to have their share of struggles. Unfortunately, the same can be said about relations between the two countries.

In an ever-increasingly competitive world, no one nation or league can claim to be "the best". Being one of the best, however, is certainly not out of reach, and can be achieved much quicker by working together.

The countries' top soccer leagues can do just that.


MLS
- Est. 1993
- Teams: 22
- Reserve league: integrated into USL Pro League
- Coverage in US: available on cable; limited access on local channels (Spanish-language TV)
- Pro Rel: no

RPL
- Est. 2001
- Teams: 16
- Reserve league: yes
- Coverage in Russia: Match TV (public), NTV+ (satellite)
- Pro Rel: yes

Right off the bat, two of MLS's biggest problems come into view: lack of accessibility for viewers and absence of promotion/relegation between leagues.

Despite having pro/rel, the RPL faces a different kind of dilemma: Clubs that are promoted often lack funds to compete in the top league. Many of the clubs in the second tier, known as the Football National League, are struggling financially, as are some top tier "regulars". However, this does not stop teams like FC Rostov from competing in Europe (they've played in the Europa League Round of 16).


Various factors have affected attendance figures in both leagues. Other leagues vie for fans' attention. In MLS, Designated Players like David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Steven Gerrard play a big role in attracting fans, who are used to that kind of marketing elsewhere (it's the equivalent of going to see a Johnny Depp movie). That said, it would be interesting to see the RPL and MLS do a domestic DP or star player swap. Although 18 players from the former Soviet Union (four from Russia) have played for MLS, only one player, Yura Movsisyan (Armenia), has been a Designated Player in Major League Soccer. By contrast, just a handful of players with US citizenship have played in Russia's top tier. Forward Eugene Starikov, originally from Ukraine, played on loan at FC Rostov and Tom Tomsk in 2010-2013. Zurab Tsiskaridze, who was born in Georgia but also holds US citizenship, is a rare case - he played in MLS and the NASL early in his career, and later made three appearances for Amkar Perm in Russia.

Much of the Russian Premier League's attendance woes can be attributed to post-Soviet era hardships, the economy being one of them. Another factor is stadium safety. Some of the older stadiums need a little TLC. Hooliganism has sometimes marred the experience for law-abiding fans and families.

The fall of the Soviet Union undoubtedly left its mark on attendance figures. The lowest all-time attendance for the Soviet Top League from 1970 onward, a little over 18,000, is still higher than last season's RPL average attendance. In 1971, the Soviet Top League had an average attendance of over 30,000 fans per game. By contrast, the highest average attendance of the Russian Premier League in the past 14 years was 13,115 (2007 season).

A lesser-known reason for the RPL's empty seats: Russian football clubs weren't as popular as other teams in the last decades of the Soviet Top League. Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi had the highest average attendance of any team in 10 out of 21 seasons. Russian clubs recorded the highest average attendance only four times in 40 years. The difference was substantial - in the 1977 season, for instance, Dinamo Tbilisi had an average attendance of 68,200, while Zenit St. Petersburg came second with 27,667.



Most viewed games in 2015/16 (TV/internet):
RPL 2015/16: Spartak-CSKA - 8.1 million
MLS 2016: LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes - 1,000,000




On to the business side of things.

After NTV+ morphed into Match TV, the league signed a contract for three seasons and will earn around 1.6 billion rubles (about $22 million) per season from the TV rights. As for international TV rights, the RPL struck a deal with IMG in 2016 for around $7 million.

Though the TV rights for MLS are more than triple that of the RPL, the former was behind in total revenue and revenue per club in 2015.

Compared to the world's top ten soccer leagues, MLS are 9th in total revenue. The RPL is 7th.

Despite dwindling attendance, the RPL was ahead of MLS in revenue and average salary in the 2014-15 season. TV viewership for the 2015/16 season's most watched game was also significantly higher than that of MLS. When it comes to fans in the stands, however, MLS is far ahead.

There's room for improvement for both leagues that can be achieved through collaboration. Organization of international friendly matches across the US or Russia would boost the popularity of both leagues, especially if done in tandem with TV deals, with channels that normally air the leagues carrying select games from both. A recent precedent: The U.S. U-20 MNT played a friendly against Russia U-21s in Marbella, Spain in November 2014.

What more can be done, you ask? Collaboration between the nations' youth development programs can help improve the levels of training and produce more talented youth products. An exchange program can give young players from both nations the opportunity to gain valuable playing experience abroad.



Upon arriving in Washington, D.C. in 1990, Dynamo Moscow were greeted at the Sign of the Whale cafe. According to a fan, the cafe was named after Operation Breakthrough, an effort of both American and Soviet rescuers to save whales trapped in ice at the shores of Alaska. The peril of one of the whales and the slim chances of survival of the others made some question the resources that were spent.

It seems that almost no joint efforts between the two powers can take place without being met by controversy or criticism. To paraphrase Edward R. Murrow, many who indulge in this criticism didn't create the situation; they merely exploit it.

by Aleks V |

Misimovic in action for Guizhou Renhe. Photo: sop.ba

Former Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg, Galatasaray, and Dynamo Moscow midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic has retired from professional football. Despite having a year left on his contract with Chinese side Beijing Renhe (formerly Guizhou Renhe), the 34-year-old decided to hang up his boots.

At club level, Misimovic made 506 appearances in all competitions, scoring 136 goals and making 141 assists.

Although he struggled to break into the first team at Bayern Munich at the start of his career, he shone for the reserves, netting in 44 goals in 103 games.

His career includes a historic 2008/09 season at Wolfsburg. "The Plum", as he was known in Germany, helped the club win their first Bundesliga title, ending the season with the most assists (20). He also helped teammates Grafite and Edin Dzeko become the league's top scorers with a combined record total of 54 goals. The three formed a memorable attacking trio.

Misimovic had a decade-long presence at Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he wore the captain's armband. He's the national team's second most-capped player and third all-time goal scorer. One of his most notable performances was a hat-trick in Bosnia's 7-0 win over Estonia in a 2010 World Cup Qualifier.

The attacking midfielder joined Dynamo Moscow from Galatasaray in 2011 and quickly became one of the club's key players. He could always be counted on in the toughest of games, from derbies to Cup competition. Misimovic was a true playmaker. Although goal scoring wasn't his main line of duty, he netted in quite a few, many of which were late goals from the spot. His penalties in the quarterfinal and semifinal of the 2011-12 Russian Cup included a match winner against Zenit and a 73rd minute equalizer against Volga Nizhny Novgorod, respectively. Without a doubt, Mr. Penalty was always a joy to watch.

Setting up goals, though, was his forte. Championat.com writer Sergei Titov wrote in 2015:

"Misimovic, who can come up with a brilliant assist, sitting on a chair and drinking coffee, would be useful even to the current Dynamo, who have Valbuena."

Misimovic assists Kevin Kuranyi in his debut for Dynamo, a derby against Lokomotiv.

The midfielder spent the last three years of his career in China. As one fan put it, he went there "before it was mainstream". With Guizhou Renhe, he won the 2013 Chinese FA Cup and 2014 Chinese Super Cup. He played 105 games at his last club, scoring 18 goals and making 50 assists.

Misimovic first announced his retirement in 2015. That year, I compared another Dynamo Moscow player, Kevin Kuranyi, with basketball's Michael Jordan. Yet it was Zvjezdan Misimovic who compared himself to Jordan when he chose to un-retire. He had hoped Beijing Renhe would retain their position in the Chinese Super League. Unfortunately, the team finished 15th that season and were relegated to the second tier. A fourth place finish in 2016 was not enough to win promotion to China's top division.

There were, of course, other players - and rock bands - that have retired and come back again. Paul Scholes played a testimonial, but then decided to have one more go. The Rolling Stones did multiple Farewell Tours, only to keep on touring. Like many a football and music fan, they just "can't get no satisfaction". Misimovic, it seems, finally has.

A "legend" and "the last romantic" to his fans, he only ever got one straight red card in his 16-year career.

Misimovic and Dzeko at Wolfsburg.

Zvjezdan Misimovic, your country thanks you.

Your clubs thank you.

And I thank you.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

A 3:1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on December 7 marked CSKA Moscow's UEFA Champions League exit, as well as the exit of head coach Leonid Slutsky. The club's longest-serving manager after Boris Arkadyev (1944-52, '58-59), Slutsky's seven years at the helm painted a solid 160-57-70 WDL record, including three championships, two Russian Cup wins, and two Super Cups. He also led the team to the 2009-10 Champions League quarter-finals, their best result in the tournament.

CSKA with the 2013 Russian Super Cup. Credit: Карбинов Анатолий

As a coach, Slutsky maintains a conservative approach, relying on the same players and lineups. It is a choice partly motivated by necessity - CSKA has one of the shortest benches in the Russian Premier League. They had just five substitutes available against Tottenham (the Spurs had seven) and in their 4-0 win over FC Ural (who had eleven on their bench). Ural's total market value is 18.8 million Euros. At 95.5 million, CSKA's is more than five times bigger.

In late November, Slutsky voiced his concern for the future of the club. "Right now, the situation is the hardest it's been in all my seven years at CSKA," he said on Russia 24. "Many things may change, but CSKA always was, is and will be a great club."

There's one thing that doesn't change, however, and that's club owner Yevgeni Giner's reluctance to spend. So much so, he's become notorious for it. One look at the transfer windows during the last five seasons explains the club's annual rocky mid-season and UEFA competition woes. While CSKA have consistently finished in the top two in the Russian Premier League since Slutsky's first full season (except for 2011/12, when they finished 3rd), they've struggled in all other tournaments, especially in Europe. They haven't gotten past the group stage in European competition since 2011/12:


Last season, CSKA spent just 1 million Euros, a loan fee for Seydou Doumbia. They signed just three players from other clubs. One is now on loan and one has retired.

Alan Dzagoev would be the fifth high-profile player to leave CSKA in three years. Credit: Дмитрий Садовников

Giner's lack of spending is coupled with his history of selling the club's top foreign talent. Rumor has it the trend will be broken this season, as Russian international Alan Dzagoev looks to fulfill his dream of playing in England. He's being linked with a move to Everton. The 26-year-old midfielder has an impressive 62 goals and 78 assists in 284 appearances for the Army Men. His transfer would add to a growing list of star players that left the club over the years. Ahmed Musa, top scorer in the 2012-13 season, joined Leicester City this year. Seydou Doumbia, a two-time top scorer, moved to AS Roma last year. Attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda, who boasted a record of 28 goals and 29 assists in 127 games, moved to Milan after five years at the club. Vagner Love, the club's top scorer in 2010, joined Flamengo in 2012, returning a year later before being sold to Shandong Luneng.

There is strength in a consistent lineup. Awhile ago, I compared Slutsky's CSKA to Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Interestingly, United and CSKA met in the Group Stage of the 2009-10 Champions League. Both teams had a bench of seven. United finished first in Group B, while CSKA were runners-up. Both were eliminated in the Quarter-finals.

Six players from CSKA's starting line-up against the Red Devils are still with the club. Now that's what I call consistent!

The 2011-12 Champions League saw the club in the Round of 16.

Things seemed to be going well for CSKA. At some point, though, fatigue takes over. Players get injured, get older, retire, leave for bigger salaries. A team can't run on will alone.

CSKA owner Yevgeni Giner. Credit: Aleksandr Melnikov

Giner, one of the wealthiest club owners in the Russian Premier League, has failed to understand that. The businessman wants to have his cake and eat it too. But that cake won't be shaped like "big ears", the Champions League trophy. Not until someone stops selling some of the main ingredients.

Like other industries in the 21st century, soccer is getting more competitive. It's a money race, one in which the wiser investments pay off. Selling without buying doesn't work - there needs to be a balance if a club is to have a future.

Before resigning, Slutsky spoke with optimism. "Whatever challenges will arise, the Army Men and their supporters will always overcome adversity," he said.

Well, the challenges have risen, and it's time for supporters to do the same. Ovid wrote that "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." Who else but the fans can unite their voices and persist until the message is heard?

That message must be loud and clear - Giner must change his approach, or sell the club.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

Yuriy Kalitvintsev with the 2009 UEFA U-19 Euro trophy. Source: fc-dynamo.ru

Dynamo Moscow's Board of Directors announced Yuriy Kalitvintsev as the football club's new manager, taking over from interim Sergei Chikishev. The 48-year-old Volgograd native played as a midfielder for the club from 1992-1994, making a total of 107 appearances in all competitions and scoring 16 goals, including a hat-trick in a friendly against Italian side Brescia Calcio.

Yuriy Kalitvintsev won most of his silverware at Dynamo Kiev, including four Ukrainian championships, two Cups, and two CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Cups.

He was consistently named one of the top players in both the Russian and Ukrainian championships. He acquired Ukrainian citizenship and was capped 22 times for the Ukraine national team, scoring one goal in their 1-0 win against Croatia in Euro 1996 Qualifying.



His son, Vladislav Kalitvintsev, seems no less gifted. The youngest player to debut for Dynamo Kiev in the modern era, he's already tallied a Premier League title and two Ukrainian Cups.



Kalitvintsev's coaching career has had its ups and downs. After a short spell at Ukraine side Zakarpattia (now FC Hoverla Uzhhorod), he headed Ukraine's Under-19 national team on two occasions, leading them to victory in the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship during his second spell.

He lost out to Myron Markevych and then Oleh Blokhin for the job at the senior team, although he did join the coaching staff of both managers, serving as caretaker after Markevych's resignation.

Volga Nizhny Novgorod gave Kalitvintsev a long-awaited chance to return to the role of head coach. However, his stay at the Russian Premier League was short-lived - appointed to the helm in January 2013, he resigned in March the following year. The club's financial problems took a toll on results - they were 14th in the Premier League with just 18 points after 22 games. Kalitvintsev's Volga were in 7th before the players stopped getting paid, however.

In his first press conference as manager of Dynamo Moscow, Kalitvintsev immediately set his sights higher than simply returning the storied club, relegated last season for the first time in their 93-year history, to the top tier of Russian football. He emphasized the need for the club to have a long-term development strategy, one that is conducive to its homegrown players. He expressed his desire to work closely with the head coach of the club's farm team.

Kalitvintsev's coaching approach will undoubtedly differ from that of his predecessors. "We will communicate with the players," he said. "The team will keep those players who are willing to work, not just earn money."

Kalitvintsev's coaching staff consists of Gennadiy Litovchenko and Yuri Kovtun from his Volga days, as well as ex-Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

The second half of the 2015-16 Russian Premier League season kicks off on Saturday, March 5, with Krylya Sovetov hosting FC Rostov at 14:15 Moscow Time (6:15 a.m. ET). The winter transfer window has produced some exciting additions, giving us plenty to look forward to.

10. The Kuban step

Felipe Santana. Photo: FC Kuban

A struggling Kuban Krasnodar made the best out of the winter transfer window with seven free signings, including Schalke centre back Felipe Santana. The club will still need to pay its players, however. Kuban's financial woes led to a growing debt, with some players not being payed in months. The club's General Director Valery Statsenko said that the debts are currently being paid, and will soon disappear entirely. Meanwhile, manager Sergey Tashuev is tasked with crafting a new team mid-season. It'll be quite challenging, but when you're bottom of the table, there's not much else to do. Will Kuban find a money wise approach to rescue them from the impending doom of relegation?

9. The Bright cousin

Amkar Perm's new signings. Bright Dike is number 10. Photo: FC Amkar Perm

Chinedu Bright Dike, cousin of ex-Spartak forward Emmanuel Emenike, joined mid-table club Amkar Perm this winter as a free agent. The American-born Nigerian forward, who's also the older brother of FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup runner-up Courtney Dike, previously played in the U.S., where he scored 20 goals in 50 games for MLS club Portland Timbers, and had a great run at USL side Orange County Blues FC (6 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances). It's not every day a former MLS player makes the move to Russia - Yura Movsisyan did so in 2011 - so there will be some added interest to his performance from abroad.

8. Ezekiel sees the Lokomotiv wheel

Photo: FC Lokomotiv on Twitter

The RPL's most expensive signing this winter was Ezekiel Henty, who joined Lokomotiv Moscow from Slovenian club NK Olimpija for 5 million euros. The 22-year-old winger's performance this season in the Prva Liga certainly justifies the sum - eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances. Plus, he doubles as a centre-forward.

7. Luke brings back the Force

Luke Wilkshire. Photo: FC Terek Grozny

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of big name signings, Australian right-back Luke Wilkshire quietly made his way back to Russia. The defender joined Terek Grozny in November as a free agent, being unattached since leaving Dutch side Feyenoord in August, but was only confirmed in the roster this winter. Last season found Luke struggling with thigh injuries, yet eking out four assists in 27 appearances, including one in Europa League qualifying. At his best, he's a great asset to the back line. He'll fit right in with Terek's powerful defense - the team lost only two games this season and conceded the second lowest number of goals. A winning equation has two parts, and Luke's ability to provide opportunities in the attack can help the 7th placed team move into Europa League territory. We can all be certain the Force is still strong with this one.

6. The young and the restless

21-year-old Tashaev had a goal and an assist in Dynamo's winter friendlies. Photo: rfpl.org

As the second youngest team in the Russian Premier League (average age: 25.9), Dynamo Moscow are entering a new era. It may be one of great difficulty, unexpected surprises, or both. After multiple seasons of transfer shenanigans, UEFA put their foot down, pushing the Moscow club to make adjustments with regards to Financial Fair Play. Dynamo ended up selling their most expensive players - mostly foreigners - and introducing salary caps. With these limits in place, they've had to rely on their U21s, some of who, like Tashaev, Terekhov, Katrich, and Obolskiy, have shown they can play well at the highest level. Dynamo's winter transfer window was marked by the departure of the overrated (Kokorin), the arrival of the underrated (Sebastian Holmen), and a blast from the past in the form of fullback Andrey Eshchenko, on loan until the end of the season a decade after his first loan spell at Dynamo. Like Kuban's Tashuev, Dynamo coach Andrey Kobelev is tasked with rebuilding a team. The only manager to lead Dynamo to a top 3 finish in the 21st century, Kobelev won't follow where the path may lead - he'll leave yet another trail.

5. FC Krasnodar's new stadium

Digital rendering of FC Krasnodar's new stadium.

Andres Villas-Boas is known for his constant complaints regarding the quality of pitches with artificial turf. It won't be long before he shows up to nail his 95 theses on the door of the Russian Football Union. Krasnodar's new stadium, however, won't make the list. The Bulls' new home, which will seat 33,000, is set to host its first game this summer. The turf is au naturale. If it opens in time to see AVB off, one thing's for sure - there's no chance of him complaining about this one.

4. AVB's farewell

Andres Villas-Boas. Photo: Instagram

Andres Villas-Boas has chosen to leave the reigning RPL champions at the end of the season. Under the Portuguese manager, Zenit won the 2014-15 Russian Premier League title and 2015 Super Cup. They are currently the last Russian team standing in Europe. They're also in the semi-finals of the domestic cup tournament. With the title still at stake, there are three opportunities for silverware. If Villas-Boas adds to his trophy collection before leaving Russia, he'll certainly fulfill his mission of "doing for Zenit what Peter the Great did for St. Petersburg".

3. Roman Shirokov

Roman Shirokov. Photo: pfc-cska.com

This is a no-brainer - the Russia national team captain's return to the club where he began his career was one of the biggest transfers this winter. The fact that he joined from Spartak Moscow only adds some extra spice to the derby. As a youth player, Shirokov never made CSKA's senior team. He has something to prove, and that means we'll likely see the return of the original, critically acclaimed midfielder who shone for Zenit five years ago. Leonid Slutsky, who is doing double duty at CSKA and Russia's NT, will be able to keep a better eye on him and help bring back the Shirokov we all love and look forward to seeing.

2. Alenichev's Spartak

"The title is that way." Photo: rfpl.org

Dmitri Alenichev said it loud and clear: He wants to win the title. Spartak are currently fourth, four points behind second placed Rostov and seven behind leaders CSKA. Despite the departure of a handful of key players like Movsisyan and Ozbiliz, Spartak only made one signing in the winter transfer window, acquiring the talented Paraguayan winger Lorenzo Melgarejo from Kuban Krasnodar. However, that signing was a good one - together with Quincy Promes, Spartak now have the season's top two goal scorers at their disposal. For a team with title ambitions, that may come in handy.

1. FC Rostov: A Cinderella Story

Kurban Berdyev: the man with a plan. Photo: FC Rostov

Rostov are the RPL's Leicester City. If Miodrag Bozovic was the Nigel Pearson to the RPL's Leicester, then Kurban Berdyev is their Claudio Ranieri, taking over and finishing what the other began. It's hard to imagine that a team that finished last season in the relegation play-offs is currently 2nd (!) behind CSKA, and has a realistic shot at their first Premier League title. Under Berdyev, Rostov have conceded the least number of goals of any RPL club this season. With 12 more games and 36 possible points left in the season, they'll do their best to keep the dream alive.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

It was just another cold, wintry day in the Moscow Oblast as Dynamo prepared to face off against city rivals Lokomotiv. The pregame fireworks, however, suggested this was no ordinary derby.

This past month, Dynamo Moscow celebrated the 70th anniversary of their historic tour of Britain, in which the team beat Chelsea, Cardiff City, Arsenal and Glasgow Rangers with a combined score of 19:9. Representatives from all four clubs and family of the Dynamo players from the 1945 team were invited to Moscow for anniversary-related festivities and were VIP guests at the derby at Arena Khimki on November 30th.

Photo: fcdynamo.ru

Following a sneak peak at the Dynamo stadium's ongoing reconstruction, the group were joined by the club board for a meal at a restaurant and were shown a video put together by Dynamo TV. Then it was off to Arena Khimki, where the guests were not only treated to gifts, but also to a thrilling match that ended in a 2:2 draw. A ceremonial kick off was performed by Arsenal director Ken Friar OBE and Natalia Frolova, daughter of Dynamo manager Mikhail Yakushin, who coached the team during the tour. Among other attendees were three representatives from Cardiff City, Arsenal legend Liam Brady, ex-Glasgow Rangers defender John "Bomber" Brown, and Chelsea ambassador Tore André Flo.

Flo, who had a spell at Rangers, remembers playing at the old Dynamo stadium, where he scored a goal in his team's 4-1 second leg win over the Moscow club in the second round of the 2001-02 UEFA Cup. The game remains Dynamo's last against a British side in any competition.

Few today can brag about having had a firsthand experience related to the 1945 tour, and Ken Friar is among them. "I remember how as a boy I wanted to see the Arsenal-Dynamo match," he recalls. "But tickets were impossible to get, so I had to listen on the radio." Indeed, 54,000 filled the stands that day at White Hart Lane, the Gunners' temporary home after WWII. The match proved to be one of the most memorable - ask anyone who's heard of the Dynamo tour, and they'll probably mention the high-scoring, controversial contest played in a thick "pea souper" of a fog.

Although there was no match between the British and the Russians this year, smiles were exchanged, and memories were made and shared, just as they were 70 years ago.

Photo: fcdynamo.ru

In true Russian style, events surrounding the anniversary began long before the actual dates, when Dynamo attended Soccerex in Manchester this September. Thus, the visit to Moscow by the British two months later became symbolic - it paralleled the return visits in 1954 and 1955, when Arsenal and Wolverhampton set foot on Dynamo stadium.

Such gatherings demonstrate that the importance of the tour lies beyond the pages of text and photographs. They reignite interest in a shared history, and more importantly remind a new generation of the connection between the future and past.

As a famous Russian expression states, "the new is actually the well-forgotten old".
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by Aleks V | @aleksvee

Part II in a series on the 70th anniversary of Dynamo Moscow's tour of Britain

Explore locations from Dynamo Moscow's tour of Britain in 1945 and see what those places look like today.

Bottom image: Google Maps.

1945. Dynamo Moscow players feed some pigeons in front of Trafalgar Square. One of Sir Edwin Landseer's bronze cast lions pokes his head in at the right.

While London's largest square is no longer host to a large pigeon community after a ban on feeding them was passed in 2003, the rest of the area is just as it appeared to the Dynamo 70 years ago. The building on the left is the London Drummonds branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland. It has been at its current location since 1760, and held accounts for members of the royal family, including King George III, as well as other important figures such as artist Thomas Gainsborough and potter/abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood, the grandfather of Charles Darwin. The bank is an example of neoclassical architecture, with curved and pointed pediments above its windows and pilasters in between. Behind it stands the Admiralty Arch, commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. The buildings adjacent to the Arch were previously government offices and are now being redeveloped into a luxury hotel. The archway and buildings surrounding it are another nod to the classics.

Bottom image: Google Maps.

1945. Dynamo striker Vsevolod Bobrov and his teammates feed some pigeons in London. Joining in on the action at the far right with arm extended is fellow forward Konstantin Beskov. A handful of folk clearly not associated with the team also take part.

The scene unfolds in front of London's Grand Hotel, designed by F & H Francis and James Ebenezer Saunders. It opened in 1880, and was replaced by the current Grand Buildings over a century later. The architectural style was completely retained. The Colosseum-like building has many classical elements that originated in Roman times, including the symmetrical facade, pedestrian arcade, pilasters, and Corinthian columns. Much of the area around and across from the building, including the National Gallery, is an homage to the classics.

In 1945, the lobby of the Grand Hotel featured a News Theatre, Bravington's Rings & Watches, an information center, and a Randall's store. There's also a billboard for Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream, which opened that year at the London Hippodrome. Presented by Tom Arnold, the cast of the musical included Novello himself, who played three different roles, as well as English theater and film actress Margaret Rutherford, winner of an Oscar and a Golden Globe who was later appointed OBE and DBE. She is best known for playing Miss Jane Marple in the films based on Agatha Christie's crime novels.

Speaking of films, London's Grand Hotel makes an appearance in the 1950 movie Seven Days to Noon.

Today, the Grand Building is home to a number of business, including restaurants, a cafe, and a bookstore. The current Grand Hotel stands right across.

Bottom image: Google Maps.

1945. Soviet referee Nikolay Latyshev is surrounded by pigeons in front of a fountain at Trafalgar Square. He doesn't seem to mind, and no yellow cards are shown.

The fountain, one of two at the square, dates back to 1845 and was designed by Charles Barry. At the right is a bronze equestrian statue of King George IV, designed by Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey and unveiled two years before the fountains. At the left are a series of steps leading up to the National Gallery, a museum that houses a stunning collection of paintings from the 13th to the 20th centuries, featuring artists from Michelangelo to Monet. General admission is free.

Top image: William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images. Bottom image: Google Maps.

1945. Arsenal fans line up along the High Road leading up to White Hart Lane for the friendly against Dynamo Moscow. The pub behind them was called Charringtons, after the owners of the land on Tottenham High Road who rented the ground to the club.

Wait - what were Arsenal doing at White Hart Lane? Highbury was an ARP stronghold during WWII, so the team played their home games at the Tottenham ground. The North and South Stand were damaged when the stadium was bombed, and were thus in need of repair. Arsenal returned to Highbury in 1946.

Back to the pub. Though no longer called Charringtons, it still functioned in 2013. For the past 40 years, it was called Valentino's (Rudolph's), after the famous 1920's actor Rudolph Valentino. Since 1999, the road from the pub leading up to the stadium is called Bill Nicholson Way, in honor of the Spurs one-club man who spent a total of 36 years with the club as both a player and a manager.

Unfortunately, the pub is permanently closed and will be demolished as part of Tottenham's Northumberland Development project. The area will feature a new car park.

Part I in a series on the 70th anniversary of Dynamo Moscow's tour of Britain

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

Photo: GETTY

Dynamo Moscow have an opportunity to repair their back line and sign productive forwards during this summer’s transfer window. The Blue-and-Whites are in luck – there are a number of young talents, both domestic and foreign, who are looking to prove themselves, as well as seasoned professionals who are eager to continue their careers at the top level. But will UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations get in the way?

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