Fedyan

Jorge Mendes tried to get the current Wolves owners to buy Milan iirc. Supposedly loaded, those guys. He did get Peter Lim to buy Valencia back in the day and must absolutely love those headlines about Rafa Mir Bauer is an interesting signing for Stoke. One of a handful players to earn any kind of praise for Rubin's shambolic first half of the season. Works his socks off, very consistent right back/winger. Nothing flashy, but will certainly get the job done for them.

Some of our "expert" pundits who cover English football still expect him to turn things around and remind that he made two FA Cup finals and once finished fifth. This thing is epidemic

Now, admittedly, the only ways we have to corroborate the accusation that the Russian leagues have massive problems with racism are from media reports, videos of events, and first hand accounts from players themselves... but care to mention why you disagree? Welcome to the forum, btw I don't disagree. I go to plenty of matches home and away, and I do know that there is a very violent, vocal and organized minority of far-right dicks at certain clubs. That is a serious problem and some of the things those idiots have done in the past are well-documented. They do not, however, represent an entire fanbase. And their actions are being portrayed as such. FC Krasnodar have two black Brazilian players, Ari and Joaozinho, who plan to stay in the city after their playing days are over, one is married to a Russian woman. Such stories never make the press, sadly. But at the same time, the club this Kenedy lad is being linked with, Lokomotiv Moscow, have two standout players this season - Farfan and Manuel Fernandes, not your stereotypical Northern Europeans in appearance, and they get the lion's share of praise and adoration from their fans. Fernandes actually stated in one of his interviews that the monkey noises and suggestive chants in Turkey (he played for Besiktas before) were far more audible, but for whatever reason he did not class an entire nation as abusive Neanderthals. You still see tons of kids at CSKA games wearing Vagner Love and Doumbia shirts, such was their impact at that club, even though they are long gone. The same Spartak fans who are obviously baby-eating nazi scumbags to a man (per any report even in our tabloids) all but idolize a certain Quincy Promes. Hulk still is arguably the most beloved foreigner to have ever played for Zenit, and I certainly understand what kind of reputation their "proper lads" gave to an entire city, let alone a club. I guess, what I am trying to say, is that there is always another side of the story. If I had to count every instance when I heard something idiotic and xenophobic about Slavics in general and Russians in particular while being abroad (my line of work took me to places as contrasting as Rio and Seoul, among many others), I would probably have to assume that the world is a sick and bigoted craphole. Somehow, I believe that life is far more complicated than that. There is a problem, hardly restricted just to our league. But when a black lad signs for Real Madrid, Lazio, Roma, Espanyol, Betis, Atletico, Verona, etc whose active fans (not to be confused with the majority of match-going public) also frequent the news with headlines of a certain nature, hardly anyone suggests that he is about to be a target for a certain group of idiots with specific political views. Hardly a question of climate, I believe. Top forum, I must say. Thanks for the welcome

Oh lord

Are there any ideas as to who will run the club and what their ambitions might be going forward if and when the thing is concluded? Genuine question, since there were quite a few epic clusterf@cks after some of the more long-awaited takeovers in English football. Hope you guys get a decent owner, this Ashley character makes some of our fantastic chairmen look like experts

Russian sportswear manufacturer Bosco are supposedly replacing Nike as the official supplier of IOC. Couldn't make it up Now some kindergarten reporters have found out that men in positions of power and influence get tickets without any queue. Imagine that. Never happened at any other FIFA tournament, presumably

Plenty of jokes how it would actually benefit the national team if these "masters" of the game would be banned. At least there are finally some youngsters who may benefit. Some of the names on that list are not to be missed in a big game, to put it mildly. The epic midweek performance by that lot, who I like just about as much, as you adore Sunderland, a decent proof of that Following the complete embarrassment with the Winter Olympics, considering that nobody in position of power and authority even got fired (at least not as of today), would not surprise me one bit if we become the first ever nation to actually host the big thing and not participate. Paving the way for Qatar or something Fortunately, I did not even try to obtain the tickets for the national team matches, so cannae be arsed to even worry about it. Too much sick sh!t going on all over the world now, it's only a game and all.

Tolisso is such a terrific player. Big fan, like

So what is the likely outcome for this defecating artist? Some sort of a ban? Forced mental help? I mean, it is astoundingly funny on one hand, but at the same time it does reek of someone who is in dire need of help.

I still remember his press-conference after the infamous Russia-England match back in 2007. Funny chap. Somehow you just know that he'll fail eventually.

When journos are best mates with certain managers. Disgusting. Creates all sorts of "objective" reporting.

Hi there Decided to offer some help for those who will travel to Russia for the big event, and just generally share any information, historical background, etc regarding the hosting cities. New user, but a relatively regular reader since 2012. I will be able to attend Argentina-Croatia, Colombia-Poland, Colombia-Senegal and Spain-Iran this summer, chuffed to bits, basically a whole fun-filled June awaits, cannae wait. I specifically picked the three cities in question (Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara) since business and leisure travel took me there plenty of times in the past, and as any sane Moscow native will tell you - it's better to evacuate the city for at least a month in the summer anyway Kazan is arguably the "third capital" of Russia as of today, although not everyone agrees with it. My first visit was in 2005 and I honestly will struggle to remember how many times this gem of a Volga region city took me back. Attended the Dynamo Moscow away match a few weeks back, had an absolute blast, as usual. The city is adorably referred to as "predominantly Muslim" by some of the Western guides that I have bumped into, which kind of creates a whole bunch of stereotypes, some not exactly friendly and nice. The sheer international nature of the city and the region is such that aside from a few very nice new Mosques and perhaps an occasional conservatively-dressed female, you will also see a ton of Orthodox Churches and just about any form of entertainment that you would expect to locate in a modern, spawning metropolis. The local Kremlin is unique since the city's main Mosque and Orthodox Church are located literally next door inside it and to make matters worse for anyone with a stereotype-infested brain - the biggest Sinangogue and Catholic Church are also literally a short walk away, much to the surprise of a certain Mrs. Clinton during her visit a decade ago ). The city grows all the time, both in terms of population and actual territory, I remember how back in 2005 some locals laughed at the sheer amount of projected subway stations the then-mayor planned to build. Well, a few years passed and they can now sometimes even compete with Moscow in the traffic race, which is some progress, so nobody laughs about the subway anymore. The stadium is terrific, been there three times (two draws and a horrible 0-4 thrashing in our worst-ever season), Rubin Kazan played against Liverpool there. This is a hockey-mad city, local outfit Ak Bars are one of the best clubs in the KHL, and even the basketball team Unics are pissing all over Rubin attendance-wise. This has to do with quiete a few overhauls at Rubin and a couple of soap-opera type sagas regarding murky transfer dealings and poor, turgid football. Accommodation is still available, quite a few nice hotels (including the world-renowned chains). Hostels, apartments also freely available. The weather will be gorgeous, perhaps even roasting hot at times, but then again this is true for the entire region. Much colder and windier than Moscow in the winter, literally sun-drenched in the summer. There is a lovely park area literally almost in the city center where it is legal to tailgate and barbeque and you have a fantastic view of the riverside. Nizhny Novgorod is a city, which in the immortal words of Alexander Pushkin can be described as a place where one might sense the spirit of the land. A hugely important educational and industrial city during the Soviet times (was named Gorky after one of the most prominent writers of the 20th century) it endured a horrific crisis after the dissolution of the USSR. My all time favorite movie Zhmurki is a brilliant, but honestly brutal depiction of the typical 90s crime-infested city where apathy and greed took over. Times move on, but due to a mixture of poor management and slower administrative decisions, they are not quite up to the standards of Kazan, Sochi, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg. Still, very much an important city with plenty of things going for it. And absolutely gorgeous during the summer. The local Kremlin has to be visited, a genuine must-see. And if you're a bit of a party animal - this is the place for you. Historically, one those hip and subculture-filled cities. Tons of music shows, concerts and things of that nature. A very cool and comfy train ride away from Moscow, I can bet anyone that quite a few people will lose track of time at one of many, many drinking establishments here. I would categorically recommend sampling the local favorite - nastoika. Absolute treat. The stadium is located at the tip, where Oka and Volga meet, but their football team are a joke, bumbling away in our equivalent of the Championship. Very much a hockey town, local club Torpedo are a proper historic outfit. And there are two outlets that claim to sell the best shawarma anywhere in the land. Not without a certain amount of justification, may I add. Samara is not only famous among our football fans for its At The Bottom beer bar located literally by the boat station at the local brewery, but also as one of the space exploration capitals of the world. The usual, quite ugly to remember, crisis following the fall of the Soviet Union left a mark, but the recent developments brought some life back into this city. Blessed with a stunning riverside (if you visit - do take a boat trip to the Zhiguli mountains) and known for some of the most beautiful women (even by our more than lofty standards) it is literally brimming with sun and heat from May up until mid-September. They redeveloped parts of the city center, finally, but some of the things the brave new governor and mayor did not manage to rebuild and/or replace will be carefully covered with some sexy signs and posters, which already made a few people chuckle in these here parts. Insert your own joke about provincial corruption. Not as much of a party town as the two above, but it is a genuine football-loving city. Local side Krylya Sovetov are fighting for promotion to the top division, and have quite an interesting and illustrious history. Back in the 2000s, when they had a few future Russian internationals and a certain Matthew Booth of South Africa fame, played in the UEFA Cup and went to the Russian Cup final, they actually had the highest attendance of any club in Eastern Europe. The old and rugged Metalurg stadium will be replaced with a new one this spring. Interestingly enough, the new central train station is affectionate known as The Tolstoy Member (yes, in THAT sense), due to its shape and location on Tolstoy street. The city is, as mentioned before, quite famous for its lager production and nothing beats laying on the river each, a huge bottle of draft lager in one hand, a bowl of fresh crawfish in the other. I have never visited Saransk, Sochi and Kaliningrad, but if anyone here requires any information regarding Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd or Yekaterinburg, please fell free to ask. Moscow and St Petersburg are so huge and vast, that it may require a separate topic for each in the tourist section of the forum, if such exists. Anyhow, I would be more than willing to answer any questions regarding the tournament, so there. On a sidenote, what are the general expectations of the England fans following the draw?