How Do You Call Them?

By: Ivan | March 12th, 2007

It’s the last post of season preview – to summarize previous and give you a bit more. Let’s dig into nicknames of Russian Premier League teams.

CSKA Moscow. They are Horses because their stadium was built on site of stables. They are The Army too – CSKA actually means Central Sports Club (Klub, heh) of Army.

Spartak Moscow. They are Pigs. Original nickname was Meat (Myaso in Russian) because Spartak’ prototypal team was based on meat-packing plant.

Lokomotiv Moscow. You all know what “locomotive” means. No wonder they are Railmen.

Zenit Saint Petersburg. Zenit won a title only once – in 1984. That caused a mass print of plastic bags with club logo. Then you could easily recognize Zenit’ fans by bag in their hands and call them Bags.

Rubin Kazan. Actually hasn’t a nickname. Maybe we can call them Tatars – they are from Tatarstan.

FC Moskva. Club formed fellowship with Manchester City and claim to be Citizens too. But majority call them Caps – because they former sponsor Luzhkov, Moscow major, wear a funny cap.

Luch-Energiya Vladivostok. Tigers – there are few of them at Russian Far East.

Tom Tomsk. Siberians – they are really that far.

Spartak Nalchik. No nickname. Hillfolks may be the offensive one.

Krylya Sovetov Samara. Winglets – that’s what Krylya means.

Saturn Ramenskoe. Aliens – they might be from planet Saturn.

FC Rostov. It would be very obscenely to call them that way, but they are Farmers.

Amkar Perm. No nickname. Permians?

Dynamo Moscow. Team was always protected by big men in Police Department. So we can call them Cops.

FC Khimki. They are our Rossoneri.

Kuban Krasnodar. They might be Cossacks or simply Cubans.

That’s all. Enjoy it and don’t forget to take a look at the map of Russian football.