Season Preview: Dynamo Moscow. Hoodoo
By: Ivan | February 24th, 2007
Location. Dynamo has stadium with same name in Moscow but also use to play home matches at Luzhniki arena (which will host Champions League final in 2008). And team can’t win at Luzhniki for 25 years! Sure they hate this field but Moscow has many teams and not enough stadiums so they can’t avoid this curse.
Team. Two years ago Dynamo has been bought by fertilizer tycoon Alexey Fedorychev. His company Fedcominvest was also a sponsor for AS Monaco. Fedorychev bought a bunch of Portugals including stars of national team – Maniche and Costinha. Derlei and Giourkas Seitaridis from Porto were invited too. Dynamo also strengthened by local Russian stars and tried two great coaches. Guess what happened? Yeah, nothing. Dynamo finished 14th – one step from relegation zone. Fertilizers are good for the pitch but not for whole football.
Stars. Dynamo can only be proud of Russians who have international caps – Igor Semshov, Dmitriy Khokhlov and Denis Kolodin. Portuguese midfielder Danni has great potential but I’m afraid he’s in wrong club to realize it.
Transfers. Last big names such Alexey Smertin and Derlei have gone. But Dynamo bought eternal wanderer Ruslan Pimenov who can’t stay in any club even for half of a season.
Rivals. Spartak vs. Dynamo was a big billboard in Soviet past but now it hasn’t much competitive value. But it’s still a brand.
Fact. Soviet movie Ivan Vasilievich Changing Profession features Tsar Ivan the Terrible who put on Dynamo jersey and cried: “Devilish shirt”! (see photo above) Maybe all club troubles are after that.
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Comments
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Wikipedia’s take on Dynamo:
“Despite not having won a league title in over thirty years the club still has a quite extensive, though aging, fan base.”
Oh, wikihumour.
Posted from
United States
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Hi!
Is it true that Luzhniki means something like “little (muddy) pond”?
Thanks for sharing your insides into the russian league. It’s all very interesting.Posted from
United States -
Satine, actually “luzha” means little muddy pond. Word “Luzhniki” comes from “luga” that means “meadows” which placed near Moscow river. But people called the stadium “Luzha” – and that’s a little irony in it, because Luzhniki’ pitch is synthetic and never become a “luzha”, y’know
Posted from
Russian Federation -
Thanks for you fast reply. I hope the Russians aren’t too sad because they have to do without mud. *g* Whenever a german team is playing them in Russia the first thing everyone says, is: “Oh no, a synthetic pitch. We will do poorly, it’s so unusual.” So, it’s a big advantage to have a synthetic pitch (at least, psychologically)!
Posted from
United States -
Satine, Luzhniki will host Champions League final in 2008. Imagine what players will say! (bet there will be no Russians among them)
Posted from
Russian Federation
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