For the first time in history, a cup match at the earliest stage was broadcast at the federal level, made possible by the participation of the Amkal blog team, which received a wildcard for the game from the Russian Football Union (RFU). The 1/256 finals marked a historic moment for the competition.
Amkal emerged at the end of 2018. Its precursor, Herman’s Team, consisted of YouTube bloggers who filmed their own football challenges. The founder and principal inspiration is Herman Popkov, better known to fans as Herman El Classico.
In four years, the squad progressed from lively amateur eight-a-side matches to playing in stadiums used during the 2018 FIFA World Cup period, and it toured through Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Germany, gathering a growing following along the way.
The most storied match in Amkal’s early history occurred in June at the VTB Arena, where they faced Dynamo Moscow. Roughly 15,000 spectators filled the stands, and Alexander Ovechkin, a forward for the Washington Capitals, appeared for about ten minutes and even found the net on a shot set up by transfer ambassador Fedor Smolov.
The game ended in a heavy defeat for Amkal, losing 0–5, yet the energy on the field captivated audiences enough to prompt the RFU to invite the team to participate in the Russian Cup’s first stage, aiming to boost turnout and provide players with professional-stage exposure.
Amkal’s opponent was Zorkiy from Krasnogorsk, a team that had competed in the Amateur Football League (LFL) last season and won the Second Division championship.
In the opening period, the bloggers controlled several promising moments, but the Moscow Region side struck first: Sergei Popovitsky converted a penalty in the box to put Zorkiy ahead. The moment prompted a strong vocal reaction from Amkal’s bench and drew attention to the broadcast.
Early in the second half, Zorkiy shifted to a defensive approach used by Amkal. In the 58th minute, a finish off a pass from Mikhail Prokopyev delivered the hosts’ first goal in professional football, scored by Alexei Gasilin, who found the back of the net. The match also carried weight alongside recent experiences in European youth competitions and exposure to training with top clubs, underscoring the mix of amateur energy and professional-level ambition.
A late turning point came with a redirection of momentum as Amkal’s Vasily Mavrin received a second yellow card and, after his substitution, had a heated exchange with visiting supporters.
“The match felt more like a spectacle than a traditional football contest. The legs were heavy, and the aim was simply to play football,” one Amkal player reflected. “Zorkiy deserved credit as well. They invited us to participate in a friendly frame, but now there’s a sense of accountability.” He endured more than a dozen fouls and earned several disciplinary cautions for opponents.
The regular time concluded 1–1, and according to Cup rules, overtime was not played, sending the teams straight to a penalty shootout.
Amkal’s hero on the night was their goalkeeper, Alexander Mamenko, son of comedian Igor Mamenko. He saved two penalties and helped his team advance to the next round. The club’s next assignment would be an away match against Tver on August 31.
After the final whistle, Zorkiy’s coach Denis Lopatin noted that there was little gap in class between the amateur side and a professional outfit, with Amkal pressing high in both halves and enjoying more possession at key moments. Sport-Express was cited as summarizing that Lopatin did not feel they were facing a bulk of professional players, highlighting the blurred boundaries between media-driven football and traditional competition. [Attribution: Sport-Express interview with Lopatin]
Former Spartak Moscow figure Valery Gladilin commented in an interview with a local outlet that it is misguided to equate an amateur crew with a professional squad. He praised Amkal’s efforts to promote football and entertain fans, while cautioning that this should not be seen as professional football. He emphasized that the sport’s true value lies in nurturing players, building infrastructure, and developing the game at the grassroots level. [Attribution: interview with Gladilin, local outlet]
Gladilin also critiqued Zorkiy for not dedicating enough focus to football development, arguing that a club’s training frequency should reflect the demands of high-level competition. He noted that veterans train more often, and that the intensity of the match demonstrated the gap between enthusiastic amateurs and seasoned professionals. The broadcast featured high energy and clear passion, but it should not be misread as a professional league contest. [Attribution: Gladilin remarks]
Alexander Alaev, head of the Russian Premier League, stated that Amkal’s Cup participation already represents a successful experiment. He described the match as proof that media-driven football and professional football can coexist, generating exciting content for fans and expanding the sport’s audience. [Attribution: Alaev interview]