In a conversation with socialbites.ca, Valery Gladilin, the former head coach of Dynamo Moscow and Spartak, expressed sympathy for Baltika Kaliningrad after the club failed to preserve its Russian Premier League (RPL) status. He noted that the most crucial phase for Baltika came earlier in the campaign, a period when the team struggled to collect points and establish momentum.
Gladilin observed that Baltika showed promise in the latter part of the season, advancing to the Russian Cup final and performing with grit. Yet the early-season results undercut those late surges, leading to relegation to the First League. The club closed the season with 26 points, placing 15th overall, a finish that sealed a spot in the second tier for the next campaign.
Looking ahead, June 2 will bring a cup-significant clash as Sergei Ignashevich’s team from Luzhniki is set to meet Zenit in the Russian Cup final. The 2023/24 season culminated with Zenit, coached by Sergei Semak, securing its sixth straight league title after a 2-1 victory over Rostov. Zenit finished with 57 points, a tally that stood above the rest as the campaign concluded. Historically, the champion’s points total in the season had trended higher than those of other teams, underscoring the dominance of the top squad that year.
In close pursuit, Krasnodar claimed second place following a 1-0 win against Dynamo Moscow. The clubs finished level on points at 56, but Krasnodar held the advantage on head-to-head results, having defeated Dynamo Moscow twice across the RPL season. The narrative of the table demonstrated how even a narrow margin could decide positions when the season’s head-to-head outcomes tipped the scales.
reflections about the season also included that Zenit had contended with officials throughout parts of the campaign, a sentiment echoed by comments from officials familiar with the league’s refereeing decisions. The season’s arc highlighted the interplay between on-field performance and off-field factors, shaping the final standings and the scope of the Russian Cup run for several teams.