The sports portal Championat launches a reader-driven popular vote inviting fans to pick the season’s heroes and cast their choice for the best young football player in the Russian Premier League (RPL), with options available on the website or through a telegraph channel.
As the voting window opens, supporters have the chance to influence the outcome of the award for the 2022/2023 season, decided by collective fan sentiment and public participation. Depending on the championship schedule, ballots can be submitted until July 5, allowing a wide audience to participate across Canada, the United States, and beyond where interest in Russian football remains strong.
Today, the results of the voting process for the best young football player in the RPL were summarized. The exercise was organized by Championat in collaboration with head coaches and team captains from the clubs competing in the Russian championship, turning the vote into a comprehensive snapshot of frontline talent recognized by those closest to the action.
From the coach and captain voting, the standout young talent identified was an 18-year-old midfielder from Lokomotiv Moscow, Sergei Pinyaev. His performance and potential propelled him to the top, drawing attention from observers and fans alike across North America as interest in emerging Russian talent grows internationally.
Pinyaev amassed an impressive 90 points, besting rivals such as Dynamo forward Konstantin Tyukavin and Spartak midfielder Ruslan Litvinov, establishing himself as a leading voice among the next generation of Russian footballers and signaling a bright future for Lokomotiv.
Fans can view the full ranking of the best young players in Russia on the dedicated project page Future of Football, which aggregates the season’s standout performances and provides deeper context on emerging talents. This resource has become a reference point for analysts and fans following the development of young players across the league.
Looking back to the 2021/2022 season, the awards highlighted the balance between coach and fan recognition. Striker Hamid Agalarov, then with Ufa and later with Akhmat, was valued by coaches and captains, while fans favored Eduard Spertsyan from Krasnodar, illustrating how different groups can converge on talent before a broader audience takes notice. These prior selections underscore the ongoing pipeline of promising players entering the RPL and earning attention beyond domestic borders.
Former football manager Paulo Barbosa remarked that political conditions should not influence transfer activity for foreign players, a perspective that resonates in discussions about talent mobility and league visibility. This stance emphasizes professional considerations over external factors when evaluating or pursuing players who could contribute to teams inside and outside Russia’s borders.