Fakel Voronezh secured a victory over Enisey Krasnoyarsk in the opening leg of the promotion play-off for the 2023/24 Russian Premier League season, staged in Krasnoyarsk on June 7. The scoreline stood at 1-0 in favor of the guests, with Evgeny Markov delivering the decisive strike in the 77th minute. From the 59th minute, Enisey played with ten men after midfielder Oleg Lanin was sent off for a violation that affected an opposing defender, Igor Kalinin.
The second leg is scheduled for June 10 in Voronezh, where the winner will earn a spot in the next top-tier campaign. This tie sets the stage for a decisive conclusion to the promotion contest between Fakel and Enisey, with the ultimate destination of a Premier League spot to be determined by the aggregate result.
Historically, Fakel finished 14th in the Russian Premier League in the 2022/23 season, while Enisey ended the First Division season in fourth place, showcasing contrasting trajectories as they approached this high-stakes playoff.
In related news, Vadim Evseev, the former head coach of Fakel, addressed remarks made by a journalist about foreign agents following a recent Moscow Lokomotiv match. Evseev indicated that he would not comment further on the matter when pressed by a German edition of Kicker, noting that he had not spoken to foreign agents. This exchange was reported as part of ongoing discussions surrounding press interactions and post-match commentary, rather than impacting the current playoff proceedings.