The most decorated tennis athlete in Russia, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who has long supported Moscow’s Spartak, has announced a clear stance: he will no longer watch Russian football or follow developments in the Russian Premier League (RPL).
“I don’t want to watch Russian football anymore. There is nothing there that would capture my interest,” Kafelnikov stated. “Right now, I am not curious about anything connected to Russian football.”
In the 26th round of the RPL, Spartak faced a setback against Zenit St. Petersburg. After Zenit clinched a 3-2 victory in this meeting, a win that extended their run to five straight wins in the league, Kafelnikov took to social media with strong words about the implications of the result and the events surrounding the championship race.
“I want the Zenit football club, along with the referees who seemed to help them win, to disappear from the planet,” he wrote, signaling continued frustration with what he perceives as unfair officiating and biased outcomes. The post reflected a broader sense of disillusionment with the current state of the league among some former players and fans who once held high hopes for domestic football.
Zenit’s 3-2 triumph over Spartak pushed the champions to 64 points after 26 rounds, creating a substantial lead with only four rounds left to play in the season. The result not only cemented Zenit’s position at the top of the table but also intensified debates about the competitiveness of the league and the integrity of its refereeing decisions. The situation drew reactions from former players and analysts who weighed in on the quality of officiating, the performance of both teams, and the overall direction of Russian football as a professional sport in the country’s top flight.
Beyond his remarks about the league, Kafelnikov also touched on matters in the broader sports world. He made a comment on Daniil Medvedev’s prospects to reclaim the spot of the world’s top-ranked tennis player, citing a belief in Medvedev’s potential to reach the pinnacle once again. This note reflects Kafelnikov’s ongoing engagement with tennis performance and his willingness to weigh in on rival athletes and their chances to achieve top status on the ATP tour. The banter between past champions and current stars underscores how Russian athletes often remain part of a broader national sports conversation, even when their attention shifts to different disciplines or competitions.