Ruslan Nigmatullin, the former goalkeeper for Russia’s national team, spoke about the current schedule and stated that there is little value in chasing rumors about potential opponents. He argued that a match against a Media League side would blur the line between professional football and media football and would not help the team’s core goals.
The national team’s training camp began on Monday, October 7, at Novogorsk near Moscow, and at that moment there was no opponent lined up for the camp, leaving staff to focus on fitness, tactical drills, and team cohesion while players awaited suitable tests.
In spring 2022, the International Federation of Football Associations and the Union of European Football Associations, following the International Olympic Committee’s recommendations, suspended Russia’s national team and all Russian clubs from competitions under their governance. As a result, Russian players missed the 2022 World Cup playoffs, the World Cup itself, and the 2024 European Championship staged in Germany.
Previously, Yuri Semin recommended that the Russian national team play against a First League team as part of preparation, signaling a preference for domestically oriented tests rather than international friendlies.