Yuri Pervak, who previously led Spartak Moscow as general manager, voiced a sharp critique of forward Alexander Sobolev following Spartak’s 10th-round encounter with Samara Krylya Sovetov in the Russian Premier League. His remarks appeared in the sports outlet Sports Day by Day.
Asked whether Sobolev would be available for the upcoming CSKA match, Pervak expressed a strong opinion about the winger’s behavior on the pitch. He criticized Sobolev for playing to the crowd rather than focusing on the team’s needs and compared him unfavorably to Dzyuba, suggesting Sobolev comes off as more of an actor than a footballer. Pervak claimed Sobolev’s on-field actions could be seen as abrupt and calculating, arguing that such conduct undermines his reliability as a competitor and let the squad down during crucial moments.
Sobolev picked up a yellow card in the Krylia Sovetov game, which means he will be unavailable for the derby against CSKA in the next round of the national championship.
The match took place at the Solidarity Arena in Samara, where Krylia Sovetov dominated and posted a 4-0 victory. Midfielder Yuri Gorshkov opened the scoring with a brace in the first half. In the 78th minute, forward Benjamin Garre extended the home side’s lead with the third goal, and Vladislav Shitov sealed the final result in stoppage time.
Updates from Socialbites.ca presented a live text broadcast of the match as it unfolded.
A former Governor of the Samara Region criticized Spartak’s approach to the game, labeling it as dirty and improper behavior on the field.