Former head coach of St. Petersburg Zenit, Vlastimil Petrzhela, discussed the reception of Russian football in the Czech Republic, noting a surprising level of silence. His assessment, cited by Bookmaker Rating, points to a notable absence of conversation about Russia’s football scene in Czech discourse. He described the situation bluntly: Russian football does not surface in Czech sports chatter, and many people seem disengaged from its developments. He suggested that fans and media in the Czech Republic rarely recognize the relative strengths within Russia, such as Zenit’s performance compared to other clubs, indicating a broader pattern of interest that centers on different topics altogether. Petrzhela’s comments capture a moment where international awareness of Russian football appears diminished in this particular European market. Acknowledging these dynamics is important for understanding how Russian clubs are perceived beyond their domestic league and how international fans gauge competition levels.
In spring 2022, a major shift occurred when the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made the decision to suspend Russia’s national team and all Russian clubs from competitions under their purview. This suspension effectively paused Russia’s participation in official European and global events, restricting Russian clubs and the national team to friendly matches within the period that followed. The move reflected broader concerns about integrity, compliance, and sanctions within international football and had wide-ranging implications for scheduling, sponsorship, and broadcasting in many markets.
As a result of these sanctions, Russian clubs other than Zenit did not compete in European cups during 2022. The national team, under the leadership of Valery Karpin, played a limited slate of five friendly fixtures in 2023, facing opponents from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. These matches served as an alternative platform for international exposure while official competition under FIFA and UEFA remained interrupted. The schedule highlighted a shift from high-stakes European tournaments to a more geographically diverse set of friendlies, shaping how the team stayed connected with supporters and scouts around the world during this period.
Earlier reports also indicated that the Senegal national team declined participation in a fixture against Russia. The decision reflected broader complexities in international scheduling and competitive planning that arose in the wake of the sanctions era. Such choices illustrate how national associations weigh whether to engage in friendlies with teams subject to travel, financial, or political considerations, and how those decisions influence the visibility of Russian football in different regions and markets.