Ruslan Nigmatullin, once the goalkeeper for the Russian national team, offered his view on Lokomotiv’s exit from the Russian Cup after two matches against Akron Togliatti. He believes that Dmitry Barinov, the midfielder for the Moscow side, started the decisive game from the opening whistle, a point he relayed through Sports Express.
Akron did clinch the victory in a penalty shootout, and the media later suggested that Lokomotiv had breached the tournament rules. Specifically, Dmitry Barinov, who had already received two yellow cards in his clashes with Spartak, was mentioned in connection with the match against Akron. This meant he would have to miss the second quarterfinal if a warning had already ruled him out. If Lokomotiv had managed to win, Akron or the Russian Football Union could challenge the result of the most recent game, which would potentially overturn a Lokomotiv win into a defeat for Lokomotiv.
Nigmatullin commented on what he saw as a recurring issue within Lokomotiv. He pointed to a particular department that bears responsibility for ensuring compliance with the rules. The former goalkeeper noted that in his view Lokomotiv, a club historically known for its professionalism, used to operate with much tighter discipline before his tenure ended, and he found the current situation surprising.
Earlier, Russian coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev weighed in on Akron’s triumph over Lokomotiv in the Russian Cup, arguing that several Premier League clubs have the capacity to withstand the challenges posed by strong sides from the Russian Premier League. This perspective adds another layer to the ongoing discussion about the competitive balance and the integrity of match processes in Russian football.