Former CSKA Moscow alumni Valery Masalitin weighed in on Vadim Andreev’s decision to step down as general director of Krylya Sovetov Samara, a move driven by ongoing concerns over refereeing in the Russian Premier League. Masalitin emphasized that the club president cited a failure by league authorities to address a pattern of refereeing errors affecting the team in recent matches. He noted that the issue has grown beyond any single club and has become a broader topic of public debate within the sport.
Masalitin described the resignation as primarily emotional, reflecting frustration with officiating that affects many clubs, not just Krylya Sovetov. He argued that refereeing touches every team and that when officials make persistent mistakes, leaders may feel compelled to express their discontent. While he acknowledged the wave of sentiment, he suggested that mass resignations are unlikely to produce immediate changes and that words alone may not alter the situation. The defender of the opinion added that the move signals a protest rather than a guaranteed remedy, and it invites other clubs to voice their own concerns if they see a pattern of unfair decisions guiding results.
The team faced a disappointing result on April 23, losing on the road to Paris Nizhny Novgorod with a score of 1 to 2 in the 24th round of the league. After the match, Krylya Sovetov’s representatives publicly questioned the refereeing standard, linking the refereeing performance to the defeat of the squad. This incident intensified the conversation around match officiating and its impact on the competitive balance within the league.
Earlier coverage noted remarks from the President of the Russian Premier League, Alexander Alaev, who commented on the resignation by acknowledging the ongoing discussion around officiating and its influence on club decisions. The resignation of Vadim Andreev was seen as a provocative signal within the broader discourse on how refereeing quality is managed and perceived by stakeholders across Russian football.