Former defender of Moscow’s Spartak, Roman Shishkin, shared his thoughts on the relegation of Voronezh’s Fakel from the Russian Premier League. The “scoundrels” managed to gather only 18 points and ended up at the bottom of the standings.

“The biggest disappointment of the season for me has been my hometown team, Fakel. I am from Voronezh, and my local club has dropped out… I visit the city frequently. As you know, football is cherished in Voronezh, and the community fiercely supports their team. A club from Voronezh should definitely be competing in the RPL—that’s just my opinion. The passion for football there is unmatched. With a city of a million people and a great location, everything is in place for the team to thrive in the RPL. Unfortunately, the stars just didn’t align this time. I hope that next season, Fakel will make a comeback,” Shishkin said in an interview with Championship correspondent Yegor Kabak.