I spent the day exploring Moscow on foot. Inspired by The Scorpions (ahem) I followed the Moskva down to Gorky Park. The only wind in the air though was a cold chill coupled with rain showers. The Park was very serene in early October but I guess it was buzzing in the summer months and during the World Cup.
I eventually found myself pitching up a bar called 'Eric the Red' on the famous Stary Arbat. Given the name I did wonder to myself as to whether there was a Cantona/Manchester United connection somewhere?
Spartak Moscow are the most successful Russian team in history with 12 Soviet titles and 10 Russian titles. Nine of their Russian titles were won in succession from 1992 to 2001 but their tenth never arrived until 2017.
Having been founded in 1922 the club were initially backed by a trade union (the food workers) are considered to be 'the people's team' of Moscow. As a result of the trade union links the club also has the unusual nickname of Myaso (meat).
Despite Spartak's status in Russian football they never actually had a stadium to call home until 2014. The club played "home" games at Moscow's Dynamo, Luzhniki and Lokomotiv stadiums, at the Khimki Arena just outside Moscow and even as far away as Ekaterinburg.
In spring 2010, on the site of a former airfield in the district of Tushino, the ground was broke as Spartak began building a 45,000 all seater stadium to call its own. There is a huge statue of Spartacus (pictured left) as you approach the stadium and there is another statue inside the ground, behind the goal, of Spartak's founders the Starostin brothers but the zoom on my camera could not get a suitable picture.For a new ground I think it is brilliant. You are right on the action and the views are excellent. The atmosphere was very good, despite the attendance tonight.
The venue hosted its first match on 5 September 2014, when Spartak drew 1-1 with Red Star Belgrade. The ground hosted five games during the 2018 FIFA World Cup including England's penalty shoot out win over Colombia in the round of 16.
The stadium is known as the Otkritie Arena for sponsorship purposes. The stadium is easily reached from Moscow city centre as it has it's own metro stop, Spartak, on the purple line.
As seems to be case across the continent when it comes to the Europa League, apathy seems to be the winner and the ground wasn't even half full. It didn't help the attendance that there were just a handful of Spanish supporters in the away end. The fans that did stay away though missed an absolute cracker.
A great game at the Otkritie Arena ended all square courtesy of a 96th minute penalty from ex-Arsenal player Santi Carzola, who scored his first goal in two years after a nightmare spell out with injury.
There were plenty of chances for both teams but in the end there were only the six goals between the sides! Karl Toko Ekambi opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he burst into the area then cut back on his right foot and fired a shot into the top right corner of the goal.
Spartak were level after 34 minutes when Zé Luís converted a penalty kick after a handball by Nicola Sansone. After 49 minutes Pablo Fornals restored Villarreal's lead when the ball broke kindly to him and he fired home from inside the area.
The home side had a goal disallowed and hit the woodwork before Zé Luís (82) headed home an equaliser. The stadium erupted three minutes later when, after the ball came back off the post, Lorenzo Melgarejo (85) was on hand to fire home for what the home crowd thought would be the winning goal.
The fourth official signalled 6 minutes of stoppage time and in the final minute former Evertonian Ramiro Funes Mori was hauled down in the box allowing Carzola to make his vital intervention (pictured right).So that brought an end to my trip to Moscow and I have to say it was thoroughly enjoyable and I never had any trouble. Just like any other tourist city you could say. Until next time прощай и спасибо!
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| Cheers Moscow! |
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