Lokomotiv is one win away from the European Cup final
In the first match of the Eurocup play-off semi-final series Loko Krasnodar beat Italian Reggio Emilia at home - 82:65.Not so long ago, in the “zero” of these “regs” in the Italian league, there were two, and they were constantly confused. But now "Reggio Calabria" is quietly floundering in the second division, while "Emilia" undertook every now and then to make a rustle in the strongest: in 2015 and 2016, she got right up to the final of the playoffs of the national championship, which is a club record.
By the way, Lokomotiv's maximum achievement is exactly the same. True, the Krasnodar club just a couple of years ago played in the Final Four of the Euroleague, and in the current EC it won 18 wins in 18 matches. However, in the playoffs, they came out with Reggio Emilia from the same, first places. The Italians in the group won both endings against UNICS Kazan, gaining a 1/4 home court advantage. Where, largely due to this advantage, they dealt with the St. Petersburg "Zenith" - and reached one more, third in a row and the last Russian team remaining in the tournament.
Here, both the home start of the series and the status of the favorite were, of course, for Loko. In the confrontation with the 11th (with a negative balance of victories and defeats) club of the current championship of Italy, which has long lost its former elite status, it could not be otherwise. Although in the national leagues, you know, stuff happens. The railroad workers also lost overtime in Minsk on Saturday as part of the VTB United League. After the match, their coach Sasha Obradovic said that his players had already played Reggio Emilia mentally,
But today Lokomotiv did not start playing with her right away: 0:5 after two nervous starting minutes. However, even before the end of the starting quarter Krasnodar fully seized the initiative and went ahead by 10 points. Advantage Russian team in the classroom was obvious. True, at first the hosts were annoyed by center Jalen Reynolds, who attracted attention in the quarterfinals. But Loko, unlike Zenit, has tall fifth numbers. As a result, Frank Elegar with Brian Quale and under thirty points in four hands from under the shields sketched, and Reynolds was properly “fed”. In addition, Krasnodar won the rebound by a serious margin - 36:25.
Well, to rein in the Reggio Emilia snipers in the absence of the most productive basketball player of KE-2017/18 Amedeo Della Valle (he remained in Italy due to injury) was already a matter of technique. The advantage of Lokomotiv continued to grow. Two three-pointers from Chris Babb - with a siren for a long break and in the first attack after it - brought the difference in the score to "+18". In the remaining time, the Krasnodar team hit this mark twice more, and although they failed to overcome it, the attempts of the guests to arrange a chase turned out to be fruitless. The railroad coolly kept the opponent at a distance and brought their winning super series to 19-0.
If the 20th victory is won in Italy on Friday, it will take Lokomotiv to the final. If not, then the third, decisive match will take place on March 28 in Krasnodar. On the same days, in another series, Dariusafaka will play with Bayern, the starting meeting between which is now taking place in Istanbul (the result of the first half is quite unexpected - 47:30 in favor of the Germans). The rules of the final are exactly the same: up to two victories, according to the “1-1-1” scheme. And if Loko participates in it, it is our club that will have the advantage of its site. Regardless of the opponent. And the winner of the European Cup, let me remind you, gets a ticket to the Euroleague for the next season.
European Cup
1/2 finals
The first match
Lokomotiv (Russia) - Reggio Emilia (Italy) - 82:65 (19:15, 24:13, 20:23, 19:14)
"Locomotive": Quale (16), Elegar (11+9 rebounds), Babb (11), M. Collins (10+6 assists)
"Reggio Emilia": K. Wright (14), J. Reynolds (13 + 9 rebounds + 4 blocks), Nevels (10)
Series score: 1-0
source: " Soviet sport»
The fight continues only men. Of the Russians at the US Open, only Rublev and Medvedev remained Open Championship All Russian girls who started in the women's singles. Only two men made it to the third round of the tournament - Andrei Rublev and Daniil Medvedev. 08/30/2019 15:32 Tennis Mysin Nikolay
"Loginov is ready to compete with Be." Estimates for biathletes for the season Biathletes have only the Russian championship on their calendar, which will be held in Tyumen from March 28 to April 2. Therefore, with good reason, you can begin to sum up the season. Today is about the performance of the men's team. 26.03.2019 16:30 Biathlon Yuri Volokhov
Alexei Yagudin: Hall of Fame? About 15 years ago, I would have described myself, but now - no. The guest of the editorial board of Sovetsky Sport became Olympic champion By figure skating Alexey Yagudin. It's been a great interview. 07/19/2019 10:30 Figure skating Volokhov Yuri, Ishmeeva Nelya
Trolling level 99. How Liza Tuktamysheva made fun of the whole world Olympic Games 2020. 07/16/2019 15:00 Figure skating Chikiris Oleg
The tour is over. Kokorin and Mamaev are returning from prison to football Despite a gap of almost a year, I am sure that it is football. It doesn't matter in what capacity. Resocialization in a different way is impossible for them, I think. 09/06/2019 11:30 Football Andronov Alexey
This season, Lokomotiv Moscow is fighting for the title of Russian champion for the first time in many years. I don’t know if the railway workers will become champions, but they will definitely perform in the Champions League, and therefore I remember them best matches in European competition.
The best matches of Moscow Lokomotiv in European club tournaments
10th place: Bayern 0-1 Lokomotiv
- Date: September 12, 1995.
- Match status: first leg of the 1/32 finals of the UEFA Cup.
Then Lokomotiv was very unlucky with the draw - already in the first match our club got the formidable Bayern. Nevertheless, Loko, contrary to all forecasts, managed to win in Munich thanks to Evgeny Kharlachev's goal.
This match could have been ranked much higher if it were not for the result of the return match - in Moscow, Bayern cut the daring upstart to smithereens - 5:0. In the end, Munich won the UEFA Cup, and the defeat from the Russians was the only one for them in the entire tournament.
9th place: Lokomotiv 2-0 Real Madrid
- Date: October 30, 2001.
- Match status: first group stage of the Champions League.
Another high-status opponent, and the low place in the rating is due to the fact that Real, having already solved the tournament problems, brought a semi-reserve squad to Moscow for the last round match.
But Russian clubs in official games did not beat the "royal" club so often that they would neglect this match. In addition, after this victory, Loko took third place and got the right to play in the UEFA Cup in the spring.
8th place: Anderlecht - Lokomotiv 1:5
- Date: October 24, 2001.
And a week earlier, the railway workers won their first victory in the group stage of the Champions League. They had one point in their assets, Anderlecht had 2, and both teams could no longer count on more than third place.
Lokomotiv conceded in the 2nd minute, but already in the first half they equalized and took the lead, and in the second they brought the matter to a rout.
7th place: Lokomotiv 3-1 Tyrol
- Date: August 7, 2001.
- Match status: 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League.
This victory gave Lokomotiv the opportunity to qualify for the main Champions League tournament for the first time. The match turned out to be difficult - the Austrians responded quickly to Jacob Lekheto's quick goal, and even the second goal, scored by , did not give Loko a comfortable advantage. Only in the 79th minute, after an accurate strike, the score became more acceptable.
Then there was a victory in Innsbruck, the cancellation of the result of this match, the hassle of a replay that ended in a 1-0 victory for Tyrol, but in the end everything ended well for Lokomotiv.
6th place: Galatasaray - Lokomotiv 1:2
- Date: October 29, 2002.
- Match status: first group stage Champions League.
In the 2002-2003 season, Lokomotiv for the first time overcame the first group stage of the Champions League, although the start of the tournament was terrible - just one point in four matches.
The first victory was obtained in Istanbul thanks to the goals of Dmitry Loskov and Vadim Evseev.
5th place: Lokomotiv 2-0 Brugge
- Date: November 13, 2002.
- Match status: Champions League first group stage.
IN next match the railroad, in addition to winning, needed a mandatory loss of points by Galatasaray in the meeting with Barcelona.
Both conditions were met, and Lokomotiv moved on to the next stage of the tournament. The goals were then scored by the Brazilian Julio Cesar and Dmitry Loskov.
4th place: Nice 2-3 Lokomotiv
- Date: February 15, 2018.
- Match status: first match of the 1/16 finals of the Europa League.
A very recent match in which Lokomotiv won a strong-willed victory, practically prejudging the outcome of a two-match confrontation.
By the end of half an hour of the game, the railroad workers got two goals from Mario Balotelli into their own net, which were answered with three accurate shots by Manuel Fernandes.
3rd place: Lokomotiv 3-0 Maccabi Haifa
- Date: March 4, 1999.
- Match status: First Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final match.
The defeat of the Israeli club brought Lokomotiv a ticket to the semi-finals of the then second most important European trophy.
All three goals were scored by the Georgian legionary of Muscovites Zaza Janashia, and the hat-trick turned out to be a classic one - the forward scored all the goals in the second half.
2nd place: Lokomotiv - AEK 2:1
- Date: March 19, 1998.
- Tournament stage: Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final second leg.
A year earlier, Loko had already played in the semi-finals of this tournament, but that victory was much more dramatic. The match in Athens ended in a goalless draw, at home the railway workers took the lead after a goal by Evgeny Kharlachev in the 54th minute, but the Greeks soon equalized the score.
The draw, which suited the guests, lasted until the second added minute, when Igor Chugainov nevertheless scored a goal, snatching a ticket to the semifinals for his team. This was fair, since earlier the referee did not count two clean goals of the railroad workers.
1st place: Lokomotiv 3-0 Inter
- Date: October 21, 2003.
- Tournament stage: Champions League group stage.
The coolest victory of the Moscow club. In the third round, Loko, which had one point, took the lead with 100% Inter, and had no right to misfire.
As part of the Milan club, Javier Sanetti, Marco Materazzi, Christian Vieri, Alvaro Recoba and other stars arrived in Moscow.
But Loko won without question, and this victory turned out to be decisive in the distribution of places in the group - Lokomotiv was ahead of Inter in additional indicators.
I hope that in the autumn the railway workers will give me the opportunity to correct this rating.
Following the review of the Cup Winners' Cup, I would like to bring to your attention the performance of our club in the most prestigious European tournament - UEFA Champions League.
2000/01
The second place in the championship of Russia allowed to play in the Champions League from the 3rd qualifying round. Vice-champion of Turkey "Besiktas" left no stone unturned from the Russian vice-champion: 3:0 in Istanbul and 1:3 in Moscow. Lokomotiv continued to play in the UEFA Cup.Besiktas (Istanbul, Turkey) – Lokomotiv
August 8, 2000 Istanbul. Stadium "Imenu".
Match score: 3-0
The football god severely punished Loko for missing scoring chances. The moral of this, at first glance, strange and illogical match, in which the defeated team was head and shoulders stronger than the winner for the first half, is extremely simple: if you create chances, convert them. If you didn't, blame yourself. We can also recall Nizhegorodov's two fatal mistakes, Bulykin's shot from a lethal distance into the sky, the splendor of the Nigerian goalkeeper Shorunmu, who pulled out three or four dead balls.
Lokomotiv - Besiktas (Istanbul, Turkey)
Champions League. qualifying round.
August 23, 2000 Moscow. Stadium "Luzhniki".
Match score: 1-3
The result of the fan confrontation was predictable. The "Turkish" tribune, which gathered much more than three thousand people, during the warm-up effortlessly shouted down the Loko fans. As soon as the first player of the "Black Eagles" left the tunnel, it sounded in the huge bowl of the stadium: "Be-shik-tash"!
The beginning of the match was preceded by a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the catastrophe of the nuclear submarine "Kursk". And the Lokomotiv players went to the game with mourning bandages.
"Besiktas" Nevio Skala naturally outplayed "Loko" in Moscow. If Semin's wards realized good moments in the first half, there would be some semblance of intrigue. Instead, there was a ridiculous mistake in the defense of the red-greens, dotting all the i's.
2001/02
The third qualifying round of the Champions League, the opponent is the Austrian "Tirol". Scandalous famous history with a replay of the full return match due to a miscalculation of the arbitrator. But the football god gave everyone justice. As a result, the railway workers did not go to visit Zizkov, but for the first time in history made it to the group stage of the Champions League. Real Madrid, Roma and Anderlecht were selected in the group draw. After the 4th round, Lokomotiv, with one point scored, lost the chances of reaching the playoffs of the Champions League, but competed with Anderlecht for access to the UEFA Cup. The Brussels match did not start according to our scenario: in the 2nd minute, Anderlecht took the lead. But “Loco” was not embarrassed, and not just won, but defeated the Belgian club in its own lair. 5:1 in favor of the Russian team, which goes to 1/16 of the UEFA Cup.Lokomotiv – Tyrol (Innsbruck, Austria)
August 7, 2001 Ramenskoe. Stadium "Saturn".
Match score: 3-1
In his first European match, Izmailov, the rising star of Loko, showed a great game. In the opening, he squeezed the maximum out of a harmless situation. Having received the ball not far from the end line and turning on the fourth speed, Marat skillfully beat the defender, assessed the situation in a split second and sent the ball to the hot spot of the penalty area. Yes, so much so that the ball, ricocheting from two players, hit the legs as if grown out of the ground Lekheto. The defender of the South African team fired like a cannon. It was the first goal of an African legionnaire in the Russian club. And the decisive goal was scored with an accurate blow from medium distance the same Izmailov.
Champions League. 3rd qualifying round.
August 22, 2001 Innsbruck. Tivoli Stadium.
Match score: 0-1
Imagine the feelings of people who have experienced the intoxicating joy of a hard victory - and suddenly find out that this victory did not exist at all, and they have to prove everything anew on a foreign field. It was this unprecedented incident that happened to Lokomotiv in the capital of two winter olympics. The ill-fated episode, because of which all the fuss flared up, happened in the 75th minute of the meeting. Forward Pimenov, striking the ball, hit the leg of Tyrol defender Ibertsberger, who played ahead of the game. Referee van der Ende suddenly showed our player yellow card, which became his second in the match, but did not remove him from the field. For eyewitnesses at that moment it was not clear to whom exactly the warning was given - either to Pimenov, or to Maminov, who tried to find out something from the referee. As it turned out later, midfielder Maminov appeared as a warned person in the referee's notebook.
Pimenov spent three more minutes on the field, and then was replaced by Drozdov. However, Tyrol's management filed a protest demanding a replay, which was unexpectedly granted by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Committee. And Pimenov, because of whose non-removal the whole scandal unfolded, was disqualified and could not take part in the replay - more than a strange decision!
Semin did not hide his indignation:
- We consider this verdict a spit in the direction of everything Russian football. If the Champions League wants to do without Russia, let them announce it in advance. And it is dishonorable to take away from us a victory won in an honest sports fight. What are we being punished for, what letter of the football laws did Lokomotiv violate in the match against Tyrol?
The replay did take place.
"Tirol" (Innsbruck, Austria) - "Lokomotiv"
Champions League. 3rd qualifying round. Replay.
September 8, 2001 Innsbruck. Tivoli Stadium.
Match score: 1-0
Still, there is a God! - these were the first words of the Minister of Railways Nikolai Aksenenko, who came to the locker room after the match to congratulate the team on a well-deserved entry into the Champions League. - Yes, today he was with us, - Semin said smiling. Football God really gave everyone justice. But why didn't he do it sooner? Why didn't he whisper to the Dutch referee Mario van der Ende that he confused Pimenov with Maminov? Why did he give Tyrol a chance to cling to the saving straw? Why did he allow UEFA officials to make an absurd decision that made the Austrian champion and Russian vice-champion go down in history as the first clubs to have to replay a match due to a refereeing error? The duel in Innsbruck became a benefit of Nigmatullin, who saved Loko a dozen times (!) in seemingly hopeless situations. At the same time, the match turned into a drama of the main supplier of work for the Russian goalkeeper. Radoslav Gilevich vowed that he would not leave the field without a goal. But no matter how hard the Polish scorer tried, he failed to keep his oath. However, Gilevich has nothing to reproach himself with: at least four times he was already preparing to rush to the corner flag in order to share the joy of a goal with the fans, but instead he clutched his head - Nigmatullin stood to death. It still remains a mystery how, in the 59th minute, our goalkeeper managed to fend off two killer shots in a row from the Tyrolean nine. And Brzeczak's goal could not have been prevented by any goalkeeper in the world. After the first match in Innsbruck, Austrian journalists called Nigmatullin the main culprit behind Tyrol's defeat. Now, in front of the whole of Europe, the Loko goalkeeper knocked their team out of the Champions League for the second time. It was on this day that Nigmatullin's rating on the transfer market reached the very mark when players begin to pack their bags.
“I immediately thought that we had regained what we had honestly won and restored justice,” said the main character after the match.
- I think we have done a great job for the whole country. And what could be more important than this? We found a way out of the labyrinth into which they tried to drive us. The unfair decision of UEFA at that moment united Russia. Fans all over the country passionately wished Lokomotiv success, and many, rejoicing at the railwaymen's entry into the next stage, stuck with Loko forever.
VIP ticket
TICKET FROM A FAIL MATCH
September 11, 2001 Prague. Stadium "Evzhen Roshytsky".
"Victoria" (Zhizhkov, Czech Republic) - "Tirol" Innsbruck / "Locomotive" Moscow
The infamous story of the replay of the full return match due to a miscalculation of the referee.
After the return match Tyrol - Lokomotiv, the Austrians filed a protest with the UEFA FTC. The fact is that in the 72nd minute the referee showed a yellow card to Pimenov, which turned out to be the second for the striker, but he entered Maminov's name in the notebook and did not remove anyone.
At first, the situation did not seem so serious. Draws were made for the next rounds of European competitions, Lokomotiv clearly participated in the draw for the group stage of the Champions League (i.e., there were no reservations, it was not the winner of the pair, but the Russian club was indicated), which fell to Real Madrid, Roma and Anderlecht, while Tyrol took part in the UEFA Cup draw and won Viktoria Zizkov.
However, after 5 days a fax from UEFA came to Lokomotiv's office. His 9 points were devoted to a technical error of the referee, to the fact that Lokomotiv had to finish the match in the minority, and this is what prevented the Austrians from scoring 3 goals. The result of the match on August 22 (i.e., the return match) is canceled and a replay is scheduled. An appeal from the club was sent to UEFA, as well as a letter from the head of the RFU Koloskov. True, the latter immediately warned that he did not count on a positive decision.
As a result, there was a replay, full match, and not 19 minutes from a score of 0:1, and Pimenov's disqualification following the results of the canceled match was upheld.
The replay became Nigmatullin's benefit performance, his exemplary match. He still conceded one goal, but the Tyroleans did not like the score 1:0.
As a result, the railway workers did not go to visit Zizkov, but for the first time in history they made it to the group stage of the Champions League.
Lokomotiv - Anderlecht (Brussels, Belgium)
1st round. September 11, 2001. Moscow. Stadium "Dynamo".
Match score: 1-1
On September 11, 2001 (this day in world history is forever inscribed in black letters due to a series of terrorist attacks carried out in the United States), Lokomotiv Moscow made its debut in the UEFA Champions League.
The players of the two teams from the first minutes began to justify the expectations of 20,000 fans who gathered on that cold day. Loko's debut in the Champions League turned out to be not very successful: in the 14th minute of the match, Gilles de Bilde found Mark Hendrix's head with a pass from the right flank and the Belgian shot our Ruslan Nigmatullin point-blank. However, three minutes later, Vladimir Maminov became the author of the first “red-green” goal in the history of the Champions League, when the midfielder of the hosts with a clear shot from outside the penalty area broke through the gates of De Vilde.
The absence of the suspended Loskov and the injured Obiora on the field affected the attacking power of Lokomotiv, but Izmailov, Buznikin and Pimenov tried to put pressure on the Belgian gates. The lack of experience eventually affected the final stages of the attacks of the hosts, who ended in a draw in their first match in the Champions League.
"Real" (Madrid, Spain) - "Lokomotiv"
Champions League. 1st group round. Group A
2nd round. September 19, 2001 Madrid. "Santiago Bernabeu".
Match score: 4-0
Lokomotiv lost the best club world, which Semin emphasized after the match. At the Santiago Bernabeu stadium royal club surpassed us both in individual skill and in team discipline. “It was the only match in two years in which the opponent outplayed us,” Semin emphasized later.
Roma (Rome, Italy) – Lokomotiv
Champions League. 1st group round. Group A
3rd round. September 26, 2001 Rome. Olympic Stadium.
Match score: 2-1
The railway workers amazed the Roman public with an abundance of beautiful combinations and excellent ball control. But after Chugainov's own goal, the team got nervous and got the second ball in the counterattack. In Rome, Nigmatullin worked miracles again. One can only guess how the Loko goalkeeper managed to repel the dangerous shots of Delvecchio, Zebina and Tommasi. In both conceded goals, it was not his fault, although he himself reacted to these episodes in the highest degree self-critical.
Anderlecht (Brussels, Belgium) – Lokomotiv
Champions League. 1st group round. Group A
5th round. October 24, 2001 Brussels. Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
Match score: 1-5
In this tournament, Lokomotiv achieved the biggest away win, the biggest strong-willed victory, scored the most goals away from home, scored five goals fastest - and even set one achievement of all time: none of the 84 clubs in 9-year history The Champions League has not won its first victory in the group stage with such a large score. And midfielder Izmailov, who equalized the score, became the youngest player to score in the 2001/02 Champions League. On the day of the match, he turned 19 years and 33 days old. At first, Anderlecht's pressure was strong. But gradually the red-greens managed to lower the ball onto the lawn, depriving the owners of their main trump card - heading. After Sennikov's goal, the game has already gone to one goal. The best on the field was Buznikin, who successfully came on as a substitute. By that time, Anderlecht had gaps in defense, which the nimble striker did not fail to take advantage of. Semin liked all the players except Obiora.
Lokomotiv - Real Madrid (Madrid, Spain)
Champions League. 1st group round. Group A
6th round. October 30, 2001 Moscow. Stadium "Dynamo".
Match score: 2-0
"Real" flew to Moscow without a few stars, but this does not detract from the merits of "Locomotive" - a high morale and strong-willed spirit distinguished each player of the team. The home team selflessly fought for every ball, clearly insured, came to the aid of each other in defense. And what is especially nice, the defense of Lokomotiv, not without the help of goalkeeper Nigmatullina, won the whole fight in the air in his penalty area. In the 30th minute Pavon knocked down Pimenov near the left corner of his penalty area, and with Loskov's excellent serve Buznikin opened the scoring with his first shot on target - a strong grassroots shot right into the corner. After the break, the same Pimenov sent Obradovic through the right flank. The Serb earned a corner, after which Izmailov shot a strong shot into the center of the goalkeeper's area, and the defender Cherevchenko, who joined the attack, sent the ball into the net!
To be continued..
Other European Cup tickets can be viewed at
The Eurocup Blog and UEFA Coefficients continues the series Russian Clubs in European Cups. This time, in an article presented in two parts, we will talk in detail about the Semin team.
Part one: 1993 2001.
1993/94. In Soviet times, the Moscow "Locomotive" did not gain success, allowing it to participate in European competitions, being known as "the fifth wheel in the cart of Moscow football." From departure from major league according to the results of the 1991 season (last place), Lokomotiv saved the collapse of the USSR.
But the following season, the railroad took 4th place, which allowed them to participate in the UEFA Cup.
The draw is strict with debutants, the opponent is the current UEFA Cup holder, who was 3rd in the then UEFA club rankings Juventus.
The historic match for Lokomotiv took place on September 15, 1993 at the Renato del Aro stadium in Bologna. After a goalless first half, the future winner of the 1993 Ballon d'Or, Roberto Baggio, was the soloist. He scored two goals himself, another goal after hitting the "tail" finished Ravanelli into the net. 3:0.
Lokomotiv's Eurocup debut as a stadium took place on 28 September. The only goal was scored by Giancarlo Morocco.
UEFA Cup, 1/32 finals, 2 matches, 0-0-2(wins-draws-losses), 0-4 (goals scored and conceded). Without the points scored, Lokomotiv did not get into the club ratings.
Let me remind you that the club rating was then compiled by summing up the indicators of the last 5 seasons, and the seasonal score was considered to be the division of the points earned per season (for a win - 2, for a draw - 1) by the number of games played, i.e., the average seasonal score.
Points scored by the club are indicated in parentheses.
1995/96. Again the UEFA Cup, again Lokomotiv is not seeded, and again he is threatened with a grand. This time it was Bayern.
Olympiastadion, Munich, September 12, 1995. The first European goal (Kharlachev) brings the first victory and the first euro points. No one knew Lokomotiv in Europe, and the 0:1 result was regarded as a sensation (however, it was one).
In the return match, inexperienced Muscovites did not play from the score, trying to catch the opponent on the counterattacks, but decided to finish off the Bavarians, who were “wounded” in Munich. The clock struck midnight, there were five unanswered goals in Loko's goal.
UEFA Cup, 1/32 finals, 2 matches, 1-0-1, 1-5. Scored two points in the TC and one point in the club rating. In the seasonal ranking, he shared 48th place with ten clubs, in the ranking of clubs with one, he was in 134th place.
1996/97. In 1996, Lokomotiv won its first Russian Cup, as a result of which it made its debut in the Cup Winners' Cup.
The victory over Bayern was not in vain, and in the 1/16 finals, the railway workers were seeded.
Dropped Croatian "Varteks". In the home match, a 1-0 victory was recorded the only goal in the 12th minute was scored by Cherevchenko; guests did not take advantage of the numerical advantage after the removal of Kharlachev in the 61st minute. In Varadzhin (the city that Varteks represent), Kosolapov scores at the end of the first half, and the Croats now need to score three. Vugrinets makes a double, but with the score 2:1, Lokomotiv goes on.
In the next stage, the railway workers are no longer seeded, and the rival is the Lisbon Benfica. In the match at Da Luz, the only goal was scored by Joao Pinto. In the debut of the Moscow match, Solomatin restores the balance, the first half ends 1-0.
The goal was scored in the 8th minute, and in the 11th and 29th minutes Gurenko received a yellow card, and Benfica were in the majority. At the beginning of the second half, Lokomotiv scores the second goal, but the referee, after a side signal about offside, cancels it. The Portuguese immediately equalize. The match ended 3:2 in favor of the guests (1:0 Solomatin 8′, 1:1 Panduro 48′, 2:1 Garas 59′, 2:2 Donizeti 63′, 2:3 João Pinto 89′).
« I am the main culprit of the defeat. Gurenko is self-critical after the match. ¡ If not for my stupidest removal, I have no doubt that we would have passed Benfica. After all, it all started well...(About violations) First I hit the ball after the whistle. I swear this happened for the first time in my life. I don't even know what came over me at that moment. And in the second episode, I was not going to shoot down the Portuguese, but my foot went on a slippery field, and I accidentally hooked him».
Cup of Cups, 1/8 finals, 4 matches, 2-0-2, 4-6. 2 points were scored in the TC, 0.5 points were added to the club rating. He is 77th in the season rankings, and moved up to 111th in the clubs rankings (1.5 points).
1997/98. The second Cup of Russia, the second ticket to the Cup Cups.
In the first stage (1/16 finals) the Belarusian "Belshina" falls out. Lokomotiv is already a seasoned European cup fighter, and does not let anyone doubt their own superiority - 1:2 wins away and 3:0 at home.
In 1/8, the railway workers are still seeded, the Turkish Kocaelispor is drawn by lot. The first match took place at Lokomotiv, after Kharlachev's goal in the 1st half, the Turks leveled the score in the 73rd minute, but Janashiya with a header in the 84th minute brought victory to the Muscovites.
The match in Izmit ends 0-0, and Lokomotiv for the first time in its history enters the spring part of European competition.
The first match of the quarterfinal in Athens against AEK came out fighting. The teams earned 7 warnings for two, and in the 75th and 90th minutes the players of the Greek club earn a red card.
Markus Merk was the soloist in the second leg. With the score 1:0 (Kharlachev, 54′), Lokomotiv gets a dubious penalty, AEK sets the score 1:1, which completely suits the Greek club. Then Dzhanashiya scores, but the refereeing team sees Kharlachev offside, then Kharlachev himself scores, but again the goal is not counted due to offside.
At the end of the match, Nigmatullin runs into someone else's penalty area for a set piece, the Greeks fight back. In the last seconds of the second stoppage minute (“Lokomotiv” has already fallen on a frank bulk), Kharlachev makes a cross from the goalkeeper's corner and Chugainov sends the ball over the goal line from a couple of meters with his head.
Winners' Cup semi-final, possible opponents: Vicenza, Chelsea and Stuttgart (not seeded at this stage). Got the winner of the German Cup. The first match was held in Stuttgart, the opponents responded to Janashia's goal with goals from Akpobori in the 43rd minute and Bobic in the 90th. In the second leg, the same Bobic scored the only goal.
Cup of Cups, 1/2 finals. 8 matches, 4-2-2, 10-6. 12 points (2 bonus points) in TC, 1.5 points in club rating. In the rating of the season, Lokomotiv is in 14th place, in the club rating with a coefficient of 3.0 it has risen to 56th place.
For the first time, Lokomotiv makes a significant contribution to the country's shopping mall. In addition, after the first successful European season, the club becomes the second among Russian teams in the UEFA club rankings.
1998/99. For the third time in a row, Lokomotiv participates in the Cup Winners' Cup (in the Russian Cup final it lost to Spartak, which qualified for the Champions League).
In 1/16, the club from the former USSR, CSKA Kyiv, again dropped out. Two wins: 0:2 away and 3:1 at home.
In the next stage, they met with the Portuguese "Sporting" from Braga, known to us simply as "Braga". The hero of the match was 18-year-old Dmitry Bulykin, who scored a double and was close to a hat-trick (in the 89th minute, goalkeeper Paulo Morais fouled him and was expelled from the field for a foul last resort). Match score 3:1.
In the return game, the Portuguese opened the scoring in the 13th minute, but Lokomotiv kept the advantage of the Moscow match. For the second year in a row, the railway workers entered the spring stage.
In the quarter-finals against Maccabi Haifa, Janashia scored a hat-trick (3-0), and, in fact, everything becomes clear even before the second leg. Away Chugainov scores the only goal from the penalty spot.
The first semi-final match against Lazio takes place in Russia. Muscovites manage to hold back a couple of SalasVieri attacks, and in the 60th minute Janashia opens the scoring. Eriksson successively replaces forwards with Boksic and Mancini, and the Croat brings his club to a 1-1 draw. In Rome, the match ends goalless and the Italians advance to the final.
Loko repeated last year's success reaching the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. It should be noted that due to the high rating, the Russian club was seeded at all stages until the semi-finals (in the semi-finals, the draw was blind without seeding).
Cup of Cups, 1/2 finals. 8 matches, 5-2-1, 13-4. 14 points scored in TC (2 bonus points). In the club rating, which is considered from this season on a different basis, the same 14 points. 13th in the seasonal rating of Lokomotiv, 33rd in the club rating with a score of 43.912 .
Lokomotiv-1999 is the main contributor to the TC half of all points scored, for the first time the club becomes the first among Russian teams in terms of points scored during the season.
1999/2000. In the qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, Muscovites met with BATE Borisov. Accounts 1:7 away and 5:0 at home speak for themselves. Matches with the Danish "Lyungby" were also confident. In Copenhagen they won 1:2, at home 3:0.
In the 1/32 finals, despite the seeding of the Russian club, the leader of the English Premier League, Leeds, got it. In the first half of the English match, Lee Boyer makes a double. In the second half, Alan Smith, performing a kick through himself, first hits Pashinin's head with his foot, then the ball. The referee counts the goal, and Pashinin is forced to leave the field. In the 80th minute, Loskov's goal gives hope for a successful outcome, but after 4 minutes Kewell sets the final score at 4:1.
In the return match, Lokomotiv, which had nothing to lose, immediately picked up the pace and began to continuously attack the British. Leeds took advantage of the open areas and earned a penalty in a counterattack. 0:1 in the 15th minute, and the railroad workers need to score 4 goals. In the 28th minute, Michael Bridges scored the team's second goal and scored a brace before the break. 0:3 in the second leg.
6 years later, in the autumn of 2005, the ex-head coach of Leeds O'Leary was on a visit to Moscow. Semin (at that time the coach of the Russian national team) said hello to him: “ Please tell my colleague: a fast team like his Leeds English Premier League no so far».
UEFA Cup, 1/32 finals. 6 matches, 4-0-2, 18-9. 6 points were scored in the country's TC, 4 points in the club rating. Lokomotiv ranked 67th in the seasonal rankings, and dropped to 39th in the clubs ranking with 48.637.
2000/01. The second place in the championship of Russia allowed to play in the Champions League from the 3rd qualifying round. Vice-champion of Turkey "Besiktas" did not leave a stone unturned from the Russian vice-champion: 3:0 in Istanbul and 1:3 in Moscow. Lokomotiv continued to play in the UEFA Cup.
In the 1/64 finals, the Bulgarian "Neftohimik" was passed: 4:2 at home and 0:0 away. In the next round, two wins over Inter Bratislava: 1:0 at home and 1:2 away. Round 1/16 against the Spanish "Rayo Vallecano" was the last. On the frozen field of the Moscow stadium, a 0-0 draw was recorded, in Madrid the Spaniards win 2-0.
Champions League, 3rd quarter round, 2 matches, 0-0-2, 1-6. UEFA Cup, 1/16 finals, 6 matches, 3-2-1, 7-5. Total: 3-2-3, 8-11. Scored 8 points. In the seasonal ranking 48th place, in the ranking of clubs 34th place with a score of 53.854.
2001/02. Third qualifying round of the Champions League, opponent Austrian Tyrol.
Lekheto opens the score in the second minute, Kirkhler equalizes in the 19th minute. Izmailov scores the winning goal, and Ignashevich's free-kick in the 79th minute makes the advantage more significant.
In the second leg, Maminov scored the only goal from a free-kick in the 51st first minute. The Austrians filed a protest with the UEFA FTC. The fact is that the referee in the 72nd minute showed a yellow card to Pimenov, which turned out to be the second for the striker. But he entered the name of Maminov in the notebook and did not delete anyone.
At first, the situation did not seem so serious. Draws were made for the next rounds of European competitions, Lokomotiv unambiguously participated in the draw for the group stage of the Champions League (i.e., there were no reservations, it was not the winner of the pair that was indicated, but the Russian club), which fell to Real Madrid, Roma and Anderlecht (1st, 2nd and 4th pots respectively), and Tyrol participated in the UEFA Cup draw, which got Victoria from Zizkov.
However, after 5 days, a fax from UEFA came to Lokomotiv's office. His 9 points were devoted to the technical error of the referee, the fact that Lokomotiv had to finish the match in the minority, and this is what prevented the Austrians from scoring 3 goals. The result of the match on August 22 (that is, the return match) is canceled and a replay is scheduled (you can find the full text of the document on the website of the Sport-Express newspaper). An appeal from the club was sent to UEFA, as well as a letter from the head of the RFU Koloskov (text). True, the latter immediately warned that he did not count on a positive decision.
As a result, a replay took place, a full match, and not 19 minutes from a score of 0: 1, and Pimenov's disqualification following the results of the canceled match was left in force.
The replay became Nigmatullin's benefit performance, his exemplary match. He still conceded one goal, but the Tyroleans did not like the score 1:0.
As a result, the railroad went not to visit Zizkov, but for the first time in history made it to the group stage of the Champions League.
In the 1st round, Lokomotiv hosted Anderlecht at home. Semin let it slip before the match that a victory is good, but a draw will do for the debut. And so it happened: in the first half, the rivals exchanged goals, where they stopped, the result was 1:1. In the 2nd round, Real Madrid completely outplayed the Russian club at the Santiago Bernabeu, finishing it at the end to a score of 4:0.
Double matches against the champions of Italy were coming, and Lokomotiv should have learned from the defeat. As a result, despite 0 points scored, Muscovites showed a different football and were close to winning points. In the Roman match, they opened the scoring, but did not keep the advantage, in the second leg the only goal flew into the goal, not least because of the rebound.
After the 4th round, Lokomotiv, with one point scored, lost the chances of reaching the playoffs of the Champions League, but could easily compete with Anderlecht, who scored 2 points, for reaching the UEFA Cup. True, the Brussels match did not start according to our scenario: in the 2nd minute, Anderlecht took the lead. But Loko was not embarrassed, and not only won, but defeated the Belgian club in its own lair: 1:1 Izmailov 13′, 1:2 Sennikov 28′, 1:3 Pimenov 58′, 1:4 Buznikin 63′, 1 :5 Buznikin 69′.
In the last round, Real Madrid, who had booked the first place ahead of schedule, left a number of stars in Spain, in Moscow. 2:0 in favor of the Russian team, which goes to 1/16 of the UEFA Cup.
In the UEFA Cup Hapoel Tel Aviv. The first match took place in Israel. Osterz opened the scoring, in the second half Izmailov scored the return goal. In the 77th minute, Osterts earned a penalty, Nigmatullin rescued the team after Gershon's regular penalty kick. The match was coming to an end with the score 1:1, which suits the railway workers, but in the 90th minute, Hapoel scored the winning goal. After 2 minutes, Cherevchenko lost his nerve, and he receives a direct red card for a rough foul in the middle of the field.
In the second leg, Lokomotiv did not show its the best game, and the same Osterz scored the only goal in the match.
Champions League, 3rd place in the group stage. 8 matches, 3-1-4, 12-11. UEFA Cup, 1/16 finals. 2 matches, 0-0-2, 1-3. Total: 10 matches, 3-1-6, 13-14. 7 points were scored in the TC (one bonus), 6 points in the club rating. 62nd in the seasonal rating, Lokomotiv ranked 32nd in the club rating with a score of 57.645.
Railway workers, despite the average performance (7 points), scored the highest among Russian clubs number of points. In the club rating, Lokomotiv is located after the long-term European Cup leader Spartak.
