Premiership football to return to Chechnya?
Published 09 November, 2007, 07:02
Chechnya has been waiting for this day for six years. Its home team has secured promotion to the Premier League. What's more Terek Grozny FC will not only play in Russia's top flight next season, but has every chance of doing so back in their home base of Grozny.
While the champions of the Premier League have yet to be decided, the newcomers to the top division have already been confirmed. One of them is Shinnik from Yaroslavl – the other is Terek, a team from the Chechen republic.
Terek has played in the Premier League just once before. In 2005 they had a chance to play with Russia’s big boys, but things didn't go so well – they were relegated after just one season. Also, they were unable to play in their home stadium. Due to the conflict in Chechnya at that time, in 2000 the club moved from Grozny to the neighbouring Stavropol region and played their home games in the city of Mineralnie Vodi.
Now they hope they'll stay longer.
What is the secret of Terek’s recent success? The coaches say it’s all about team play.At the club, besides Chechens, there are Russian, Bosnian, Abkhazian and Croatian players. They don’t know each other’s languages very well, but on the field they seem to understand one another perfectly.
On November 5, Terek won 4-0 against Sodovik-Sterlitamak. They later returned to Grozny, to play an exhibition game and show off their skills at their home stadium. Hundreds of fans came to celebrate.
The Chechnen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, wearing a no.29 shirt, played in the friendly match. A keen football fan himself, he scored three times, with the match ending in 3-3 draw.
“We have proven that we deserved the win. And god willing we will continue in that vein,” he commented when asked his feelings about Terek’s promotion.
Not only the successs of the Chechen team, but the fact that football is returning to this republic is a pleasant surprise for the fans.
For years, Chechnya was in the news as one of Russia’s conflict zones. But as the republic returns to normal life, signs of revival are everywhere – in business, economy, and sports.
During the past decade Chechnya suffered from two armed conflicts. As federal forces fought with terrorist armies all over the republic, the civilian population suffered greatly. There was no place for sports, culture or leisure activities.
Following the relocation of Chechnya’s leading football team, watching on television was the only way for the fans to see their team – until now.
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