Lokomotiv Moscow’s all-time top scorer and advisor to the club’s CEO on sporting matters, Dmitry Loskov, considers the inability to play in European competitions one of the main problems facing young Russian footballers. According to the former Railways midfielder, the level of the Russian Premier League (RPL) is not comparable to European competitions: they don’t see the level, or what to strive for. European competitions are completely different from our Russian Premier League (RPL). I still sometimes remember those feelings: the Champions League, the anthem is playing. There’s another level of football—one that can’t be conveyed with words. At first, we weren’t ready for this pace, the rhythm of the game. But when they got used to it, they already scored a few goals in the first 15 minutes and calmly got into the game in the first 15 minutes. That’s the whole experience. European competitions are completely different.
Remember, Russian clubs and teams have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in international competitions since February 2022.
