CSKA won their first Russian title. It was their first championship since the last edition of the Soviet Top League in 1991. Newly promoted Rubin got the bronze.

Teams As in the previous season, 16 teams are playing in the 2003 season. After the 2002 season, Anzhi Makhachkala and Sokol Saratov were relegated to the 2003 Russian First Division. They were replaced by Rubin Kazan and Chernomorets Novorossiysk, the winners and runners up of the 2002 Russian First Division.

Venues Spartak-Alania Chernomorets CSKA Dynamo Republican Spartak Stadium Central Stadium Central Stadium Central Stadium Capacity: 32,464 Capacity: 12,500 Capacity: 36,540 Capacity: 36,540 Krylia Sovetov Samara Lokomotiv Moscow Metallurg Stadium RZD Arena Capacity: 33,001 Capacity: 27,084 Rostov Rotor Olimp-2 Central Stadium Capacity: 15,840 Capacity: 32,120 Rubin Saturn Central Stadium Saturn Stadium Capacity: 22,500 Capacity: 14,685 Shinnik Spartak Shinnik Stadium Luzhniki Stadium Capacity: 22,871 Capacity: 81,029 Torpedo Torpedo-ZIL Uralan Zenit Saint Petersburg Luzhniki Stadium Eduard Streltsov Stadium Uralan Stadium Petrovsky Stadium Capacity: 81,029 Capacity: 13,450 Capacity: Capacity: 21,570

Personnel and kits TeamLocationHead coachKit manufacturerShirt sponsorSpartak-AlaniaVladikavkaz Bakhva Tedeyev Umbro -ChernomoretsNovorossiysk Igor Gamula Adidas -CSKAMoscow Valery Gazzaev Umbro - DynamoMoscow Viktor Prokopenko Diadora YukosLokomotivMoscow Yuri Semin NikeMZDKryliaSamara Aleksandr Tarkhanov Umbro -RostovRostov-on-Don Sergei Balakhnin Nike -RotorVolgograd Vladimir Fayzulin Umbro -RubinKazan Kurban Berdyev Nike -SaturnRamenskoye Oleg Romantsev Nike -ShinnikYaroslavl Aleksandr Pobegalov Nike TM HoldingSpartakMoscow Vladimir Fedotov UmbroLukoilTorpedoMoscow Sergei Petrenko Diadora -Torpedo-MetallurgMoscow Aleksandr Ignatenko 2KZiLUralanElista Igor Shalimov Adidas -ZenitSaint Petersburg Vlastimil Petržela UmbroGazprom

Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Torpedo-ZIL Vadim Nikonov Preseason Sergei Aleinikov Preseason Rotor Vladimir Salkov Vladimir Fayzulin Uralan Elista Revaz Dzodzuashvili Igor Shalimov Spartak-Alania Bakhva Tedeyev Revaz Dzodzuashvili 22 December 2002 Zenit Boris Rappoport Vlastimil Petržela 23 December 2002 Chernomorets Valeri Chetverik March 2003 Igor Gamula March 2003 Spartak-Alania Revaz Dzodzuashvili Resigned 22 June 2003 Aleksandr Yanovsky June 2003 Torpedo-ZIL Sergei Aleinikov May 2003 Valentin Ivanov May 2003 Spartak Oleg Romantsev June 2003 Andrey Chernyshov June 2003 Spartak-Alania Aleksandr Yanovsky June 2003 Nikolai Khudiyev July 2003 Chernomorets Igor Gamula July 2003 Sergei Pavlov July 2003 Spartak-Alania Nikolai Khudiyev July 2003 Bakhva Tedeyev July 2003 Rostov Sergei Balakhnin August 2003 Vladimir Fedotov August 2003 Rostov Vladimir Fedotov August 2003 Sergei Balakhnin August 2003 Torpedo-ZIL Valentin Ivanov August 2003 Aleksandr Ignatenko August 2003 Saturn Vladimir Shevchuk September 2003 Oleg Romantsev September 2003 Spartak Andrey Chernyshov September 2003 Vladimir Fedotov September 2003 Chernomorets Sergei Pavlov October 2003 Igor Gamula October 2003

Standings

Results

Season statistics Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goal1 Dmitri Loskov Lokomotiv 142 Aleksandr Kerzhakov Zenit 13 Valery Yesipov Rotor 4 Aleksei Medvedev Saturn 11 Rôni Rubin 6 Roman Pavlyuchenko Spartak Moscow 107 Yegor Titov Spartak Moscow 10 Dmitri Bulykin Dynamo Andrei Karyaka Krylia Martin Kushev Shinnik Rolan Gusev CSKA Andrey Tikhonov Krylia

Awards On November 14 Russian Football Union named its list of 33 top players:

Goalkeepers Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit) Sergei Kozko (Rubin)

Right backs Vadim Evseev (Lokomotiv Moscow) Deividas Šemberas (CSKA Moscow) Andrés Scotti (Rubin)

Right-centre backs Sergei Ignashevich (Lokomotiv Moscow) Viktor Onopko (Spartak-Alania) Matthew Booth (Rostov)

Left-centre backs Oleg Pashinin (Lokomotiv Moscow) Géder (Saturn) Roman Sharonov (Rubin)

Left backs Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv Moscow) Andrei Solomatin (CSKA Moscow) Orlando Calisto de Souza (Rubin)

Defensive midfielders Evgeni Aldonin (Rotor) Vladimir Maminov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Elvir Rahimić (CSKA Moscow)

Right wingers Rolan Gusev (CSKA Moscow) Denis Boyarintsev (Rubin) Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit)

Central midfielders Dmitri Loskov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Jiří Jarošík (CSKA Moscow) Yegor Titov (Spartak Moscow)

Left wingers Andrei Karyaka (Krylia Sovetov) Marat Izmailov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Aleksandr Pavlenko (Spartak Moscow)

Right forwards Valery Yesipov (Rotor) Dmitri Bulykin (Dynamo Moscow) Mikheil Ashvetia (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Left forwards Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Zenit) Ivica Olić (CSKA Moscow) Roni (Rubin)

Medal squads

1. PFC CSKA Moscow Goalkeepers: Veniamin Mandrykin (19), Igor Akinfeev (13). Defenders: Aleksei Berezutski (30), Bohdan Shershun (27 / 1), Denis Yevsikov (24), Vasili Berezutski (23), Deividas Šemberas (21), Andrei Solomatin (20). Midfielders: Elvir Rahimić (28 / 1), Jiří Jarošík (27 / 7), Rolan Gusev (26 / 9), Igor Yanovsky (25 / 5), Sergei Semak (24 / 7), Juris Laizāns (21 / 1), Spartak Gogniyev (11 / 2), Alan Kusov (11), Artur Tlisov (3 / 1). Forwards: Denis Popov (22 / 8), Dmitri Kirichenko (22 / 5), Ivica Olić (10 / 7), Alexander Geynrikh (2 / 1), Sergey Samodin (2), Vardan Mazalov (1).(league appearances and goals listed in brackets)

One own goal scored by Andrés Scotti (FC Rubin Kazan).

Manager: Valery Gazzaev.

Transferred out during the season: Alan Kusov (on loan to FC Spartak-Alania Vladikavkaz). 2. FC Zenit St. Petersburg Goalkeepers: Vyacheslav Malafeev (27), Kamil Čontofalský (3). Defenders: Milan Vještica (28), Pavel Mareš (26 / 2), Martin Horák (21 / 2), Daniel Chiriţă (21 / 1), Aleksei Katulsky (17 / 1), Aleksei Igonin (11), Sargis Hovsepyan (10), Konstantin Lobov (9), Valeri Tsvetkov (8), Igor Nedorezov (1). Midfielders: Andrei Arshavin (27 / 5), Aleksandr Spivak (26 / 6), Vladislav Radimov (21 / 3), Vladimir Bystrov (19 / 4), Igor Denisov (19 / 2), Radek Šírl (18 / 1), Konstantin Konoplyov (15 / 1), Oleg Vlasov (13 / 2), Sergei Osipov (8). Forwards: Aleksandr Kerzhakov (27 / 13), Dmitri Makarov (12 / 2), Lukáš Hartig (12 / 1), Andrei Nikolayev (6 / 2), Maksim Astafyev (4), Predrag Ranđelović (3).

Manager: Vlastimil Petržela .

Transferred out during the season: Sargis Hovsepyan (to FC Torpedo-Metallurg Moscow), Sergei Osipov (to FC Torpedo Moscow), Predrag Ranđelović (free agent). 3. FC Rubin Kazan Goalkeepers: Sergei Kozko (24), Pavel Kharchik (4), Valeri Aleskarov (2). Defenders: Jiří Novotný (29 / 6), Mikhail Sinyov (27), Calisto (23 / 1), Roman Sharonov (18 / 1), Andrei Fyodorov (17 / 1), Leandro Samaroni (9), Sergei Kharlamov (7), Andrei Streltsov (1), Pape Magatte Kebe (1). Midfielders: Denis Boyarintsev (28 / 7), Andrés Scotti (27 / 4), Tomáš Čížek (25 / 1), MacBeth Sibaya (24 / 1), Andrei Konovalov (23 / 2), Ebrima Sillah (12 / 2), Abdelkarim Kissi (5), Dmitri Michkov (5), Carlos Castro (4), Baye Gueye Ndiaga (2 / 1). Forwards: Roni (29 / 11), Oleg Nechayev (25 / 2), David Chaladze (20 / 3), Aloísio (6), Wladimir Baýramow (1).

Manager: Kurban Berdyev.

One own goal scored by Denis Yevsikov (PFC CSKA Moscow).

Transferred out during the season: Leandro Samaroni , Wladimir Baýramow (both to FC Terek Grozny).

See also 2003 in Russian football

References

External links RSSSF