From June 23 to July 3, Novovoronezh hosted two significant football events: the Youth Football Championship and the Russian Football Championship. Four teams of young athletes, all under 22 years old, competed in the youth championship. An equal number of women's teams took part in the Russian championship.
The opening ceremony, held at the Start Stadium, was attended by distinguished guests: Minister of Sports of the Voronezh Region, Pavel Chibisov; Deputy Head of the Novovoronezh City District, Mikhail Ivanov; Deputy Head of the Novovoronezh City District Administration, Svetlana Tulinova; General Director of “Sports Centre”, Sergey Akatov. The guests of the ceremony warmly welcomed the participants and wished them good luck in the multi-day tournament. The ceremony concluded with an exciting karate demonstration.
In the group stage, teams competed in a round-robin format, followed by semi-finals, third-place matches, and thrilling finals. As expected, Moscow’s teams—both the men’s (coached by Roman Gorchakov) and women’s (led by Svetlana Gagarina)—remained undefeated throughout the tournament. Compared to other teams, Moscow’s squads appeared more prepared, disciplined, motivated, and productive. The men’s final saw a decisive 4-0 victory over Voronezh, while the women’s final was a hard-fought battle between Moscow and the Moscow Region. In a dramatic 3-2 comeback, Moscow’s women secured the title against their long-standing rivals.
Final Standings
Youth Football Championship:
1st place - Moscow
2nd place - Voronezh Region
3rd place - Moscow Region
Russian Women's Football Championship:
1st place - Moscow
2nd place - Moscow region
3rd place - Saint Petersburg
ALL RESULTS FOR YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP AND RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Mikhail Shlenkov, Senior Coach of the Russian Women's National Football Team:
“The organization and refereeing were satisfactory, and the athletes’ level is improving. However, four teams for both juniors and women is too few—this needs attention. Another factor was scheduling the tournament during school and university exams. The women’s national team will next gather in Novorossiysk from August 31 to September 15.”
Svetlana Gagarina, Coach of the Moscow Women's National Football Team:
“I can say that the level of women's football in Russia has not grown so much. The competition is very low. For more than 20 years, only four teams have consistently participated in the Russian Championships. We must consider our next steps. If the coaching staff of the Russian national team puts in considerable effort, I believe we might see positive outcomes in due time. Everything depends on the head coach of the Russian national team Mikhail Shlenkov.
Assembling a team is no easy feat. It's crucial to find athletes who can compete at championship level, displaying the sportsmanship expected of them. These days, finding such individuals is becoming increasingly rare. As for my players, they dreamed of becoming champions, and this year, they won gold twice—in football and futsal. After last year’s setback, they proved their resilience. Like every coach, I have to be a good psychologist. Players sense everything—the team’s atmosphere, the staff’s mood—and sometimes, one look or phrase can change everything.”
Roman Gorchakov, Senior Coach of the Moscow Men's and Youth National Team:
“We would like to thank the OSFSG, organizers and referees. The Russian Championship in Novovoronezh was held at a high level, and we are glad that there is an opportunity to participate in such an event. We also express our gratitude for the opportunity for the guys to prove themselves and gain valuable experience! See you next year at the Russian Championship!”
Text: Olga Troynikova, Nurlan Tazhigulov, Maria Mazhenina
Photo: Daria Dokuchaeva
Translation: Daria Kudelina
