From 1 to 10 April, the Russian Women’s Futsal Championship took place in Stavropol at the Vostok-Arena sports complex. Five regions participated: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and Ulyanovsk Oblast. The arena buzzed with a true sporting atmosphere, as from early morning until late evening, two Russian Futsal Championships were held simultaneously — men were wrapping up their multi-day tournament while women were just getting started.
In the women’s championship, all teams faced a four-day round-robin stage, with the top contenders advancing to the semifinals and finals. While the eventual medalists were somewhat predictable, the tense semifinal clash between Sverdlovsk and Ulyanovsk Oblasts stood out as a highlight. Both teams have shown steady progress, making them nearly evenly matched. In their decisive encounter, the Ulyanovsk squad initially led 2-0, but Grigory Remenyuk’s Sverdlovsk team fought back to level the score. Then, with just 20 seconds left, they netted the winner, leaving the final score at 3-2—a result that laid bare the emotional rollercoaster for both sides.
As expected, the perennial favorites — Moscow and Moscow Oblast — advanced to the final. Notably, at the recent Winter Spartakiade in Ufa, Moscow Oblast had triumphed over Moscow in a penalty shootout. This time, however, the Muscovites were determined to avenge their past final losses — and they succeeded. In a tightly contested match, Moscow edged out Moscow Oblast 2-1 to claim the title. Meanwhile, St. Petersburg secured bronze with a dominant 8-1 victory over Sverdlovsk Oblast in the third-place match.
Individual Awards:
Best Player - Valentina Golovina (Moscow Oblast);
Best Goalkeeper - Maria Becker (Moscow);
Best Scorer - Irina Degtiareva (St. Petersburg - 8 goals).
Final Standings:
1st place - Moscow
2nd place - Moscow Oblast
3rd place - St. Petersburg
4th place - Sverdlovsk Oblast
5th place - Ulyanovsk Oblast
RESULTS
Svetlana Gagarina, head coach of the Russian women's national futsal team: “The championship showed that competition is heating up — every team fought until the very end. We plan to call up two players from Ulyanovsk Oblast, who performed at a high level, for the next national team training camp. Moscow’s victory was well-deserved — they capitalized on their chances and demonstrated hard work, patience, and team spirit. The tournament is over, and now we look ahead.”
PHOTO ALBUM
Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov, Maria Mazhenina
Photo: Vladimir Cherniavskii
Translation: Daria Kudelina
