How a rip-off of Ukraine’s Zorya Luhansk are climbing Russia’s pyramid
www.theguardian.com
Sun, 20 Apr 2025 10:00:01 +0300

In wartorn occupied territories, fake teams are being deployed as a tool to normalise a violent denial of the pastOn 12 April a new club played its first game in Russias football pyramid.
A healthy enough crowd gathered at Novokolor Arena in KamenskShakhtinsky, 20 miles from the border with Ukraines occupied territories, encouraged by a slick buildup on social media.
They watched Zarya Luhansk begin their slog through the Third League, the fifth tier of a complicated Russian system whose composition shifts annually, with a 50 home win over Volgar Astrakhans second team.
Some had travelled by chartered bus from the city their club purports to represent.The name may sound familiar.
The real Zorya Luhansk are eighth in the Ukrainian Premier League and savour a proud 102year history.
They play European football almost every season and hosted Manchester United in 2016.
Nowadays, they play home matches in Kyiv owing to the illegal occupation of their home city.
Any idea they would pull out and compete in Russia is beyond laughable.
Continue reading...
Latest news
