2003 in Russian football saw the first title for PFC CSKA Moscow. Spartak Moscow, the Cup winners, had the worst league finish since 1976. The national team qualified for Euro 2004.

National team

Russia national football team qualified for the Euro 2004. After finishing second to

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

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, Russia overcame Wales in play-offs. # Russia score given first ;Key * H = Home match * A = Away match * N = Neutral ground * F = Friendly * FT = Friendly tournament * ECQ = 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying, Group 10 * ECQP = 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying, play-off

Leagues

Premier League

First Division

The First Division was extended from 18 teams in 2005 to 22. Amkar and

Kuban Kuban (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Кубань; ady, Пшызэ) is a historical and geographical region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Pontic–Caspian steppe, ...

won the promotion on the dramatic final day of the season, leaving

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and

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in the First Division. Aleksandr Panov of Dynamo SPb became the top goalscorer with 23 goals.

Second Division

The ''Ural'' and ''Povolzhye'' zones of the Second Division were merged because of low number of clubs. The following clubs have earned promotion by winning tournaments in their respective zones: * FC Arsenal Tula (''West'') *

FC Oryol FC Oryol (russian: ФК «Орёл») is a Russian football club based in the city of Oryol. From 2004 to 2006 FC Oryol played in the Russian First Division. History Football has been played in Oryol since 1911. In 1960 a team named '' Lokomoti ...

(''Centre'') *

FC Dynamo Makhachkala FC Dynamo Makhachkala (russian: ФК Динамо Махачкала) is a Russian football club based in Makhachkala. Club history In the 2006 season Dynamo finished 16th in the Russian First Division. However, the club was denied the professi ...

(''South'') * FC KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny (''Ural-Povolzhye'') *

FC Luch-Energia Vladivostok FC Luch Vladivostok (russian: Футбольный клуб "Луч" Владивосток) was an association football club based in Vladivostok, Russia. In 2005, Luch won the Russian First Division and played in the Premier League from 2006 t ...

(''East'')

Cups

In a newly introduced Russian Super Cup Lokomotiv overcame

CSKA CSKA (Cyrillic: ЦСКА) is an abbreviation for "Central Sports Club of the Army" in several Slavic languages, and refers to military sports teams in may stand for: Bulgaria * Football clubs ** PFC CSKA Sofia, a professional association football ...

4–3 on penalties after the match ended 1–1. The match was held at the newly reconstructed Lokomotiv Stadium. The Russian Cup was won by Spartak Moscow, who beat Rostov in the final 1–0.

UEFA club competitions

2002–03 UEFA Champions League

Lokomotiv Moscow participated in the second group stage of the

2002–03 UEFA Champions League The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, w ...

, where they finished fourth with just one point in a group which included A.C. Milan,

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...

, and Borussia Dortmund.

2003–04 UEFA Champions League

CSKA Moscow were unsuccessful in the

2003–04 UEFA Champions League The 2003–04 UEFA Champions League was the 12th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding from the European Cup in 1992, and the 49th tournament overall. The competition was won by ...

, as they lost in the second qualifying round to

FK Vardar FK Vardar Skopje ( mk, ФК Вардар Скопје), or simply Vardar, is a football club based in the capital city of Skopje, North Macedonia, North Macedonia. The club was founded in 1947 and currently competes in the Macedonian Second Foo ...

2–3 on aggregate. Lokomotiv Moscow beat

FC Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was ...

to qualify for the group stage. They finished second in a group with

Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (inclu ...

Internazionale Milano F.C. Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...

, and

FC Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, the club as a separate business entity was offici ...

. Lokomotiv were level on points with Inter but qualified for the knock-out rounds thanks to a 3–0 home win and away draw.

2003–04 UEFA Cup

Torpedo Moscow beat

F.C. Domagnano Football Club Domagnano, commonly referred to as FC Domagnano or simply Domagnano, is a San Marino, Sanmarinese football (soccer), football club, based in Domagnano. The club was founded in 1966 in association football, 1966. Domagnano currently ...

9–0 on aggregate in the qualifying round. In the first round, they needed a penalty shootout to overcome PFC CSKA Sofia. In the second round, Torpedo lost 1–2 on aggregate to Villarreal CF. Spartak Moscow knocked out

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and

Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterinbu ...

in the first two rounds and qualified for the spring phase of the competition.

References

National team fixtures

*UEFA Champions League results

{{2003 in Russian football Seasons in Russian football