The 2020–21 season was FC Rostov's 91st season in existence and the club's 12th consecutive season in the top flight of

Russian football Association football is the most popular sport in Russia, surpassing ice hockey by a wide margin. Men's football is overseen by the Russian Football Union, having the Russian Premier League as the first tier of the Russian football league sys ...

. In addition to the domestic league, Rostov participated in this season's editions of the Russian Cup and the

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

. The season covers the period from 1 August 2020 to 30 June 2021. Rostov finished the season in 9th place, reached the Round of 16 of the Russian Cup, and where knocked out of the

at the third round stage.

Season events

On 4 August, Rostov announced the signing of Aleksandr Smirnov. On 10 August, Aleksandr Zuyev moved permanently to

Rubin Kazan FC Rubin Kazan (; ) is a Russian professional football club based in the city of Kazan. They play in the Russian Premier League. Founded in 1958, Rubin played its first-ever top flight season in 2003. It has remained there through the 2021–2 ...

, where he'd been on loan at the previous season. On 14 August,

Danila Vedernikov Danila Vladimirovich Vedernikov (; born 6 June 2001) is a Russian football player who plays as a left-back for Astrakhan. Club career Vedernikov made his debut in the Russian Professional Football League for Krasnodar-2 on 17 March 2018 in a ...

joined Volgar Astrakhan on a season-long loan deal, and

Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson Björn Bergmann Sigurðarson (born 26 February 1991) is an Icelandic former footballer who played as a forward. He began his career with ÍA in his native Iceland before a three-year spell at Norwegian side Lillestrøm, during which time he m ...

left the club to re-join

Lillestrøm Lillestrøm is a municipality in Akershus county. It is located in the traditional district of Romerike. With a population of 85,757 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated municipality in Viken. It was founded on 1 January 2020 as a merger ...

. On 15 August,

Danila Proshlyakov Danila Denisovich Proshlyakov (; born 8 March 2000) is a Russian football player who plays as a centre-forward for FC 2DROTS Moscow. Club career He made his debut in the Russian Football National League for FC Spartak-2 Moscow on 17 July 2018 ...

joined

Torpedo Moscow Football Club Torpedo Moscow (, ''FK Torpedo Moskva''), known as Torpedo Moscow, is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. The club will return to the Russian Premier League in the 2025–26 season. Their c ...

on a season-long loan deal. On 20 August, Rostov announced that

Saeid Ezatolahi Saeid Ezatolahi Afagh (; born 1 October 1996) is an Iranian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Shabab Al Ahli in UAE Pro League and the Iran national team. Ezatolahi came up through Malavan's youth academy an ...

had left the club to sign for

Vejle Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (''Municipalities of De ...

, and that

Aleksandr Saplinov Aleksandr Yuryevich Saplinov (; born 12 August 1997) is a Russian football player who plays for FC Spartak Kostroma. His main position is winger, and he also plays attacking midfielder and centre-forward. Club career He made his debut in the R ...

had

Rotor Volgograd SC Rotor Volgograd () is a Russian professional football club from the large city of Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast (formerly Stalingrad). The club plays in the second-tier Russian First League, and are the largest and best supported Volgograd club. ...

on a season-long loan deal, with Rostov retaining the possibility of recalling Saplinov during the winter transfer window. On 23 August, Rostov and

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

agreed a swap deal with

Ivelin Popov Ivelin Ivanov Popov (; born 26 October 1987) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Bulgarian First League club Botev Plovdiv. Club career Youth career Born in Sofia, Popov started to play football in ...

joining Sochi and

Dmitry Poloz Dmitri Dmitriyevich Poloz (; born 12 July 1991) is a Russian professional footballer who plays as a winger or second striker for Krasnoye Znamya Noginsk. Club career Poloz was born in Stavropol. He began to play football for his hometown club ...

returning to Rostov. On 2 September, Rostov announced that Aleksandr Pavlovets would join Rostov when his Dynamo Brest contract expires. On 18 September, Rostov's game against

was postponed due to a

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

outbreak within the Rotor Volgograd squad. On 22 September, Rostov were awarded a 3-0 technical victory over Rotor Volgograd. On 25 September,

Konstantin Pliyev Konstantin Igorevich Pliyev (; born 26 October 1996) is a Russian football player who plays as centre-back. Club career He made his professional debut in the Russian Professional Football League for FC Alania Vladikavkaz on 12 August 2014 in a ...

was loaned to

Ufa Ufa is a city in Russia and the capital of the republic of Bashkortostan. UFA or Ufa may also refer to: Places * Ufa (river), a river in Russia; a tributary of the Belaya * Ufa International Airport, near the Russian city * Ufa railway statio ...

for the season. On 1 October,

Eldor Shomurodov Eldor Azamat oʻgʻli Shomurodov (born 29 June 1995) is an Uzbek professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Roma and captains the Uzbekistan national team. Shomurodov played in his homeland for Mash'al Mubarek and Bunyodkor, b ...

left Rostov to sign for

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, and

Vladimir Obukhov Vladimir Borisovich Obukhov (; born 8 February 1992) is a Russian former professional football player. Club career Obukhov made his Russian Premier League debut for Spartak Moscow on 15 April 2012 in a game against Rubin Kazan. On 4 July 201 ...

joined Rostov from

Tambov Tambov ( , ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna ...

. On 5 October,

Sarpsborg 08 Sarpsborg 08 Fotballforening, commonly known as Sarpsborg 08 or simply Sarpsborg (), is a Norwegian professional football club based in Sarpsborg, playing in Eliteserien. Sarpsborg 08 and its predecessors played in 1. divisjon from 2005 to 2010. ...

announced the signing of Anton Salétros following his release by Rostov. On 6 October, Yevgeni Chernov left Rostov to sign

Krasnodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

. On 14 October, Rostov announced that Pavlovets would be completing his transfer from Dynamo Brest before the end of the current Russian transfer window. The follow day, 15 October,

Aleksei Ionov Aleksei Sergeyevich Ionov (; born 18 February 1989) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He could play on the left flank or the right. Club career He started playing football at the age of six. Later he gradua ...

left the club to sign permanently for

Dmitri Chistyakov Dmitri Yuryevich Chistyakov (; born 13 January 1994) is a Russian football player who plays as a centre-back for Rostov. Club career He made his professional debut in the Russian Professional Football League for FC Zenit-2 St. Petersburg on 1 ...

moved to Zenit St.Petersburg on loan for the remainder of the season with an option for Zenit to make the deal permanent. On the same day,

Denis Terentyev Denis Sergeyevich Terentyev (; born 13 August 1992) is a Russian professional football player who plays as a right-back for Baltika Kaliningrad. Club career He made his Russian Premier League debut for Zenit St. Petersburg on 13 May 2012 in ...

returned to Rostov on a permanent deal from Zenit, Pontus Almqvist joined on a five-year contract from

IFK Norrköping Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Norrköping, more commonly known as IFK Norrköping or simply Norrköping, is a Swedish professional association football, football club based in Norrköping. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollför ...

, as did

Armin Gigović Armin Gigović (; born 6 April 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel. Born in Sweden, he plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Gigović started his professional career at H ...

from

Helsingborgs IF Helsingborgs Idrottsförening, commonly referred to as Helsingborgs IF, Helsingborg or (especially locally) HIF (), is a Swedish professional football club located in Helsingborg. They play in the Swedish second tier, Superettan, following releg ...

on a similar deal. On 16 October, Arseny Logashov and

Aleksandr Dolgov Aleksandr Vladimirovich Dolgov (; born 24 September 1998) is a Russian football player who plays as a centre-forward. Club career He made his debut in the Russian Professional Football League for Kazanka Moscow on 11 August 2017 in a game aga ...

moved to

Khimki Khimki (, ) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located approximately northwest from central Moscow, and is part of the Moscow metropolitan area. History Origins and formation Khimki was initially a railway station that had existed sin ...

on season-long loan deals, and the following day Rostov signed

Haitam Aleesami Haitam Glimt Aleesami (; born 31 July 1991) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Bodø/Glimt. Club career Glimt Aleesami was born in Oslo and started playing football for Nordstrand, Holmlia and later Skeid. H ...

on a contract until the end of the season, and loaned

Roman Tugarev Roman Ivanovich Tugarev (; born 22 July 1998) is a Russian football player who plays as a left winger or right winger for Kazakhstani club Elimai. Club career He made his debut in the Russian Professional Football League for Kazanka Moscow on ...

from

Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...

for the season. On 29 December,

returned to Rostov after his loan to

was ended. On 3 February,

Maksim Turishchev Maksim Rimovich Turishchev (; born 5 March 2002) is a Russian football player who plays as a striker for Fakel Voronezh on loan from Rostov. Club career After spending his junior career with Lokomotiv Moscow, on 3 February 2021 he signed a 4.5- ...

signed for Rostov on a 4.5-year contract from

. On 16 February, Rostov announced the loan signing of

Ali Sowe Ali Sowe (born 14 June 1994) is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor and the Gambia national football team. Club career Early years Ali was made under contract in early 2013 by C ...

from

CSKA Sofia CSKA Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sports Club of the Army'' ...

with the option to make the move permanent. On 23 February,

Roman Eremenko Roman Alekseyevich Eremenko (; born 19 March 1987) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Veikkausliiga club IF Gnistan. Born in Russia, he represents Finland at international level. Eremenko ...

left Rostov by mutual consent, and

David Toshevski David Toshevski (; born 16 July 2001) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Austrian Bundesliga club Austria Klagenfurt and the North Macedonia national team. Club career On 7 July 2020, he signed a five-year cont ...

joined

on loan for the remainder of the season.

Squad

On loan

Transfers

In

: Pavlovets' move was announced on the above date, and finalised on 14 October 2020.

Loans in

Out

Loans out

Released

Friendlies

Competitions

Overview

Premier League

League table

Results summary

Results by round

Results

Russian Cup

UEFA Europa League

Qualifying rounds

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

, - , colspan="14", ''Players away from the club on loan:'' , - , colspan="14", ''Players who appeared for Rostov but left during the season:''

Goal scorers

Clean sheets

Disciplinary record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:2020-21 FC Rostov Season FC Rostov seasons

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...