Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spectator Sports
Russia's international reputation in sport is well founded, with athletes earning international
fame and glory for their success in ice hockey, gymnastics and figure skating.
FOOTBALL
The most popular spectator sport in Russia is football (soccer), and five Moscow teams play
in Russia's premier league (Vysshaya Liga). Currently, football is enjoying a boom, with
several state-of-the-art stadiums being built for the upcoming World Cup in 2018.
Moscow's most successful team is FC Spartak ( www.spartak.com ) . The team's nick-
name is Myaso, or 'Meat', because it was sponsored by the collective farm association dur-
ing the Soviet era. Nowadays, Spartak plays at the brand spanking new Spartak Stadium
(also known as Otkrytie Arena), north of centre near Tushino Airfield.
Meanwhile, their rivals, FC Dynamo ( www.fcdynamo.ru ) are looking forward to the new
ultra-modern VTB Arena - a 45,000-seat stadium complete with its own shopping and en-
tertainment complex - expected to open in 2016.
Other Moscow teams in the league are two-time winner FC Lokomotiv ( www.fclm.ru )
and three-time winner Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA; www.pfc-cska.com ) .
ICE HOCKEY
Moscow's main entrant in the Continental Hockey League (KHL) is HC CSKA ( www.cska-
hockey.ru ) , or the Red Army team. HC CSKA has won more Soviet championships and
European cups than any other team in history. They play at the CSKA Arena.
BASKETBALL
Men's basketball has dropped in popularity since its days of Olympic glory in the 1980s, but
Moscow's top basketball team, CSKA ( www.cskabasket.com ) , still does well in the
European league. They play at the CSKA Arena, but they'll move to VTB Arena when it's
complete.
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