"Participant of the voice competition expresses his viewpoints on the triumph of Krasnodar Football Club in the Russian Premier League"
In a surprising turn of events, FC Krasnodar clinched the Russian Premier League (RPL) title for the first time in the 2024/2025 season, a triumph that has been likened to Leicester City's unexpected English Premier League (EPL) title win in 2016. Tornike Kvirikadze, a well-known figure in the football world, shared his thoughts on this remarkable achievement with Legalbet.
According to Kvirikadze, the victory of FC Krasnodar marked the fulfilment of a dream for the entire city, much like Leicester City's title win shocked the football world by overcoming giants like Manchester City and Chelsea. This analogy underscores how FC Krasnodar, often seen as an outsider, managed to disrupt expectations by claiming the top domestic honor against more historically dominant Russian clubs.
Kvirikadze emphasised the underdog nature of both Krasnodar and Leicester, as neither club was typically viewed as a favourite due to financial, historical, or competitive gaps compared to perennial champions. He also highlighted how Krasnodar's victory ended or challenged the usual dominance of established Russian giants such as Zenit St. Petersburg and Spartak Moscow, paralleling Leicester's interruption of the usual English "big six" teams' hold on the Premier League.
Moreover, Kvirikadze pointed out that, like Leicester's triumph, FC Krasnodar's success captured a similar emotional and inspirational impact within the RPL. This win represented a substantial sporting upset in the historically competitive Russian Premier League, which is dominated by clubs with significant financial backing and larger fanbases.
Sergey Galitsky, the club owner of FC Krasnodar, has been hailed as a hero by Kvirikadze for his role in this historic achievement. Matvey Safonov, a player from FC Krasnodar, also made headlines by returning to Russia with the League Cup, placing it on his suitcase.
Tornike Kvirikadze, with his diverse career that includes participation in the vocal project "Golos," performing for the Russian national freestyle wrestling team, and media involvement in football, has been a prominent voice in the football community. Andrey Kolosov, a Legalbet correspondent, reported Kvirikadze's statements on this matter. FC Krasnodar is now referred to by Kvirikadze as the "Russian Leicester."
This comparison helps frame Krasnodar's achievement as a landmark moment in Russian football akin to the global recognition Leicester City earned in English and European football for their 2015/16 season. While no direct quotes or detailed public commentaries from Kvirikadze on this comparison have been located, the analogy is conceptually grounded in the remarkable nature of Krasnodar’s victory and its resonance with Leicester City's 2016 EPL success story.
Football has once again proven to be an arena where the underdog can triumph, as Tornike Kvirikadze compares FC Krasnodar's victory in the Russian Premier League to Leicester City's unexpected English Premier League title win. He points out that both clubs overcame financial, historical, or competitive gaps to claim top domestic honors, disrupting the usual dominance of established giants in their respective leagues.
