Andy Potts

Forget a European Superleague - could Russia be about to recreate an international football championship based on the old Soviet League?

It might seem far-fetched, but following the success of the Kontinental Hockey League, which includes sides from Riga, Minsk and Astana alongside Russia's finest, the idea is under discussion.

And if the logistics of reuniting former Soviet top-flight clubs such as Ararat Yerevan, Neftchi Baku and Bunedkor Tashkent prove too complex, the prospect of a united competition involving Russian and Ukrainian clubs has already been given a tentative thumbs up from CSKA Moscow president Yevgeny Giner and Ukrainian FA boss Grigory Surkis.

The Continental Football League - plus points

Last season's Champions League qualifier between Spartak Moscow and Dinamo Kiev showed the enthusiasm fans in both countries still feel for the long-standing rivalry between their top clubs. A return to regular competition between these two, and the likes of Zenit, CSKA, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnepr would be a boon for fans - both in the stadiums and watching on TV.

Several big clubs from the ex-USSR are suffering in small-scale national leagues. The likes of Dinamo Tbilisi - European Cup Winners' Cup winners in 1981 and humblers of mighty Liverpool in 1979 - would enjoy greater interest back in a CFL with a higher level of competition.

The Continental Football League - minuses

The clubs involved would almost certainly be expelled from the existing UEFA competitions - at present UEFA is implacably opposed to "international" leagues involving member clubs. It could even result in national teams being barred from international competition.

The existing CIS Cup, a kind of former-Soviet Champions League played every January in Moscow, attracts low crowds and limited TV interest - not least because the Russian and Ukrainian representatives send reserve teams while their top players go to a lucrative pre-season tournament in Israel.

Possible precedents

The tiny semi-professional side Vaduz, from little Liechtenstein, might seem an unlikely point of reference. However, despite competing in the lower levels of the Swiss league they represent Liechtenstein in UEFA's Europa League. However, their home country has no professional league of its own, unlike Russia, Ukraine and others.

In Britain, Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic have made no secret of their wish to leave the Scottish Premier League and take part in the English Premiership - or possibly a so-called Atlantic League involving leading sides from Portugal, Holland, Belgium and Scandinavia. If this went ahead, a deal allowing them to continue to compete in European competitions could also be applied to a possible CFL.

Opinions

Spartak coach Valery Karpin was unimpressed with the idea, telling Sovietsky Sport: "It's a very complex project with a lot of questions about promotion and relegation or qualification for Europe."

Russian Premier League president Sergei Pryadkin was also opposed: "This would be a revolution, and history shows that is not the best way of doing things."

Yevgeny Giner, President of CSKA Moscow, was more upbeat in an interview reported on footballfan.ua in September. "Let [Russia and Ukraine] field their own national teams, but have a championship in common. It would be more intriguing, and believe me, it's not an impossible ideal."