Ruby of Tatarstan - FC Rubin Kazan (FIFA 14)

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Pavel Pogrebnyak celebrates scoring a goal for Reading.

Pogrebnyak Returns to Russia With Rubin

August 6, 2013

Rubin Kazan chairman Valery Sorokin announced today that the club has signed Russian national team striker Pavel Pogrebnyak to a 2-year deal after the Tatarstan based side agreed to a €925,000 transfer fee with English Championship club Reading FC who Pogrebnyak joined a season ago when the club competed in the Barclays Premier League. A native of Moscow, Pogrebnyak will be returning to play club football on Russian soil for the first time since 2009 when he was a member of Zenit St. Petersburg.

"I am glad to have the opportunity to come back home and play for a strong club like Rubin," Pogrebnyak said in an interview from England. "They are already qualified for European football this season and maybe we can get back to the Champions League. As far as me personally, I hope to capture a starting XI spot in Kazan, although I will honestly say that no such placement has been guaranteed to me. We'll just have to see how things progress on the pitch."

Since Pogrebnyak left Zenit in 2009 where he gained fame for helping lead the St. Petersburg club to a UEFA Super Cup win in 2008 over Manchester United, he has spent time in Germany with VfB Stuttgart from 2009-12 and in England with Fulham in 2012 and Reading from 2012-13. He also appeared for Russia at UEFA Euro 2012.

Despite the prestige Pogrebnyak brings though, the 29-year-old who turns 30 in November is not expected to unseat 23-year-old Venezuelan Salomón Rondón as Rubin's top striker, but should instead add much needed depth to the position for manager Kurban Berdyev as the club navigates their Russian Premier League schedule along with an appearance in the Europa League.

The bargain signing of Pogrebnyak still leaves Rubin with substantial transfer money during the summer transfer window and Sorokin said the team could bring in additional players to bolster Rubin's attack. However, more pressing needs are for some depth at right back and left back to relieve some of the burden currently on the shoulders of starters Oleg Kuzmin and Chris Mavinga.

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CD Numancia vs. Rubin Kazan

Preseason Friendly
August 9, 2013

Prudnikov Heads Rubin to Victory


Aleksandr Prudnikov's goal could earn him more playing time for Rubin Kazan.

Rubin Kazan took their preseason show on the road to Spain to face off with CD Numancia out of the Segunda División and managed to get out with a victory thanks to a headed goal by striker Aleksandr Prudnikov in the final 10 minutes of the match. The reserve squad side Rubin played in this one faced their first chance against in the 31st minute when Numancia's Miguel Bedoya sent a header from a cross onto Rubin goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis which the Lithuanian managed to parry away. A dangerous follow-up by Vicente was headed back on target, but defender Solomon Kvirkvelia blocked the attempt. Rubin's first quality chance of the match wouldn't come until after halftime in the 60th minute when Dmitriy Torbinskiy got off an angled shot from 10 yards that forced a corner. In the 78th minute it looked as if the even contest finally had a breakthrough, but a shot by Vladislav Kulik from 22 yards out banged off the crossbar to prevent the Russians from taking the lead. Not to be deterred, Rubin did get their goal in the 82nd minute as midfielder Gökdeniz Karadeniz sailed a cross into the box from near the endline that Prudnikov put his head on and directed just under the crossbar for the 1-0 advantage for the visitors. New signing Pavel Pogrebnyak almost doubled the Rubin lead in the 90th minute, but a failed attempt from Pog did not matter as Kurban Berdyev's men escaped with their triumph being very well earned.

Aug 9, 2013 - CD Numancia vs Rubin Kazan
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
CD Numancia (-)	0	0	0
Rubin Kazan (-)	0	1	1

Goals
RUB - A. Prudnikov 82'

Bookings
CDN - Antonio Tomas 37'

Substitutions
CDN - Vicente/Palanca 64'
RUB - V. Galiulin/Wakaso 82'
RUB - A. Prudnikov/P. Pogrebnyak 82'
CDN - Regalon/Sergi Enrich 87'
RUB - S. Kislyak/A. Dzhaililov 88'

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Rubin Kazan vs. VfB Stuttgart

Preseason Friendly
August 13, 2013

Rubin Hold Off Stuttgart


New signing Wakaso is making an instant impact this preseason.

Pavel Pogrebnyak could not score despite starting against his old German side VfB Stuttgart, but Pogrebnyak's substitute Salomón Rondón made his mark quick, and Rubin Kazan finished a perfect preseason with a 2-1 win over their Bundesliga visitors. Rubin dominated most of the game getting quality chances from Roman Eremenko in the 19th minute and Bibras Natkho in the 29th minute before being harshly denied by the crossbar just before halftime in the 45th minute on a header from Wakaso. Just after the break in the 53rd, Pogrebnyak thought he had scored but similar to Wakaso's chance, the left post denied the Russian international his storybook scenario. Continuing to apply pressure, the Tatars were finally rewarded in the 60th minute when Wakaso and Chris Mavinga worked a beautiful give-and-go with Mavinga setting up a cross that Wakaso headed into the net from 10 yards out for a 1-0 lead. The goal had to particularly please manager Kurban Berdyev as both players are recent arrivals in the summer transfer window. Stuttgart decided to show up finally with a chance in the 65th minute, but Erich Berko's shot was thwarted by a Sergey Ryzhikov toe save. Then, just two minutes after coming on as a substitute, Rondón found the right corner of the net from 13 yards to double Rubin's lead to 2-0 and silence any doubters about the possibility that he is indeed the number one striker for the Russian club. Five minutes later, Stuttgart pulled a goal back when Vedad Ibišević headed in a chance from a corner for a 2-1 score line. The Germans had an opportunity to equalize in the 90th minute, but a volley from 12 yards out was skied high and wide by Martin Harnik as Rubin defended the Kazan Arena with their second home win of the preseason. Now sights will turn to the opening of the Russian Premier League season as Rubin prepares for what will be a high energy derby against local rivals Krylya Sovetov Samara to decide who holds bragging rights in the Volga region.

Aug 13, 2013 - Rubin Kazan vs VfB Stuttgart
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Rubin Kazan (-)	0	2	2
VfB Stuttgart (-)	0	1	1

Goals
RUB - Wakaso 60'
RUB - S. Rondón 68'
STU - V. Ibišević 73'

Bookings
None

Substitutions
STU - T. Torun/V. Ibišević 58'
RUB - P. Pogrebnyak/ S. Rondón 66'
STU - E. Berko/I. Traore 66'
STU - Cacau/M. Abdellaoue 73'
RUB - A. Ryazantsev/G. Karadeniz 90'
RUB - R. Eremenko/D. Torbinskiy 90'

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Vinícius playing for Lazio in a summer friendly.

Vinícius Joins for Season

August 17, 2013

Rubin Kazan have added some depth to their defense by picking up left back Vinícius from Italian side Lazio on a season-long loan. The 20-year-old Brazilian had recently joined I Biancocelesti from Brazilian club Cruzeiro, but with the young player not ready to get playing time in Italy, manager Vladimir Petković immediately loan listed him with Rubin making the best offer for Vinícius' services by handing out a wage of €4,000.

Vinícius is a player whose best skills are his speed and agility. He will have to develop his body more for European football though as injuries could be a problem for him if his training and fitness level are not improved.

With Rubin, Vinícius is expected to be a sometimes used reserve player, primarily filling in for starting left back Chris Mavinga who also recently arrived from French Ligue 1 side Rennes.

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Brice Dja Djédjé is yet another former Ligue 1 player to join Rubin Kazan.

Rubin Completes Dja Djédjé Transfer

August 18, 2013

It was well known that Rubin Kazan needed to add both depth and youth to their defensive back line. Yesterday Rubin chairman Valery Sorokin revealed that 20-year-old left back Vinícius had been brought in on a season-long loan from Italian Serie A club Lazio. Today, Sorokin revealed a permanent transfer, stating to the Kazan media that Rubin has completed a €2 million transfer for 22-year-old right back Brice Dja Djédjé from French Ligue 1 club Evian Thonon Gaillard. It has also been made public that the Ivorian defender has signed a 4-year contract with the Tatarstan club.

"In a continued effort to improve the quality of our club and push for the UEFA Champions League, we are proud to announce the securing of a transfer for Brice Dja Djédjé complete with the signing of a new 4-year year contract," Sorokin said. "Dja Djédjé is a very skilled player who can be a vital part of our defense for years to come. We are glad to have him here and would like to formally welcome him to both Russia and the great city of Kazan."

A native of Aboudé, Ivory Coast, Dja Djédjé joined the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy in 2002 and remained in the PSG system until 2010 when he made the jump to Ligue 1 with Evian. Since then, he has compiled over 50 league appearances in France's top flight division and has scored 1 goal.

Dja Djédjé has good sprinting speed and acceleration while also displaying a high level of both strength and aggression. At age 22, he is 10 years younger than Rubin's current starting right back Oleg Kuzmin, and it is believed that manager Kurban Berdyev has brought in Dja Djédjé with an eye on eventually implementing him full time into the Rubin Starting XI.

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Rubin Kazan vs. Krylya Sovetov Samara

Russian Premier League
August 18, 2013

Rubin Hard Done by Derby Draw


Nadson's header rescued a point for Krylya Sovetov Samara in the Volga Derby.

The Volga Derby was the occasion for the opening match of the 2013-14 Russian Premier League campaign for rivals Rubin Kazan and Krylya Sovetov Samara with home standing Rubin controlling the entire match before a goal in the dying minutes by Krylya snatched victory from Kurban Berdyev's club and had each team settle for one point from a 1-1 draw. It did not take long for Rubin to assert their presence in this one as Salomón Rondón had a 7-yard chance that hit side netting in the 23rd minute. A goal followed for the Tatarstan club two minutes later when a Yann M'Vila cross into the box was headed out by a Krylya defender to Wakaso who then headed the ball into the ground from which Bibras Natkho caught the bounce with a tremendous left footed volley from 16 yards out that flew by Krylya goalkeeper Ján Mucha for a wonder goal and a 1-0 lead for Rubin. Natkho had been linked with a move to Villarreal recently and if the Israeli does indeed pack his bags for Spain, such a goal may just have raised the price for his services. Rubin continued to control the pace of play for the rest of the match and really should have taken all three points from this meeting, but in the 88th minute Krylya got their first corner of the game and did not waste it as Nadson curled a header from the delivery over a diving Sergey Ryzhikov to stun the home crowd for a 1-1 equalizer. M'Vila tried to answer back for Rubin in the 90th minute, but his 18-yard chance was parried away by Mucha and the game ended in a draw. This is despite the fact that Rubin had 15 shots with 7 on target compared to Krylya's single shot that managed to find the back of the net. With such a bitter pill to swallow, Rubin will now need to regroup for a very challenging upcoming match when they travel to the Russian capital to take on what is a very strong Dinamo Moscow side in a week's time.

Aug 18, 2013 - Rubin Kazan vs Krylya Sovetov Samara
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Rubin Kazan (0-1-0)	1	0	1
Krylya Sovetov Samara (0-1-0)	0	1	1

Goals
RUB - B. Natkho 25'
KSS - Nadson 88'

Bookings
RUB - O. Kuzmin 70'

Substitutions
KSS - A. Pavlenko/R. Vorobiev 60'
KSS - S. Kornilenko/L. Caballero 65'
RUB - R. Eremenko/D. Torbinskiy 71'
RUB - S. Rondón/P. Pogrebnyak 77'
KSS - P. Nemov/E. Balyaykin 77'
RUB - O.Kuzmin/B. Dja Djédjé 87'

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Dinamo Moscow vs. Rubin Kazan

Russian Premier League
August 25, 2013

Eremenko's Brace Tops Dinamo


Roman Eremenko stepped up with a big time performance in his hometown of Moscow.

Looking for redemption after dropping two points in the Volga Derby to Krylya Sovetov Samara, Rubin Kazan went on the road to Arena Khimki searching for a result against a revamped Dinamo Moscow squad that is trying to make some noise in the Russian Premier League after years of mediocrity. Kurban Berdyev's club would get off to a glorious start, opening the scoring in the 14th minute when Moscow born Roman Eremenko got on the end of a bouncing pass into the box and chipped a shot from 9 yards out by Dinamo goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov for a 1-0 Rubin lead early. The Tatarstan side would continue to make things difficult for the White-Blues as Bibras Natkho's 19-yard shot in the 36th minute forced a diving Gabulov parry, and Salomón Rondón was only denied by the Russian keeper's right toe on a 16-yard shot just after halftime in the 47th minute. Then, ten minutes later in the 57th minute, Eremenko would pick up his second goal of the game when the Finnish international converted from 18 yards out to double Rubin's lead at 2-0. Dinamo pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Rubin defender César Navas misplayed a Gabulov goal kick, allowing new Dinamo signing Óscar Cardozo to swoop in on the ball, go around Rubin goalkeeper Sergey Ryzhikov, and calmly convert like the Paraguayan has done so many times for his old side Benfica. That goal to make it 2-1 would be the only and last serious threat from Dinamo however, but Rubin still had one more quality shot in them when midfielder Aleksandr Ryazantsev drove an 18-yard shot in the 81st minute that was only denied by a diving parry and the left post. Nonetheless, Rubin picked up their first win of the season and a vital three road points as the club will now return home to Kazan looking to continue their good fortunes against 2nd place side Kuban Krasnodar (2-0-0) on September 1 at Kazan Arena.

Aug 25, 2013 - Dinamo Moscow vs Rubin Kazan
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Dinamo Moscow (1-0-1)	0	1	1
Rubin Kazan (1-1-0)	1	1	2

Goals
RUB - R. Eremenko 14'
RUB - R. Eremenko 57'
DIN - Ó. Cardozo 69'

Bookings
RUB - S. Rondón 58'
RUB - B. Natkho 79'

Substitutions
DIN - K. Kuranyi/Ó. Cardozo 54'
RUB - S. Rondón/P. Pogrebnyak 69'
DIN - G. Florescu/F. Smolov 80'
DIN - I. Denisov/A. Kokorin 80'
RUB - R. Eremenko/G. Karadeniz 80'

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Rubin Kazan vs. Kuban Krasnodar

Russian Premier League
September 1, 2013

Rubin Run Over Kuban


After a slow start, Salomón Rondón found his goal scoring touch against Kuban Krasnodar.

Rubin Kazan put together a dominant home performance against Kuban Krasnodar, a team that came into this match 2nd in the RFPL with a 2-0-0 record and who qualified for the Europa League with a 5th place finish a season ago, running all over the Cossacks in Kazan Arena by a 3-0 score line. The match was slow to start with only a 10-yard volley by Rubin's Bibras Natkho in the 14th minute being a quality chance until the Tatars struck right before halftime in the 45th minute when Roman Eremenko sent a cross into the box that Wakaso headed in from close range to put the home side up 1-0 heading into the break. Wakaso narrowly missed picking up a brace in the 47th minute when his 18-yard attempt went just wide left of goal, but the Ghanaian did set up Salomón Rondón with a nice delivery in the 53rd minute which the Venezuelan striker headed off the right post and in from 7 yards out to make Rubin's lead 2-0. Not letting up, in the 60th minute a Gökdeniz Karadeniz 7-yard shot forced a corner to which Iván Marcano got a quality header from, but Kuban goalkeeper Aleksandr Belenov was able to stand up to the charge and keep the goal attempt out. Belenov couldn't hold out forever though, and from another Rubin corner in the 79th minute, Rondón headed home the third Rubin goal and his second of the game to seal a masterful performance by the entire club. The win vaults Rubin up to second in the Russian Premier League table with their 2-1-0 record and 10 out of a possible 12 points from 3 games, trailing only Spartak Moscow on goal differential. Up next for Kurban Berdyev's men is a trip to Chechnya to face 11th place side Terek Grozny (1-0-2). Although the environment at Akhmat Arena is always hostile, Rubin should be expected to pick up a positive result from their travels in this one.

Sep 1, 2013 - Rubin Kazan vs Kuban Krasnodar
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Rubin Kazan (2-1-0)	1	2	3
Kuban Krasnodar (2-0-1)	0	0	0

Goals
RUB - Wakaso 45'
RUB - S. Rondón 53'
RUB - S. Rondón 79'

Bookings
RUB - R. Eremenko 45'

Substitutions
RUB - R. Eremenko/G. Karadeniz 59'
KUB - M. Rabiu/A. Tlisov 72'
RUB - Wakaso/D. Torbinskiy 79'
KUB - V. Ignatiev/D. Tsoraev 79'