Sergey Nekrasov opposes further tightening of RPL foreign-player limits

Spartak general director Sergey Nekrasov said he sees little value in further tightening Russia's foreign-player limits. He nevertheless considers the club's Russian squad prepared for the requirements.

In a Sport-Express interview published on October 9, Nekrasov said Spartak studied other leagues' experience during discussions of the changes. He cited Turkey, where he believes restrictions failed to produce the expected effect.

The executive linked Russian football's successes in 2005–2008 to a strong domestic core alongside leading foreign players. CSKA and Zenit won the UEFA Cup during that period, while Russia reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals. Nekrasov believes administrative restrictions alone do not deliver progress.

He praised Spartak's current Russian players as ready for leadership roles. He said the club's fast-track programme was beginning to help young Russian-passport holders progress and that the team expected to continue developing them.

The 2026/27 season uses a 12+7 formula: no more than 12 foreign players registered and seven on the pitch simultaneously. The previous limits were 13 registered and eight on the field.

Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev outlined a target of 10+5 by 2028. Further stages require separate decisions. Nekrasov stressed that Spartak is ready for any outcome despite his doubts about the benefits of tighter restrictions.