The State Duma deputy proposed to extend the Russian leagues to Crimean clubs and establish a relegation moratorium for them

Member of the State Duma and member of the Supervisory Board of Khimki Roman Tereshkov in an interview with a correspondent, he proposed expanding the MELBET First League to include Crimean clubs, as well as establishing a relegation moratorium for them.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko told TASS that Crimean football clubs have already been integrated into Russian competitions, but their level needs to be raised.

— What do you think of the integration of Crimean clubs into Russian football?

– In 2014, our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin clearly declared that Crimea is Russia. And he did historical justice, as the peninsula had been Russian since the times of the Empire and the Soviet Union. Only the mistake of Khrushchev, who made many mistakes, led to the fact that the territory of the peninsula left the Ukrainian SSR.

The fear of not including the peninsula in the sphere of Russian football until 2018 was understood. This was due to the fact that we were waiting for the World Cup and could be deprived of this right. A lot of countries come to the World Cup, we can show our country with our faces. Of course, this decision was correct.

But after 2018, Crimean clubs were supposed to be included in the scope of Russian football. Also, now that UEFA has banned us everywhere and we are unlikely to be reinstated in the next decade, we should understand that very well.

Crimean clubs should play in FNL. Maybe it’s worth expanding the Premier League, including top teams with a three-year relegation moratorium. There is nothing to worry about and there will be normal competitive practice on the peninsula. Schools for children will grow, stadiums will be full of fans when clubs from Crimea and Sevastopol play in our championship.