Spartak Moscow. Victorious

Football club Spartak Moscow fans were devastated in summer 2016. And being a fan since I was 3, I was among them.

Winning 9 out of 10 national titles in the nineties, the team has been losing for 15 years. And the fans' new hope, former player legend and a new coach Dmitry Alenichev, failed.

More, hopes were high for 2016/17 season, but the very first games brought a humiliating elimination from Europe League in a 2-game match with an underdog team from Cyprus.

Alenichev resigned and his newly assigned defense coach Massimo Carrera was chosen to head the team towards a few games while the club was negotiating with other candidates. The talks failed but the team kept winning under Carrera's rule, while he was seen mostly as a motivation builder.

He was promoted to be the new head coach, but the miracle stayed. The team went on to crush their opponents from CSKA in the country’s most heated derby. The players scored unimaginable goals in the additional time with those considered veterans showing the never before seen skills and young newcomers swiftly becoming Russian best players.

The miracle stayed with the Red-White. They won the league for the first time in 16 years. They are back.

This story was printed as an album. It is now sold out and published in full here.

Spartak Moscow players Evgeny Makeev (left) and Ilya Kutepov react as their team loses in UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round to an underdog team AEK from Cyprus. August 4th, 2016

A young fan tries to cheer his team up as they are loosing to an underdog team in UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round

Massimo Carrera, Spartak Moscow head coach, prepares to lead his team in a Russian Premier League game against Orenburg. Carrera was initially signed to be a defense coach under Dmitry Alenichev, who was fired after a loss to AEK. He was assigned to be substitute coach for the first games after that, but the team went one to win all of them and Carrera was promoted permanently. April 3rd, 2017

Spartak Moscow ultras cheer for their team at an away derby game with CSKA Moscow. Spartak won and almost guaranteed the first league title in 16 years. April 30th, 2017

Roman Zobnin, Spartak Moscow's newcoming midfielder who swiftly became team's leader, is being treated after the head injury which he got while scoring a goal in a league game against Orenburg. April 3rd, 2017

Spartak Moscow's Luiz Adriano (in white t-shirt) scores between-the-leg goal in derby game against CSKA Moscow. April 30th, 2017

Spartak Moscow ultras fans hold up a huge scaring banner before so-called 'The two capitals derby' game agains Zenit Saint-Petersburg. Spartak won this game as well. April 16th, 2017

Spartak Moscow fan, who ran off the stands onto the pitch, hugs team's head coach Massimo Carrera after a league game in Perm. A few days ago Spartak became the league champion for the first time in 16 years. May 13th, 2017

Spartak Moscow fans light flares, cheer and toss team's midfielder Alexandr Samedov in the air as they fill out their home pitch celebrating championship. May 17th, 2017

Spartak Moscow team players and fans celebrate their championship