Guillermo Abascal ran to deal with the referee after the match against Fakel. And this despite the historic achievement of Promes and three points.
“Spartak” and “Torch” gave a great game, which included a penalty, a canceled goal, an amazing comeback, the winning goal in the end, a referee scandal and the anger of the head coach of the “red-whites”. Guillermo Abascal immediately after the final whistle, apparently, was ready to break the chief referee Vladislav Bezborodov.
Outstanding Promes Show
Spring has not yet come to Moscow, so Spartak and Fakel had to take to the field in the snow. Usually, difficult weather conditions play into the hands of a less technically strong team, which theoretically could help the Voronezh club, which is objectively weaker than Spartak in terms of recruiting players. Another thing is that the Abascal team could not lose points if they wanted to continue chasing Zenit in the fight for the championship.
In the last round, the Muscovites played a draw at home with the Urals, and the backlog from the St. Petersburg team grew to 8 points. Abaskal for the game with Fakel chose almost entirely Russian squad. Of the legionnaires at the start, only Quincy Promes came out, who, by the way, is also not averse to getting a passport of our country. The Dutchman aimed to score his 100th goal for Spartak. Of course, it would be especially nice to do this at our own stadium, although Moscow spectators have been very reluctant to go to the Otkritie Arena for the second match in a row.
The first 10-15 minutes of the game were predictable. Spartak tried to control the ball, while Fakel defended with the whole team and occasionally ran out into fast counterattacks. The players of Dmitry Pyatibratov have already taken points from the favorites more than once this season and have earned the nickname “insolent people from Voronezh”. Muscovites understood this very well and were in no hurry to go anywhere. In fact, the first dangerous moment at the Fakel goal came in the 18th minute and ended immediately with a goal.
Open video
Zinkovsky shot from outside the penalty area, Gorodovoy unsuccessfully hit the ball in front of him, and Quincy was the first to finish, scoring the 100th goal in Spartak. An outstanding achievement by the Dutchman, who scored the first goal for the “red-whites” back in 2014. Promes decided not to stop there and scored again at the end of the half. And he did it very beautifully, mockingly beating Fakel defender Morozov and breaking past the Voronezh goalkeeper – 2:0.
The canceled goal of Spartak and the crazy ending from Torch
It seemed that the intrigue was over. Moreover, a minute before the second goal of Promes, Alexander Sobolev scored, but the referee saw a violation of the rules in that episode and canceled the goal, which made Abaskal very angry, who tore and threw on the edge. It seems that Spartak again fell into the epicenter of a judicial scandal. Ironically, Sobolev’s goal was canceled for the second match in a row. It could have been 3:0 by the break, but it became 2:2. How is this possible, you ask. After all, Quincy scored his second goal a couple of minutes before the end of the first half.
Open video
“Torch” began to respond already in the 43rd minute. Cherov ran down the flank and famously shot Appaev into the penalty area, who in the fall shot past Selikhov.
Open video
A few more minutes passed, and Voronezh got the right to a penalty. A canopy from a corner led to a fight between Prutsev and Kvekveskiri, in which the Spartak player hit the Torch player in the face. The chief referee of the match, Vladislav Bezborodov, went to watch the replay and considered that Prutsev had fouled.
A newcomer from the Voronezh club, Reda Rabei, approached the ball and accurately shot it in the center – 2:2. The mad ending of the first half, the beginning of which did not foreshadow anything like that. But even with this, the teams could not calmly go to the break. Sobolev had a great opportunity to put Spartak ahead again, but Gorodovoy pulled out his header, and Prutsev, who had time to finish off, shot past the goal from several meters.
Open video
The pursuit of Zenit will continue
Abascal’s team immediately after the break ran to score the third goal, clearly not wanting to lose points. Partners twice perfectly shot into the penalty area for Sobolev, but to no avail. Nevertheless, the pressure on Fakel was growing, three players of the Voronezh club received yellow cards with a difference of several minutes. At the same time, it cannot be said that Spartak dominated and created one moment after another. “Torch” held confidently and responded with quick attacks.
Abaskal was obviously nervous and released Klassen and Martins on the field instead of Prutsev and Khlusevich. Pyatibratov removed two Frenchmen – Brahimi and Rabei. They were replaced by Akbashev and Gongadze. Meanwhile, 20 minutes remained before the end of the meeting. At this moment, Zobnin took the initiative and earned a dangerous free kick near the gates of Voronezh. Promes approached the ball hoping to score a hat-trick, but his shot slid over the crossbar.
Sobolev had a fantastic chance in the 82nd minute, who found himself completely alone in front of the opponent’s goal after Quincy’s pass, but failed to hit the ball. And yet, Spartak snatched the victory. Three minutes before the end, Zinkovsky hung on the same Sobolev, he threw the ball on Martins, and Christopher drove him under the crossbar – 3:2.
Open video
The “Red-Whites” scored the most important three points and kept the intrigue in the fight for the champion title. Despite this, Abaskal immediately after the final whistle ran to deal with the chief referee Bezborodov. The case could have ended very badly, but the Spanish coach was stopped in time by his staff colleagues and Spartak players.
Watch live broadcasts of MIR RPL matches on the Match TV federal channel and the thematic channels of the holding, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
This summer, the 23rd FIFA World Cup finals will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. All professional football players, without exception, dream of playing in this tournament, from stars such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to players whose names are not well known to the public (perhaps only for now).
However, some star and very famous football players are at risk of missing the next World Cup. The reason for this is health problems…
Joshko Guardiol
Age: 23 years old Citizenship: Croatia Club: Manchester City
Joschko Guardiol, the key defender of Manchester City, who has been playing for the “citizens” since the summer of 2023, suffered a serious injury recently – in the match against Chelsea in early January 2026, which ended with a score of 1: 1. As a result of the medical examination, a fracture was detected in the fibula bone of Guardiola’s right leg. Manchester City doctors immediately announced to the technical staff and club management that they could no longer trust the Croatian player at the end of this season. Yoshko’s estimated recovery time is approximately four months. However, this is the most favorable prognosis as recovery may take five or six months.
Theoretically, if Guardiol returns from hospital towards the end of May, he will have the chance to be included in the Croatian national team at the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the centre-back will have to go abroad without training and far from the best conditions, but… Without Josko, the Croatian national team will definitely lose a lot, because by the age of 23 Guardiola had already made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals for the “checkers”.
Takumi Minamino
Age: 30 years old Citizenship: Japan Club: Monaco
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
Takumi Minamino may not be a world football star, but he can certainly have such status in his native Japan. In the past, the winger had a two-and-a-half-year contract at Liverpool, but Takumi never managed to become a key figure for the Reds. As a result, Minamino has been playing in France since the summer of 2022 for Monaco, which paid a large sum of 15 million euros to the British for his transfer.
In Monaco, Minamino is constantly a key player, but on December 21 last year, in the 5th round match of the French Cup against Auxerre (2:1), the Japanese midfielder was injured, and then doctors determined that it was a rupture of the cruciate ligament in the knee. The normal recovery time in such cases is 6-9 months, effectively ending Takumi’s hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup. It will be a real miracle if the midfielder, who played 73 times for Japan and helped the Blue Samurai defeat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly match in October, continues to take part in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Muhammed Salisu
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Ghana Club: Monaco
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
Mohammed Salisu, Minamino’s teammate and one of the strongest players in the current Ghana national team, also risks not being able to play in the 2026 World Cup. The former football player from Southampton, for whom Monaco paid 15 million euros in August 2023, was injured in early January this year and it is very possible that he will not be able to go to the USA, Canada and Mexico as a player for the national team.
Doctors diagnosed Salisu with a cruciate ligament tear in his knee. In theory, this could mean that Muhammad will miss slightly less than he would with a rupture… But in the near future, Salis will need to undergo several additional examinations that will help determine the severity of his injury and what treatment would be more appropriate to choose. And there is a risk here that further examination will reveal that the African has more serious injuries than currently expected. Then he will definitely not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup, but so far doctors have not specified a specific time frame for recovery. It is clear that we are talking about months, not days or weeks…
Andreas Christensen
Age: 29 years old Citizenship: Denmark Club: barcelona
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
The Danish national team has not yet qualified for the 2026 World Cup. In March, this team will first have to play against North Macedonia and, if successful, in the play-offs against the winner of the Czech Republic-Ireland double. However, the Danes are seen as the favorites by many, but they will definitely have to earn a ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without key defender Andreas Christensen.
The 29-year-old Barcelona defender, who lost his role as an important figure in the Blaugranas in recent years largely due to frequent health problems, suffered a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the end of December last year and preferred a conservative treatment method. This in theory leaves Denmark with a better chance of continuing to play at the 2026 World Cup in the summer if they manage to qualify.
Eder Militao
Age: 27 years old Citizenship: Brazil Club: Real
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
On December 8, 2025, it was learned that Eder Militao, the defender of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, was injured. It was related to a muscle tear in his left thigh, which resulted in doctors deciding it would take around four months for the Brazilian player to fully recover. In fact, we should see Militao on the football fields at the beginning of April, two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
It would seem, what is the risk of Eder missing the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico? The problem is that Militao has literally become “glass” in recent years. It haunts injury after injury. Muscle injuries and cruciate ligament problems in the knee have almost become a “chronic” for the Brazilian defender; Therefore, no one has confidence in Militao’s real playing conditions and abilities to go to North America in the summer. It is worth noting that Eder played four matches for the Selecao in the 2022 World Cup; two in the group stage, 1/8 against South Korea in the final (4:1) and 1/4 against Croatia in the final (1:1, 2:4 – on penalties).
Justin Kluivert
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Holland Club: Bournemouth
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
Bournemouth and Netherlands midfielder Justin Kluivert, the son of legendary former Orange forward Patrick Kluivert, may also join the sadness of those who will miss the final part of the 2026 World Cup due to health problems. Justin had surgery on his problematic knee on January 4 and now doctors will try to get him back on his feet as soon as possible so that Kluivert can continue to be useful to both Bournemouth and the Dutch national team.
Predictions so far are that Justin will return by April. This will allow the football player to realize his dream and play in the World Cup, especially since Justin took part in six matches and made one assist. But you can think as far ahead as you want and, more importantly, how Kluivert’s recovery process will actually progress after he missed a total of two calendar months last year due to various injuries and health problems…
Levi Colwill
Age: 22 years old Citizenship: England Club: Chelsea
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine
Young defender Levi Colwill was seen by many observers as one of the key figures in the process of rejuvenating the England national team squad. Colwill made his debut in the “three lions” camp in October 2023 and was expected to go to the 2026 World Cup as he was the best player for his hometown Chelsea last year and is currently valued at up to 50 million euros on the Transfermarkt portal, but…
In August 2025, Levi tore his “crucifixes”, so he was away from football for a long time. Latest predictions suggest Colwill’s recovery is expected in late May or early June, making it extremely unlikely that this will contribute to the Chelsea center being recalled to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Thomas Tuchel in the USA, Canada and Mexico will need the most prepared football players who can finally seriously compete for the championship and are not limited to elimination at an early stage or a brave fight almost to the end, but without winning the cup. We would like to remind you that Football England was waiting for its second championship because it won its first and first in the 1966 World Cup.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Senegalese national team Pap Tyaw left the press conference after the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against the Moroccan team (1:0) due to the booing of Moroccan journalists. Reuters reports it.
Tyaw took the Senegalese players off the pitch in protest after their goal was disallowed and a penalty was awarded against the Senegalese in second-half injury time with the score 0–0. After 15 minutes the Senegalese national team players returned to the pitch. Team goalkeeper Edouard Mendy he took the ball forcefully after a penalty from the Moroccan Brahim Diaz. Regular time ended with the score 0:0; the Senegalese won in extra time.
The Senegalese team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. The Senegalese won for the first time in 2021. The Moroccan team won the tournament in 1976.
The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years. The winner of the previous tournament was the Ivory Coast team. The next Africa Cup of Nations will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
Brazilian football club Internacional has agreed on the transfer of the Russian midfielder CSKA Rodrigo Villagra. This was reported by the International press service.
“In the next few days the athlete will arrive in Porto Alegre to undergo a medical examination and complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures,” reads the note. At the end of these phases and after successfully passing the medical examination, the player will be officially declared a member of the Club for the 2026 season and will join the professional team at the training ground under the guidance of Paulo Pezzolano.
Villagra is 24 years old and plays for CSKA since March 2025. This season, the Argentine has played 11 matches for the club in various tournaments, without scoring any goals. He previously played for Argentina’s River Plate, Talleres and Rosario.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
