FC Spartak Moscow is off to a strong start in this year's Russian Premier League, and fans of the team can celebrate that fact with a new Spartak Moscow football shirt from Soccer Box. We've recently gotten stock in for the team's 2014 2015 jerseys, and they are now available for purchase in all of their red and white glory!
The Spartak Moscow home jersey 2014 2015 is a nice traditional red soccer shirt made by Spartak's kit manufacturer, Nike. The shirt features Spartak Moscow's diamond-shaped crest, as well as the four stitched stars that indicate the club's numerous successes over the years. Diamond patterning around the whole shirt adds a unique touch to the common red color, and complements the Spartak logo nicely.
The Four Stars
So what do the four stars on the Spartak Moscow football shirt stand for? As with many other soccer leagues throughout the world, the Russian Premier League has a "star system" in place to honor national champions. For every five victories in the top Russian soccer division, a club gets to wear a single star on its jerseys.
Therefore, since the Spartak Moscow home jersey 2014 2015 features four stars, it's easy to assume that the club has won at least 20 titles. In fact, Spartak has 21. The last six of those all came consecutively, from 1996 to 2001, in a surge of success that can only aptly be described as Spartak Moscow's golden age.
Reclaiming Glory
While a six-year streak at the top of Russian football is impressive enough to earn Spartak Moscow a designation as one of the best soccer team's in the nation's history, it hasn't helped the Spartak squad to attain much glory lately.
On the contrary, Spartak Moscow has gone winless in the top Russian division since 2001. Interestingly, that year also marked the start of the Russian Premier League, which had previously been simply known as the Russian Top Division (and the Soviet Top Division before that). Spartak Moscow, therefore, won the last six years of the Top Division, but has failed to win a single title in the Russian Premier League.
Is the Spartak Moscow football shirt somehow cursed? Fans undoubtedly allowed that thought to cross their minds before, as they've spent the past 13 years watching Spartak's local rivals dominate the league. Lokomotiv Moscow has won the Russian Premier League twice, while CSKA Moscow has won five times, including the last two years.
Close, But No Cigar
Not that Spartak Moscow has seen a complete dearth of success since the Russian Premier League first came to be. In fact, Spartak has been the runner-up on five separate occasions since the Russian Premier League was found in 2001.
Those runner-up finishes, in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and in the 2011 2012 season, show that FC Spartak Moscow is still consistent in putting some of the best teams in all of Russian football on the field. Unfortunately, this "close, but no cigar" tradition has kept Spartak Moscow from adding titles to their legacy, or adding a fifth star to their jerseys.
Upcoming Season
Will all of that change with the Spartak Moscow home jersey 2014 2015? Could this be the year that Spartak breaks that 13-year-old curse and finally wins a title in the Russian Premier League?
Currently, there are arguments to be made for both the "yes" and "no" sides of the conversation. On one hand, Spartak is off to a stellar season start, having already bested defending champs CSKA Moscow, as well as numerous other teams.
On the other hand, Spartak Moscow is coming off of its worst season in many years. The 2013 2014 season saw Spartak falling to the sixth place position on the Russian Premier League table, with a record of 15 wins, 5 draws, and 10 losses. If the team is hoping to make a play for a national title this year, it will have to greatly improves its consistency over last year.
If you are looking to root for Spartak this season, stop by Soccer Box today and grab a Spartak Moscow football shirt.
Will New Spartak Moscow Football Shirt Spark Russian Premier League Success?
September 18, 2014