Ex-Spartak Sporting Director Says Moscow, St. Petersburg Don't Allow Dual Clubs

In an interview with Championat, former Spartak sporting director Alexander Shikunov discussed Krylya Sovetov's massive debt and the issue of having two clubs in Samara Oblast.

Feb 19, 2026

Alexander Shikunov argues that Samara Oblast should consolidate its football presence around Krylya Sovetov.
Source:
PFC Krylya Sovetov / T.me

Former Spartak sporting director Alexander Shikunov expressed his opinion on the current state of affairs at Krylya Sovetov in an interview with the publication Championat. First, the football official spoke about the debt.

«I think Krylya will cope with the debts. This is not the amount that could cause the club to be lost,» Shikunov believes.

Also, the former Spartak sporting director shared his opinion on the two teams from Samara Oblast.

«In the region, they overdid it a bit – keeping two clubs in the RPL! Well, make one good one already, make a decision. This is not Moscow. Even St. Petersburg doesn»t allow itself that – they have one Zenit. And here in Samara Oblast, two clubs. One of them is not very needed – it doesn«t have the popularity of Krylya. But at the same time, the financial situation is better. The governor attends every match of Akron and Krylya. Decide what you need! One strong team is needed,» Shikunov stated.

The football official believes that the claims against agent Andreyev are unfounded.

«They could have closed the debts long ago, there were many sales. There were some questions about Pavel Andreyev, but he earned them about two billion rubles (about $20 million at current rates)! All the top strikers in the country have passed through Krylya: Sobolev, Sergeyev, Glushenkov, Pinyaev. They would have closed the debts, and you started saying that the purchases are strange,» said the former Spartak sporting director in a conversation with a Championat correspondent.

The club«s debt to RT-Kapital dates back to 2016. In December 2025, an arbitration court ruled to recover over 928 million rubles (about $9.3 million at current rates) from Krylya. The club partially repaid the debt: at the end of December, it paid 535 million rubles (about $5.4 million at current rates), and in January – another 54 million rubles (about $540,000 at current rates). However, the remaining debt of 519 million rubles (about $5.2 million at current rates; of which 454 million rubles (about $4.5 million) is the principal debt and 65 million rubles (about $650,000) is an enforcement fee) remains unpaid.

This has led to harsh measures: a transfer ban from the RFU (the club cannot register new players), a new lawsuit for 146 million rubles (about $1.5 million at current rates) from RT-Kapital (from January 19), and a notice of intention to bankrupt the club, published by RT-Kapital on January 21.