2016–17 Russian Premier League season

Competition format and participants

The Premier League season featured a set of clubs playing a double round-robin schedule: each team met every other team twice, once at home and once away. The standard league rules determined standings by points, with goal difference and goals scored used as tiebreakers. At the conclusion of the season the lowest-ranked clubs faced relegation from the Premier League, while others were involved in promotion/relegation playoffs against aspirants from the second tier.

Season summary and outcome

Across the campaign a number of established Russian clubs contested for continental qualification and national honours. Spartak Moscow emerged as champions after a sustained run of positive results in the closing stages of the season, ending a long championship drought and restoring the club to the summit of Russian football. Other high-placed teams secured spots in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League based on their final league positions.

Key features and notable facts

• Dates: 30 July 2016 – 21 May 2017.
• League level: top division of Russian football.
• Format: round-robin schedule among the participating clubs; relegation and promotion links with the Football National League.
• Champion: Spartak Moscow, marking a return to the title after many seasons.

Context and significance

The title win for Spartak was widely covered because it interrupted the period in which other Moscow and regional clubs had been dominant. Success in the Premier League affects clubs commercially and sportingly: top finishers gain entry to European competition, which brings additional revenue, higher-profile matches and stronger recruitment possibilities. The league continued to develop its domestic and international profile during this period.

Further information

For the original Russian-language name and official domestic descriptions consult the competition's Russian title via Чемпионат России по футболу 2016/2017. General information about the league's structure and season-by-season details can be found through the league's archive pages and statistical summaries here.