Russian Premier Liga President Sergey Pryadkin summed up the results of the first matchday after the championship’s restart in an interview with Russia 24 TV channel.

About the silence at the start of the matchday

I do not agree that there was silence on the RPL’s part. On the eve of the championship’s restart, we held a large press conference together with the RFU at RIA Novosti. It went on for more than an hour and a half, and we described in detail how the restart was being prepared, what difficulties we had to overcome, and how all the events related to drawing up and regulating the relevant documents took place.

I would not say that the RPL or clubs were closed. Yesterday we summed up the results of the last matchday and carefully examined the violations. To be honest, there were a lot of them. It is clear that not everyone has figured out the new rules, and that there have been shortcomings. Together with the clubs we are going to fix the organisational issues that arose in the course of this matchday. We will take into account the shortcomings that occurred in the harsh conditions of the restart.

Why the RPL itself didn't reschedule the Sochi vs Rostov match

The coronavirus pandemic cannot be considered a force majeure event. We are not just stating this; we have received explanations from the relevant authorities.

The clubs had to explain to the players how to behave outside the training ground. This is all described in detail in the regulations. All these restrictions are necessary for one purpose only - to reduce the risk of infection.

Whatever the improving situation in the country, we will have to work under these conditions in the future. It can't just be limited to this season. We will play all next season with some restrictions while the situation persists around the world.

The rules regarding the restart contain three sections, and two of them are devoted to measures aimed at reducing the risks that may have occurred during the restart of the championship. And we will probably use them next season as well.

If we talk about the fixture list, there was no reserve date in it initially, and the clubs knew about it. We planned it with equal conditions for all teams. When we presented the schedule at the general meeting, the clubs did not voice any doubts that some had an advantage over their competition. Therefore we did not even consider the option of amending the regulations concerning postponements. In fact, the RPL had no reason to postpone the match. According to the explanations sent by the regulatory authorities, this was not force majeure.

Of course, there should be no such thing as adult professionals playing against young boys. But I want to draw attention to the dedication with which these boys played defending the honour of their club. On this day, they were supported by the whole country. I am delighted with how well they played.

About the postponement of the FC Krasnodar vs Dynamo Moscow match

I think we should be consistent in our decisions. Given the exceptional situation, the RFU and RPL provided an opportunity to FC Rostov, then we considered the same option at the request of Dynamo Moscow at the Executive Committee Bureau and made the appropriate decision.

About the possible postponement of Russian Cup dates

We have already mentioned that the only reserve date is 19 July. But then the clubs that play in the Cup may find themselves in a difficult situation - there are three of them in the RPL. In an exceptional situation, the matches of these clubs can also be postponed to this date, but it will be necessary to consider shifting the Cup to a later date; in other words, to complete the RPL on 22 July, and the Cup by 3 August. This decision is published on the RFU website where any club can read this decision.

About a positive test at FC Ufa

The recommendations of the federal Rospotrebnadzor were unambiguous, and were brought before all RPL clubs at a general meeting of RFU and RPL management. It was very clearly stated: each club is subject to the requirements of the regional authorities, in particular the regional Rospotrebnadzor. Each team is regularly tested and informs the RPL about it. If a positive test is found, any of the clubs is legally obliged to notify the local Rospotrebnadzor first.

We were informed that on the eve of the game with Tambov one of the representatives of Ufa had a questionable result, although the players had passed seven tests before that. The club informed the local Rospotrebnadzor about this in a timely manner.

Then a second test was conducted, the results of which became known only yesterday. We were informed that the club member was isolated and appropriate measures were taken with the regulatory authorities. They acted strictly according to the rules.

Violations of the rules by players and fans

During the first matchday, many violations were detected. We have a lot of work to do with clubs and regulatory authorities to minimise these violations. All of them - from the fans’ side and from the teams' side - will be considered at the CDC. All this jeopardises the safety of teams and the conduct of the championship as a whole. Of course, we understand that the fans are missing football and their emotions are overflowing, but the clubs will be severely punished for their violations.

I think that the regulations will still be finalised. We have a short pause between the end of this season and the start of the new one. If new issues arise during the restart - and we recognise that they do - we will introduce and change these points in order to come up with the right document that the clubs, the RPL and the RFU can use.

I would like to thank the government of the Russian Federation, the heads of the RFU and Rospotrebnadzor once again for meeting us halfway and allowing us to hold the championship. We are consulting with Rospotrebnadzor on the most precise definition of a contact group that would need to be isolated while the rest would continue to train and play - similar to how western leagues define it.

We hope that Rospotrebnadzor will carefully consider this matter, and issue its recommendations to local divisions. There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved. We have to play by these rules next season, and we need to observe them not only in our professional activities, but also in our everyday life.