Russia’s football Premier League has reportedly postponed four matches between top teams that coincide with the presidential elections.
Vladimir Putin is expected to secure a fourth term in office when voters go to the polls on March 18. His administration is widely reported to be pursuing a turnout of 70 percent.
The four fixtures are listed “date to be confirmed” on the league’s website. The teams involved are first-place Lokomotiv, runners-up Zenit and Spartak and fifth-place CSKA.
All four teams are in the top-10 in terms for attendance, averaging more than a quarter-million fans since the 2017-18 season began last summer.
The match dates were changed by request from the Interior Ministry and regional administrations, the Sports.ru news website reported.
