Kazan clinch Russian title

Rubin Kazan successfully defended their Russian Premier League title following a draw with Zenit St Petersburg.

Semak delighted with triumph

Rubin Kazan successfully defended their Russian Premier League title following a goalless draw with Zenit St Petersburg. It was the penultimate round of fixtures and the stalemate gave Kazan an insurmountable five-point cushion. Skipper Sergei Semak was delighted to clinch more silverware, although Kazan will have little time to celebrate their triumph as they host Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. "This title means much more for us than the first," said Semak. "We had to fight probably three times harder than last year. "This time our main rivals were chasing us to the very end. We also had to prove that last year's win was no fluke. We showed a great team spirit and comradeship." Spartak Moscow secured their fourth runners-up finish in five years and a place in the Champions League next year despite a dramatic 3-2 defeat by city rivals CSKA.