A 1-1 draw in Grozny on Sunday during the 29th round of the Russian Premier League sealed Sochi’s fate. Mohamed Azzi opened the scoring for the visitors in the 38th minute, while Galymzhan Kenzhebek equalized for Akhmat in the 84th minute with his debut goal for the club.
Players, coaches, and referees entered the pitch carrying portraits of their relatives who fought in World War II. The Russian Football Union organized the “Immortal Regiment” campaign across matches in the Russian Cup, Premier League, First League, and Second League to commemorate the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Dynamo Makhachkala extended their winless streak to nine matches and sit 14th in the table with 25 points. Sochi, with only 21 points, cannot escape the relegation zone and become the first team this season to lose their place in the top flight. Akhmat, with 36 points, hold ninth place.
In the final round on May 17, Dynamo Makhachkala will host Spartak Moscow, while Akhmat travel to face Sochi.
Sochi previously dropped to the First League in 2024 after five seasons in the RPL but secured an immediate promotion the following year.