Frank Artiga: “Today was even better than we expected”

Rubin Kazan head coach Frank Artiga expressed his satisfaction following his team’s decisive 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on March 15, 2026, in a match from the 21st round of the Russian Premier League.

“I’m very happy with our victory, that it was won at home, happy for the players and happy with the connection between the team and the fans. I want to thank everyone,” Artiga stated after the match according to Championat.com. “Our expectations today exceeded themselves. I myself always expect our team to show a good game, but today it was even more than we expected.”

Artiga emphasized the importance of maintaining a grounded perspective despite the impressive win. “Coaching is about always looking to the future. Today I am happy, but we must not forget ourselves, we must not fly in the clouds. We must be modest and efficient – these qualities allow the team to work hard and put pressure on opponents. It is important to maintain this modesty,” he explained.

The coach cautioned against complacency, referencing a previous setback. “You may secure the feeling that you have won two victories over strong opponents and that the other opponent will not cause any problems. It is a mistake to think so! If we think like this, we may face the same problems as in Makhachkala. It’s important to keep your head cool.”

Artiga concluded by outlining the team’s immediate plans: “Today the guys are celebrating their victory, tomorrow is a day off, and then we’ll get back to work.”

The match saw goals from Igor Vujačić (23′), an own goal by Anton Mitryushkin (56′), and Daniil Kuznetsov (70′) as reported by Sofascore. Lokomotiv’s Mikhail Nenakhov received a red card in the 44th minute.

Frank Artiga replaced Slavomir Rakhimov as Rubin Kazan’s manager in January 2026, bringing a reputation for building dynamic, attacking teams according to Betzona.