The unusual length of the season is the result of the decision to adapt the playing year to an autumn-spring rhythm similar to most of the other UEFA leagues.
Both teams returned to the First Division, rechristened the National League Championship starting with the 2011–12 season, after just one year.
The relegated teams were replaced by 2010 First Division champions Kuban Krasnodar and runners-up Volga Nizhny Novgorod.
Kuban made their immediate return to the Premier League, while Volga is playing their first season at the highest football level of Russia.
In further team changes, Saturn Moscow Oblast was forced to withdraw from the league due to financial reasons.
[41] Before the protest was heard, Grigoryev scored a goal in Rostov's 2–1 victory over FC Dynamo Moscow in the 2010–11 Russian Cup quarterfinal.
After the game, Russian Football Union president Sergei Fursenko said that Zenit would likely be awarded a defeat for breaking the regulations.
The previous mark was set by FC Lokomotiv Moscow who could not score for 10 consecutive games and 943 minutes in the 1954 Soviet Top League.
Last updated: 6 November 2011 Source: Russian Premier League[permanent dead link] After the first 30 fixtures, teams were split into two groups of eight which play against each other on a home-and-away basis.
Russian Football Union decided to set up the calendar for the championship group manually, instead of the computer draw.
An additional Europa League play-off round spot is awarded to the winners of the 2011–12 Russian Cup.
Last updated: 13 May 2012 Source: Russian Premier League[permanent dead link] FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod won 2–1 on aggregate.
Defenders: Nicolas Lombaerts (40 / 1), Aleksandr Anyukov (37 / 1), Bruno Alves (36), Tomáš Hubočan (30), Domenico Criscito (24 / 1), Aleksandar Luković (19 / 1), Igor Cheminava (3), Fernando Meira (1), Denis Terentyev (1).
Transferred out during the season: Fernando Meira (to Zaragoza), Igor Cheminava (on loan to Sibir Novosibirsk), Aleksei Ionov (to Kuban Krasnodar), Sergei Petrov (to Krylia Sovetov Samara).
Midfielders: Dmitri Kombarov (40 / 6), Kirill Kombarov (37), Rafael Carioca (35 / 1), Aiden McGeady (31 / 3), Jano Ananidze (15 / 1), Demy de Zeeuw (13 / 2), Emin Mahmudov (12), Ibson (10 / 1), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (8 / 1), Aleksandr Zotov (7), Soslan Gatagov (4), Dmitri Kayumov (3 / 1), Alex (3), Artur Valikayev (3), Filip Ozobić (1), Andrey Tikhonov (1).
Forwards: Artyom Dzyuba (41 / 11), Ari (38 / 10), Emmanuel Emenike (22 / 13), Welliton (21 / 7), Pavel Yakovlev (10 / 1), Aleksandr Kozlov (8 / 1), Vladimir Obukhov (3).
Midfielders: Zoran Tošić (36 / 8), Pavel Mamayev (33 / 1), Evgeni Aldonin (32), Alan Dzagoev (31 / 5), Keisuke Honda (25 / 8), Aleksandrs Cauņa (18), Elvir Rahimić (12), Pontus Wernbloom (11), Mark González (5 / 2), Kim In-Sung (1), Artyom Popov (1).
Forwards: Seydou Doumbia (42 / 28), Sekou Oliseh (38), Vágner Love (25 / 9), Tomáš Necid (23 / 3), Ahmed Musa (11).
Transferred out during the season: Vladimir Gabulov (end of loan at Anzhi Makhachkala), Vágner Love (to Flamengo).