2003 Russian Premier League

CSKA won their first Russian title. It was their first championship since the last edition of the Soviet Top League in 1991. Newly promoted Rubin got the bronze.

Teams
As in the previous season, 16 teams are playing in the 2003 season. After the 2002 season, Anzhi Makhachkala and Sokol Saratov were relegated to the 2003 Russian First Division. They were replaced by Rubin Kazan and Chernomorets Novorossiysk, the winners and runners up of the 2002 Russian First Division.

Awards
On November 14 Russian Football Union named its list of 33 top players:


 * Goalkeepers
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit)
 * 3) 🇷🇺 Sergei Kozko (Rubin)


 * Right backs
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Vadim Evseev (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇱🇹 Deividas Šemberas (CSKA Moscow)
 * 3) 🇺🇾 Andrés Scotti (Rubin)


 * Right-centre backs
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Sergei Ignashevich (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Viktor Onopko (Spartak-Alania)
 * 3) 🇿🇦 Matthew Booth (Rostov)


 * Left-centre backs
 * 1) 🇺🇿 Oleg Pashinin (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇧🇷 Géder (Saturn)
 * 3) 🇷🇺 Roman Sharonov (Rubin)


 * Left backs
 * 1) 🇿🇦 Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Andrei Solomatin (CSKA Moscow)
 * 3) 🇧🇷 Orlando Calisto de Souza (Rubin)


 * Defensive midfielders
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Evgeni Aldonin (Rotor)
 * 2) 🇺🇿 Vladimir Maminov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 3) 🇧🇦 Elvir Rahimić (CSKA Moscow)


 * Right wingers
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Rolan Gusev (CSKA Moscow)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Denis Boyarintsev (Rubin)
 * 3) 🇷🇺 Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit)


 * Central midfielders
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Dmitri Loskov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 2) 🇨🇿 Jiří Jarošík (CSKA Moscow)
 * 3) 🇷🇺 Yegor Titov (Spartak Moscow)


 * Left wingers
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Andrei Karyaka (Krylia Sovetov)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Marat Izmailov (Lokomotiv Moscow)
 * 3) 🇷🇺 Aleksandr Pavlenko (Spartak Moscow)


 * Right forwards
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Valery Yesipov (Rotor)
 * 2) 🇷🇺 Dmitri Bulykin (Dynamo Moscow)
 * 3)  Mikheil Ashvetia (Lokomotiv Moscow)


 * Left forwards
 * 1) 🇷🇺 Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Zenit)
 * 2) 🇭🇷 Ivica Olić (CSKA Moscow)
 * 3) 🇧🇷 Roni (Rubin)