Russian Premier League FC Rostov lead after avoiding relegation last season

Russian football is experiencing a Leicester City-type miracle of it's own as FC Rostov lead the Russian Premier League with just six games remaining.

The Selmashi are ahead of second-placed CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg, with the gap between the top three just two points and Rostov facing the Sky Blues on Sunday April 24.

Rostov's Cesar Navas told MARCA that his team are under no illusions as the season reaches it's climax.

"We are a humble team that started the season [with the aim] to avoid relegation

"The press compares us to Leicester City because at first nobody believed in us, they thought it was a matter of time before we collapsed."

The 36 year-old former Racing Santander defender has found an unexpected adventure in Russia.

"I had just finished my contract with Rubin Kazan and tried to find a team in Major League Soccer [MLS], but Kurban Berdyev convinced me to go to Rostov."

Navas joined a coach who famously won the league title with Rubin Kazan in the 2008/09 season, and Berdyev has since taken two of that winning squad, Christian Noboa and Aleksandr Bukharov, to Rostov.

"[Burdyev's] created his own style," Navas continued.

"At Rubin they had players of better quality but the gameplay [at Rostov] is similar.

"Our game doesn't have the control of Barcelona for example, we are more like Atletico Madrid, we like to push the opponent and go to the counter-attack with few touches.

"We take each game as it comes like Diego Simeone says, and for Berdyev it's workout-to-workout."

The Chechnyan area has been a focal point of terrorism and conflict with the state of Russia itself but Navas feels proud of his team regardless of the on-going problems.

"Everything has been quiet since arriving [in Chechnya] and Rostov generates excitement amongst the people.

"We're delighted to make them happy."