Bulgarian setter Simeon Nikolov did not find a place in the symbolic team of the regular season in the Russian Super League, despite his strong performance with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk. The young playmaker finished second in the fan vote, while Konstantin Abaev was only third at this stage.
The resolution came with the final selection, which is entirely in the hands of the head coaches in the Super League. It was they who elevated Abaev to the first position and awarded him the place of best setter for the regular season.
The procedure for determining the symbolic team goes through several stages. First, experts nominate players based on statistics, influence, and performance in individual rounds. A fan vote follows, but the decisive word belongs to the coaches, who vote secretly and evaluate details such as stability, pass accuracy, match management, and tactical discipline.
An interesting detail in the official wording is that those honored are defined as 'the best version of themselves within the regular season'. This emphasizes that the choice is made not only based on momentary performances, but according to consistency and level throughout the regular championship.

Ideal team of the regular season in the Russian Super League

The All-Star Team clearly reflects the dominance of the leading clubs in the championship – Zenit (Kazan and Saint Petersburg) and Belogorie, who provide the majority of the selected players. Lokomotiv Novosibirsk finds a place through the middle blocker Dmitry Lyzik, while Nikolov's performance remains highly rated, but insufficient for the final coaches' vote.
Also noteworthy is the presence of French libero Jenia Grebennikov, which shows that the selection is based entirely on sporting criteria.
Nikolov remains among the most discussed names in the league, with his second place in the fan vote and his participation in the final selection confirming his status as one of the most promising setters in the championship.