Season Preview: CSKA Moscow. Overlords

Location. It’s strange but the most successful Russian team of last 4 years hasn’t own home stadium. Jokes has it that CSKA must play at hippodrome – because it’s close to club office and team usually called Horses.

Team. Won 3 Premier League titles, 3 Russian Super Cups, 2 Russian Cups and UEFA Cup in 2005 – all in last 4 years. Winning of UEFA Cup gained attention to Russian football and soon three Brazilians of CSKA got national team call. Club prosperity related partly to Roman Abramovich but mostly to club president Evgeniy Giner and coach Valeriy Gazzaev.

Stars. Strong Brazilian Diaspora – strikers Vagner Love and Jo, midfielders Daniel Carvalho, Dudu and Ramon. All Russian players of CSKA start XI play for national team – the greatest are keeper Igor Akinfeev and left midfielder Yuriy Zhirkov (here is the sample of his skill).

Transfers. CSKA prefer to target needed players long before transfer and wait for right moment. They signed only two midfielders –Turk Erkin Caner of Manisaspor and Brazilian Ramon of Corinthians who was called “The New Kaka”.

Rivals. Spartak Moscow. CSKA keep beating them for 6 years in every tournament. What a sorrowful story.

Fact. CSKA coach Valeriy Gazzaev promised to shave off his mustache if they win UEFA Cup. They got it – but he didn’t. CSKA rivals always cite this fact – just because they usually got nothing to say.

Category: Russian Premier League, Season Preview, Team News

Tags: CSKA Moscow, Igor Akinfeev, Russian Premier League, Season Preview, Team News, UEFA Cup, Valeriy Gazzaev, Yuriy Zhirkov

Subscribe   The Offside RSS Feeds

Print

Share