Irina Akinfeeva, mother of goalkeeper and captain of CSKA Moscow Igor Akinfeev, told about the emotions she experienced when it became known that coach Valery Gazzaev began to attract her son to the main team of the army club in 2002. She recalled this in an interview for the documentary series. “Sports Express” “Akinfeev. Season 20.”
“And of course I was scared. I don’t understand anything about it. So I ask: “Vova, where did they take you? For what? What will happen next? So he began to explain to me: There is a deuce, then the main team. Even then it did not reach me,” he said The goalkeeper’s mother.
Akinfeev made his debut at the adult level on 29 March 2003 for CSKA in the 1/8 final of the RFPL Cup against St. Petersburg in Petrovsky. He played against St. Petersburg Zenit, replacing Dmitry Kramarenko in the second half. The goalkeeper made his debut in the Russian Championship on 31 March 2003 in the match against Krylia Sovetov and saved the penalty in the last minutes of the game.
With CSKA, Akinfeev became the Russian champion six times, won the national cup seven times and won the UEFA Cup in the 2004/05 season. As a member of the Russian national team, he won a bronze medal at the 2008 European Championships held in Austria and Switzerland. In 2018, Akinfeev reached the quarter-finals of his home world championship with the Russian national team.
CSKA ranks eighth in the Russian Championship rankings, collecting 28 points after 18 weeks. He will play against army club Orenburg in the first round after the Russian Premier League (RPL) restarts in March.
Previously commentator Konstantin Genich saidHow does Akinfeev react to criticism?