Former CSKA Moscow forward Valery Masalitin noted that the red-blue team seems to be short on motivation in the Russian Premier League this season. His assessment draws attention to the broader question of what is driving performance and energy levels for a club with a storied history in Russian football and how that translates on the field into consistency and results.
“There is a lack of motivation and physical conditioning in CSKA. I don’t understand why this is happening. The team is missing a lot. It seems that the team’s motivation has decreased after last season’s cup runner-up and victory,” he said. His comments point to a longer trend some observers are watching closely, where past success does not always guarantee sustained form in the present, and the gap between expectations and results can be influenced by physical fatigue, tactical fatigue, and squad depth during a demanding schedule.
In the 18th round of the Russian championship, CSKA faced Krasnodar. The match finished with a narrow 1 to 0 win for the Bulls, the lone goal created by Nikita Krivtsov, finished with an assist from Eduard Spertsyan. Analysts often view such fixtures as a barometer of a team’s resilience, illustrating how a single decisive moment can decide the outcome when both sides are locked in a tight contest and the margin for error is slim.
During the encounter, Vladimir Ivich’s squad produced 12 attempts, three of which found the target against Igor Akinfeev’s goal. The capital club likewise tested Matvey Safonov with 17 shots, seven of which were on target, underscoring a contest where finishing accuracy was the critical differentiator and where each side had moments of pressure and vulnerability in equal measure.
In the Russian Championship standings, CSKA sits in fifth place with 30 points, reflecting a season that has offered equal parts promise and frustration as the team navigates a demanding schedule and strives to rebuild momentum. This positioning invites analysis of squad development, strategic choices, and the impact of leadership on club performance as the campaign progresses toward the home stretch.
The team has long been associated with a tradition of high intensity and competitive spirit, and this latest phase has raised questions about how the club will adapt to evolving levels of competition, maintain confidence, and restore win-winning momentum. The expectation among followers is that the coaching staff will recalibrate tactical plans, optimize player usage, and reinforce fitness regimes to reclaim the standard of play that has defined CSKA in past seasons. The road ahead in the league will demand consistent results and a renewed sense of purpose from every player on the roster, alongside strategic decisions that can help bridge the gap to the elite performances that supporters remember. The recent results and the comments from Masalitin contribute to a broader discussion about how clubs can balance ambition with the realities of modern football under strain and how they can leverage experience to rebuild confidence on the field.