Igor Akinfeev, the longtime custodian of CSKA Moscow’s goal, began his journey with the club under modest terms that would later become a talking point among fans and historians of Russian football. Roman Babaev, who has held the role of general director, recalls a salary in the early days that seems tiny by today’s standards. According to Babaev, Akinfeev arrived at the club when he was still in his youth, shy and eager to prove himself, and the initial monthly wage hovered around 8,600 rubles. The memory comes with a note of admiration, as Babaev attributes those early days to shaping the mindset of a player who would grow into one of CSKA’s most iconic figures. The reference to a salary of 8,600 rubles per month was shared as part of a broader reflection on Akinfeev’s early career, with the words attributed to Sports Express as the source of the quote.
