 Akinfeev with CSKA Moscow in 2009 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Igor Vladimirovich Akinfeev | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Vidnoye, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | CSKA Moscow | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–2002 | CSKA Moscow | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003– | CSKA Moscow | 268 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004– | Russia | 65 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 December 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2013 | |||
Igor Vladimirovich Akinfeev (Russian: Игорь Владимирович Акинфеев; born 8 April 1986 inVidnoye) is a Russian international football goalkeeper playing for CSKA Moscow, honoured master of sport (2005). He has been a member of the Russian national team since 2004, four-fold winner of theRussian Premier League (2003, 2005, 2006, 2012/2013), five-fold winner of the Russian Cup (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011), winner of the UEFA Europe League (2005), bronze winner of UEFA Euro 2008.
Early life
Igor Akinfeev was born on 8 April 1986 in Moscow Oblast, Vidnoye town. When Igor was 4 years old his father sent him to the Sports school of CSKA. He has been a goalkeeper since his second training. Being a member of junior CSKA Moscow he won the Russian Junior Championship in 2002, in the same year he graduated from the CSKA Football Academy.
Career
CSKA
Akinfeev broke into the CSKA starting lineup at the age of 17, and has been the first-choice goalkeeper at the club ever since, gathering various honors including a UEFA Cup, three National Championships, and the Zvezda trophy, awarded to the best football player from the former Soviet Union. He is also the captain of CSKA Moscow. In his second Champions League campaign, he went 362 minutes without conceding until a F.C. Porto goal in gameweek 5.
In the second part of the 2009 season, it emerged as a question why Akinfeev let many shots in through his legs.[1]Examples include strikes from Argentina's Lisandro López, Lokomotiv Moscow's Dmitri Sychev, Wolfsburg's Grafiteand Welliton of Spartak Moscow. Former Soviet international goalkeeper Anzor Kavazashvili argued this is because Akinfeev is running out from goal toward strikers at his top speed, thus denying himself a chance to react adequately or maneuver. Akinfeev solved this issue by altering his goalkeeping positions and this resulted in him conceding less, as well as adjusting the grips of his studs so he can control his runs.
International career
Igor Akinfeev made his debut for the Russian national team in a friendly match against Norway on 28 April 2004, aged 18 years and 20 days. He thus became the third youngest player to compete for Russia after Eduard Streltsov andSergey Rodionov and the youngest international footballer ever in the history of the Russian Federation.[2] He was later included into the Russian Euro 2004 squad as the third choice goalkeeper behind Sergei Ovchinnikov and Vyacheslav Malafeev. His major competitive debut was on 30 March 2005 in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Estonia and he was later promoted to Russia's first-choice goalkeeper after a long-term injury to Malafeev. Akinfeev kept his first choice place under Yuri Semin and later Guus Hiddink. On 6 May 2007, Akinfeev suffered a knee injury in a 1–1 draw against FC Rostov which put him out of action for four months. As a result he lost his first choice position toVyacheslav Malafeev and later Vladimir Gaboulov. He returned to the Russian national squad in early November but was deemed unfit for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel. Akinfeev later reestablished his first choice place for Russia for Euro 2008. He was confirmed for the finalized UEFA Euro 2012 squad on 25 May 2012
