7days.ru recalls the brightest moments in the career of the outstanding Russian goalkeeper.

Igor Akinfeev

Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev for the first time
appeared on the field for the national team of Russia in 2004 at the age of
18 years and 20 days, becoming the youngest debutant in the history of the national football
team. Next, in 2005, 19-year-old Akinfeev has become the number one team winning the competition
from such masters as Sergei Ovchinnikov and Vyacheslav Malafeev. Since the majority of fans
and critics of the goalkeeper still agree that our gates are Akinfeev, like a stone wall.

To historical event — the exit of Russian national team
in the quarter-finals — which took place thanks to the highest skill of the goalkeeper and captain Igor Akinfeev, we
decided to recall the brightest moments in his football career of the outstanding Russian goalkeeper.

1. Victory on penalties over the “red fury” in the 18 finals of the 2018 world Cup

The main achievement in the career of Igor Akinfeev at the moment, of course, was difficult to win on penalties in the match 18
world Cup final over the Spaniards, who were considered favorites on
the win not only this match but throughout the world Cup. After the main and
extra time in the match Spain-Russia winner has not been identified, the score was equal
(1:1). And the team started a “football lottery” — post-match penalty shootout, where Akinfeev
accomplished a real feat: he managed to reflect two penalty kicks,
decided the outcome of the match (4:3 on penalties).

Thanks to a brilliant game Igor the Russian team coached by Stanislav Cherchesov for the first time in recent history went out in the 1/4 finals
world Cup 7 July at 21:00 at the stadium “Fisht” in Sochi she will match
with the Croatian national team. By the way, the legendary Danish goalkeeper, the champion of Europe-1992
Peter Schmeichel after the departure of the Spaniards stated that “Akinfeev has played fantastic and deserves
monument.”

2. Sensational defeat of the Netherlands and bronze medal EURO 2008

The famous quarter-finals Russia—Netherlands was the most prominent
and memorable performance of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and the entire team under
the leadership of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink at the European championship 2008.
Superacidity before the match said that it will be “the confrontation of the outstanding goalkeepers”, because the gate
Holland was defended by one of the best European goalkeepers — Edwin van der SAR. And, indeed, both the goalkeeper confirmed his world-class: main
the match ended with the score 1:1.

And for more of our players
included fast and furious, showing remarkable endurance and scoring van der SAR two beautiful
goals. Victory (3:1) over Marco van Basten led the Russian team in the semifinals, where she lost to the future Champions to Spaniards. Despite this, the performance of the national team
Russia was recognized by the arc: our players for the first time in recent history
became owners of bronze medals of the European championship.

3. “Beat the Vikings”: the most important victory over Sweden, which became the first step to the future
the triumph at EURO 2008

But bronze medals could
not to be. Few people remember that the way of Russian players in the playoffs of the championship Evropy-2008 stood the Swedish “Vikings”. The game Russia-Sweden was decisive in group D and who goes home and who —
the quarter-finals. Recall that the first place in the group then confidently
was taken by the Spaniards, and fourth place went to the accepted outsiders — Greeks.

All bookmakers put on a victory of the Swedes, which on
top form shone superforvard Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik
Larsson. However, the Russians showed world-class defenders completely “neutralized”
star Swedish attack, Igor Akinfeev has kept its gates unopened, and Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin scored two unanswered goals. Resounding victory in the match with the Scandinavians (2:0) let
our team out in the 14 finals of the European championship and became the first step to a future
triumph.

4. Triple strike: victory at CSKA in the UEFA Cup, championship and Cup of Russia in one year

One of the
the most successful moments in the club’s career Akinfeev was 2005, when the team
managed to make an incredible achievement: first win in the final match of the Cup
UEFA (2009 — UEFA Europa League second
most important club tournament after the UEFA Champions League — Approx. ed.) Portuguese “sporting” (3:1),
and then to win the championship and the Cup of Russia.

It 2005 became
a breakthrough in the career Akinfeev. Confident play young goalkeeper throughout the season was very positive
noted football experts and coaches. Igor also won the prestigious award as the best young player in the Premier League
and soon became the undisputed first number of the Russian national team. Now Igor Akinfeev — the sixfold champion of Russia and six-time winner of the Cup of Russia CSKA.

5. Broke longstanding records, the legendary Soviet goalkeeper
Lev Yashin and Rinat Dasaev

During his 14-year football career Akinfeev got a huge
a lot of prestigious prizes and was constantly part of various
upl. However, one award stands out. The prize “Goalkeeper of the year” named after Lev Yashin, who for nearly 60 years, is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the football season in Russia. This year Igor became a ten-time winner. By the way, the Yashin, the champion of Europe-1960 and bronze medalist at the 1966 world Cup, won the prize only three times
in 1960, 1963 and 1965. But this is not the only achievement, in which Akinfeev has surpassed the legendary goalkeeper Moscow “Dynamo” and the USSR national team.

In the spring of 2017 Igor broke the record Yashin stood
for almost 50 years, according to the number of matches without conceding a goal in
domestic Championships. And the year before that, Igor has surpassed the record of another
the famous Soviet goalkeeper Rinat Dasaev — the total number of “dry”
matches for club and national team. These achievements Akinfeev has become the leader among domestic goalkeepers in history. And
at the same time, Igor is not going to stop. Domestic golkipera records, of course, will be improved.