Bibras Natkho is One of a Kind

October 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Rubin midfielder Bibras Natkho is not your typical player. He possesses elite awareness, great passing ability and has an eye for goal. He knows exactly when to push forward and when to hold back. He has a skillset that a lot of players in world football don’t possess. But he also possesses something else that isn’t typical. "I'm a Muslim, but at the same time it's important to me that I live in Israel and that I'm a citizen of that country," Natkho shared in an interview with a Russian … [Read more...]

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Round Table: National Team Update

September 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Rob (@RobDillonMTA) - Journalist who specializes in Russian football, Editor of More Than Arshavin Xavier (@AxeMurderer60) - French Russian football fan and CSKA supporter Ashraff (@serapdesengal) - Loko supporter and student in Moscow Andy (@AndyShenk) - Moscow based writer and Russian language translator, Andy supports Anzhi _______________________________________________________________________________ 1) Who played best for Russia over the international break? Rob: … [Read more...]

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Capello’s Men Victorious at Petrovsky

September 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A brilliant second half performance by Fabio Capello's side earned three much needed points in their 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Israel. Russia's goals were scored by Vasili Berezutski, Aleksandr Kokorin and Denis Glushakov, while Eran Zahavi's header was just a mere consolation for the away side. Under pressure to get maximum points from this game, Capello made two changes from the side that thrashed Luxembourg 4-1 in Kazan on Friday. Lokomotiv's winger Alexander Samedov came in … [Read more...]

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Capello Announces Squad for Luxembourg and Israel Qualifiers

August 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Russia boss Fabio Capello announced his final squad for the upcoming Luxembourg and Israel World Cup qualifiers. Russia, 2nd in Group F with 12 points and a game in hand on 1st-place Portugal (14 points), will host Luxembourg in Kazan on September 6 and Israel in St. Petersburg on September 10. Capello's men have yet to face Luxembourg, last in the group, though competitive with three draws in six outings. Israel, meanwhile, fell to Russia 4-0 at home last September and will be seeking … [Read more...]

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Capello Names Preliminary Roster for September Qualifiers

August 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

National team coach Fabio Capello's preliminary roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Russia face Luxembourg on September 6 in Kazan and Israel on September 10 in St. Petersburg. The final squad will be released at a later date. Goalies: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA), Vladimir Gabulov (Anzhi), Sergei Ryzhikov (Rubin), Aleksandr Filtsov (Krasnodar) Defenders: Aleksandr Anyukov (Zenit), Aleksei Berezutski, Vasili Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich, Kirill Nababkin, Georgi Schennikov (CSKA), Vladimir … [Read more...]

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Same Old Story: Nightmare in Belfast Threatens Russia’s World Cup Hopes

August 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In the midst of congested domestic and continental fixtures, the postponed World Cup qualifying match between Russia and Northern Ireland was held at 13,000-seater Windsor Park, just outside Belfast City Center. The match, which was supposed to be played last March, was postponed due to poor field conditions when a snowstorm unexpectedly hit. Even though the fixture was delayed, it did not stop a strong contingent of Russian supporters from making the journey to Belfast Wednesday. A few new … [Read more...]

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2014 World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group F

FIXTURES September 6, 2013: Russia 4-1 Luxembourg Northern Ireland 4-2 Portugal September 7, 2013: Israel - Azerbaijan September 10, 2013: Russia - Israel Luxembourg - Northern Ireland October 11, 2013: Portugal - Israel Luxembourg - Russia Azerbaijan - Northern Ireland October 15, 2013: Israel - Northern Ireland Portugal - Luxembourg Azerbaijan - Russia RESULTS September 7, 2012: Russia 2-0 Northern Ireland Luxembourg 1-2 Portugal Azerbaijan 1-1 … [Read more...]

2014 World Cup Qualifying

FIXTURES & RESULTS … [Read more...]