Vitaly Mutko, Russian sports minister and president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), wasn’t happy after Russia’s 3-0 defeat to Wales in the final fixtures of the EURO group stage.
“As I said before the game, our team’s performance will demonstrate the real level of our football,” Mutko said. “And that’s precicely what happened. This only means such is the level of our football and we must work at it. Also we must admit there are no top-rate players in our team today and that’s the objective situation.”
Mutko then spoke about the future of the Russian national team:
“The national championship must grow and new players should emerge. We must care for it, not tarnish one another.”
As Mutko rightly pointed out, the Russian national team lacks the top-rate players it had in 2008 for example, but an even bigger problem is several key members in the squad have reached an age that makes their participation at the 2018 World Cup highly questionable.
But what will Sbornaya anno 2018 look like?
Goalkeepers:
After some high-profile mistakes, CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev redeemed himself at the EURO, being Sbornaya’s best man by far. Despite still looking like a teenager, Akinfeev turned 30 earlier this year, and he is no longer the promising young talent he used to be. On the contrary, he will be at his best age when the World Cup kicks off, and unless something unexpected happens, he’ll be the man between the posts when Russia take the field at Luzhniki for the opening match.
When that is said, he will be challenged by younger forces in Zenit’s Yuri Lodygin and FC Krasnodar’s Stanislav Kritsyuk, who will be 28 and 27 by the time the World Cup kicks off, and at the moment seem to be only getting better and better.
Defenders:
The defence is where the Russian worries lies. The recent EURO exit proved that the Sergei Ignashevich’ and Vasiliy Berezutskiy’s expiration dates are getting closer and closer, and there is little doubt that they gave birth to many frustrations for the Russian fans betting on the Euros.
Ignashevich turns 37 in July, and Berezutskiy and his twin brother Aleksey recently turned 34, meaning it is unrealistic that any of them will be around in two years’ time. The same can be said about left back Yuri Zhirkov who turns 33 later this summer.
At left back, Russia luckily have enough options with Dmitri Kombarov being 29 and Georgi Shchennikov 25, while also having Rubin Kazan’s 21-year-old Elmir Nabiullin getting closer and closer to the team.
In central defence things are more worrying. Recently-naturalized Roman Neustädter can play the position, but except for him, there are no obvious replacements for the CSKA defenders.
Terek’s Andrey Semenov, Rostov’s Ivan Novoseltsev, Spartak’s Vladimir Granat and CSKA’s Viktor Vasin and Nikita Chernov were all tested during the qualification for the EURO, but none of them have proved worthy of picking up the mantel from the experienced CSKA pair. With a bit of luck however, 20-year-old Benfica defender Vitaly Lystsov will develop into a corner stone on Sbornaya, but given the fact that he is yet to receive his debut for the first team, his actual level is still unknown.
At right back, Zenit’s Igor Smolnikov will be 29 in time for the World Cup, and he could end up as the only repetition from the EURO.
Midfielders:
In midfield, we are likely to have seen the last of CSKA midfielder Roman Shirokov who’ll be 36, almost 37, when the World Cup starts. It speaks to Shirokov’s advantage that he got a late start to his career, which could mean that he is less worn that other players his age.
Aleksandr Samedov, 31, Dmitri Torbinski, 32 and Igor Denisov, 32, all have the age that means they could be on the way out too.
On a brighter note, Pavel Mamev, Oleg Shatov, Magomed Ozdoev, Aleksandr Golovin, Denis Cheryshev, Alan Dzagoev, Aleksey Ionov, Oleg Ivanov, and Denis Glushakov all have the right age to compete at the World Cup, and they can be strengthened by talented guys such as Lokomotiv’s Aleksey Miranchuk and Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Spartak’s Roman Zobnin, Dinamo’s Aleksandr Tashaev or Rubin’s Ilzat Akhmetov.
Strikers:
Sbornaya is also pretty set up front with only 33-year-old Aleksandr Kerzhakov having an age that disqualifies him for the World Cup.
In 2018, Artem Dzyuba will be 29, Fedor Smolov 28, and Aleksandr Kokorin 27, and they could be supported by the young Zenit striker Ramil Sheydaev who will be 22 by 2018.
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