Young guns blazing at CSKA

By Eduard Nisenboim

With a 4-0 lead from the first leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final tie against AJ Auxerre in Russia, PFC CSKA Moskva - who started their UEFA Cup campaign after finishing third in UEFA Champions League Group H - have proved that young players can work wonders at the highest level.

Young team
Coach Valeri Gazzaev showed considerable faith in young talent in his time as coach of both FC Dinamo Moskva and FC Alania Vladikavkaz, but the current CSKA side are youthful even by his usual standards. The 29-year-old Elvir Rahimic is their oldest player and nine of the favoured first XI are 22 or under.

Scouting network
The vast majority of these young stars come either directly from the club's academy or are the fruits of an exceptionally thorough scouting system. Teenaged goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, regarded by many as the new Lev Yashin, is a CSKA product through and through, the defensive duo of brothers Aleksei and Vassili Berezoutski came to the club as teenagers while midfield prodigy Yuri Zhirkov was discovered playing in the second division for FC Spartak Tambov.

Moldovan discovery
The CSKA network also has good contacts abroad. Nigerian winger Chidi Odiah, whose deflected strike opened the scoring against Auxerre, became the club's first African signing after spending three years in Moldova with FC Sheriff Tiraspol, while Miloš Krasic was spotted in Serbia and Montenegro's Under-21 side.

Latin jewels
However, the players regarded as the jewels in Gazzaev's crown are the South Americans. Brazilian playmaker Daniel Carvalho and Argentinian midfield player Osmar Ferreyra were both stars of the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, while Brazil striker Vágner Love was a hero for SE Palmeiras before heading to Russia.

Good investment
Those three players cost CSKA combined fees of more than €12m, a large amount by Russian standards, but bearing in mind their performances since moving to Moscow, money well spent. A fourth South American, 21-year-old Brazilian midfield player Dudu Cearense, is expected to impress too after joining the club in March.

Star goalkeeper
Nonetheless, the real star of the CSKA team is Akinfeev, who is yet to concede a goal in the Russian league this season. Having broken into the first team at the club when he was just 16, he has now been an important figure in the squad for three seasons and is demonstrating phenomenal ability.

Impressive statistics
Akinfeev has not conceded in six games - four in the league and two in the UEFA Cup - and is not about to let that run end against Auxerre. "I hate conceding goals and I am not going to concede any in France either," he said. "We talked about it as a team and we want a win. Nothing less will do."

Hungry youngsters
That CSKA's young bucks have set themselves such high standards is no surprise - after all, they are already under threat from a new generation of prodigies, like 18-year-old defender Vitali Denisov and 17-year-old striker Sergei Samodin, both of whom recently made their debuts in the Russian Cup. Gifted 18-year-old midfield player Ivan Taranov is waiting in the wings, while 19-year-old striker Sergei Pravosud made his first appearance at the weekend in a 5-0 win against FC Krylya Sovetov Samara.

Working overtime
"Our scouting department works every day of the year," explained CSKA president Evgeni Giner. "At the moment, we have a good squad. But we are watching players in Europe and South America carefully." CSKA are in fantastic form at the moment, but with their scouts still working overtime, they can ill afford to get complacent.