PFC CSKA Moscow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
CSKA Moscow

Full name	Профессиональный футбольный клуб ЦСКА
Nickname(s)	Koni (Horses) Krasno-sinie (Red-blues) Armeitsy (Army Men)
Founded	27 August 1911; 113 years ago (1911-08-27)
Ground	VEB Arena
Ground Capacity	30,457
Owner	VEB.RF
President	Yevgeni Giner
Head coach	Marko Nikolić
League	Russian Premier League
2023–24	Russian Premier League, 6th of 16

Professional Football Club CSKA, often called CSKA Moscow, is a famous football club from Moscow, Russia. The name CSKA comes from "Central Sports Club of the Army." The team plays its home games at the VEB Arena, which can hold 30,000 fans. Their team colors are red and blue.

CSKA is one of Russia's oldest football clubs, started in 1911. They had a very successful time after World War II, winning five titles in six seasons. Overall, they have won 7 Soviet Top League championships and 5 Soviet Cups. In 1991, they won both the league and the cup in the last season of the Soviet era.

After the Soviet Union ended, CSKA Moscow continued to win. They have won 6 Russian Premier League titles and 8 Russian Cups. In 2005, CSKA Moscow made history by becoming the first Russian club to win a European competition, the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, by beating Sporting CP in the final.

CSKA used to be the official team of the Soviet Army. After the Soviet Union broke up, the club became privately owned. Today, a state-owned company called VEB.RF controls most of the club's shares.

Club History: How CSKA Moscow Started

Changing Names: A Club's Journey

CSKA Moscow was founded in 1911. Like many clubs from the past Soviet Union, its name changed many times. For example, from 1928 to 1950, it was called CDKA Moscow.

Here are some of the names the club has used:

• 1911–22: Amateur Society of Skiing Sports (OLLS Moscow)
• 1923: Experimental & Demonstrational Playground of Military Education Association (OPPV)
• 1924–27: Experimental & Demonstrational Playground of Military Administration (OPPV)
• 1928–50: Sports Club of Central House of the Red Army (CDKA)
• 1951–56: Sports Club of Central House of the Soviet Army (CDSA)
• 1957–59: Central Sports Club of the Ministry of Defense (CSK MO)
• 1960–Present: Central Sports Club of Army (CSKA)

Early Days and First Wins

The CSKA football club began in 1911 as a football section within a skiing sports group.

OPPV emblem

In 1921, the team played in the Moscow championship final. In 1922, they won the spring Moscow championship and placed second in the autumn championship. They also won two other cups that year, showing their early strength.

The Soviet Era: Ups and Downs

Golden Age and Challenges (Until 1970)

The club had its most successful time right after Second World War. A legendary player named Grigory Fedotov, who is the team's best scorer ever, played for them. The team, often called the "Team of Lieutenants," finished second in the league in 1945.

CDKA emblem

They then won three championships in a row, which was a first for the league. In 1948, they won both the league and the USSR Cup. They won the league again in 1950. In 1951, playing as CDSA, they won both the championship and the cup again. Many top players, like Vsevolod Bobrov, played both football and ice hockey for the club.

Boris Arkadyev, CDKA coach

After these successful years, the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki brought a tough time for CDSA Moscow. Many of the club's players were on the national team. After a difficult loss to Yugoslavia, the club was forced to stop playing in the league and was even disbanded for a short time. Their coach, Boris Arkadiev, also faced consequences.

Albert Shesternyov, a top Soviet player and CDSA captain

However, CDSA Moscow was brought back in 1954. Soon after, they won the Soviet Cup in 1955. Fans had to wait 15 years for the next big win. In 1970, CSKA became Soviet champions for the sixth time. They won a thrilling playoff match against Dynamo Moscow, coming back from a 1-3 deficit to win 4-3. This win allowed them to play in the European Cup, where they beat Galatasaray but lost to Standard Liège.

Two Decades Without a Trophy (1971 to 1991)

In 1984, CSKA was relegated to the second division for the first time. They spent two seasons there before returning to the top league. However, they were relegated again in 1987. Despite these challenges, CSKA fought their way back.

In 1991, they won the very last football championship of the Soviet Union. They also won the Soviet Cup, completing a "golden double." This championship win qualified CSKA Moscow for the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League. They beat Icelandic team Víkingur Reykjavík and even defeated Spanish giants Barcelona. However, they were eliminated in the group stage after drawing two games and losing four.

The Modern Era: Back to the Top

Rising Again (1992 to 2004)

After the Soviet Union ended, CSKA Moscow was one of the first teams in the new Russian Top Division. For the first few years, they finished in the middle of the league table. In 1998, they finished second, and in 1999, they were third.

In 2002, under coach Valery Gazzaev, the team finished second and won the Russian Cup. In 2003, they won their first championship in the Russian Premier League. After a brief change in coaches, Valery Gazzaev returned in 2004, and CSKA finished as vice-champions again.

The Golden Years (2005 to 2010)

Akinfeev

Ignashevich

A.Berezutski

V.Berezutski

Zhirkov

Aldonin

Carvalho

Odiah

Rahimić

Olić

Vágner Love

The 2005 UEFA Cup Final starting lineup.

In 2004, CSKA played in the UEFA Champions League group stage. They finished third, which meant they moved to the UEFA Cup playoffs. CSKA started their UEFA Cup journey by beating Benfica. They then defeated Partizan and Auxerre to reach the semifinals.

Valery Gazzaev, coach during the golden era of the club

On May 18, 2005, CSKA made history! They became the first Russian team to win a European competition, the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. They beat Sporting 3-1 in Lisbon, Portugal. Although they lost the UEFA Super Cup to Liverpool, CSKA became the first Russian club to win a "treble" that year, by also winning the Russian championship and the Russian Cup.

In 2006, CSKA won all three national titles: the Premier League, the Russian Cup, and the Russian Super Cup. As champions, they played in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League but were eliminated in the group stage. They still won the Russian Super Cup that year.

CSKA players celebrating their victory in the 2008 Russian Cup

In 2008, CSKA won the Russian Cup for the fourth time. In 2009, they won the Russian Supercup for the fourth time and the Russian Cup for the fifth time. They also reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, beating Sevilla FC. They were eventually knocked out by Inter Milan.

Vágner Love, a club legend

The Slutsky Era: Consistent Success

Leonid Slutsky became the new head coach in October 2009. In 2010, the team finished second in the 2010 Russian Premier League and reached the Europa League round of 16.

Leonid Slutsky

In the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, CSKA made it to the knockout stage, finishing second in their group. They faced Real Madrid in the round of 16 but lost. In the 2011–12 Russian championship, they finished third. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, CSKA won their sixth Russian Cup in 2011.

In the 2012–13 season, CSKA won the Russian championship, their eleventh league title. They also won the Russian Cup, achieving another double.

As Russian champions, CSKA played in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League but were eliminated in the group stage. However, in the domestic league, they won their second championship title in a row.

CSKA Moscow team in 2014 against Manchester City in a UEFA Champions League match

In the 2015–16 season, CSKA reached the Champions League group stage. In the Premier League, they started with six wins in a row and eventually won their sixth Russian title (and 13th overall).

CSKA played in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League group stage but were eliminated. After this, coach Leonid Slutsky left the club.

Under Viktor Goncharenko

On December 12, 2016, Viktor Goncharenko became the new manager.

Viktor Goncharenko

In the 2016–17 Russian Premier League, CSKA finished second, qualifying for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League. They reached the group stage and then continued to the Europa League quarter-finals, where they lost to Arsenal.

In 2018, many key players left CSKA. However, the team still started the season well, staying in the top three in Russia. They even beat Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League group stage, winning both home and away matches (1–0 in Moscow and 3–0 in Madrid). Viktor Goncharenko left the club in March 2021.

Recent Coaches and Successes

After Goncharenko, former player Ivica Olić became head coach for a short time. Then, Aleksei Berezutski took over. In February 2022, CSKA faced some challenges due to international sanctions. Despite this, they had a strong run of six league wins in a row.

On June 15, 2022, Vladimir Fedotov was appointed as the new head coach. He led CSKA to second place in the 2022–23 Russian Premier League and also won the 2022–23 Russian Cup.

Home Stadium: VEB Arena

VEB Arena

CSKA used to have a small stadium called LFK CSKA, which could only hold 4,600 people.

Between 1961 and 2000, CSKA played at the Grigory Fedotov Stadium. This stadium was torn down in 2007 to build a new one, the Arena CSKA. While the new stadium was being built, CSKA played most of their games at Arena Khimki and Luzhniki Stadium. The Arena CSKA officially opened on September 10, 2016.

In 2017, CSKA Moscow sold the naming rights to VEB.RF, so the stadium became known as the VEB Arena. In 2018, CSKA decided to play their home UEFA Champions League matches at the larger Luzhniki Stadium.

Club Achievements: Trophies and Titles

Domestic Trophies

• Soviet Top League / Russian Premier League (Top League)
  • Winners (13): 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1970, 1991, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
  • Runners-up (13): 1938, 1945, 1949, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2022–23
• Soviet First League / Russian National Football League (Second League)
  • Winners: 1986, 1989
  • Runners-up: 1985
• Soviet Cup / Russian Cup
  • Winners (13): 1945, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1990–91, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2022–23
  • Runners-up (7): 1944, 1966–67, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2015–16
• Soviet Super Cup / Russian Super Cup
  • Winners (7): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018
  • Runners-up (5): 2003, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2023
• Other Domestic Cups
  • Winners: 1952

European Trophies

• UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
  • Winners: 2004–05
• UEFA Super Cup
  • Runners-up: 2005

Players: Who Plays for CSKA Moscow?

Current Squad

No. Position Player 3 DF Danil Krugovoy 4 DF Willyan Rocha 5 MF Saša Zdjelar 6 MF Maksim Mukhin 8 FW Artyom Shumansky 9 FW Saúl Guarirapa (on loan from Sochi) 10 MF Ivan Oblyakov 11 FW Tamerlan Musayev 13 DF Khellven 14 MF Yegor Ushakov 15 MF Miralem Pjanić 17 MF Kirill Glebov 19 MF Rifat Zhemaletdinov 20 FW Sékou Koïta

No. Position Player 21 MF Abbosbek Fayzullaev 22 DF Milan Gajić 23 GK Ilya Pomazun 25 MF Kristijan Bistrović 27 DF Moisés 31 MF Matvey Kislyak 35 GK Igor Akinfeev (captain) 45 GK Danila Bokov 46 FW Vladislav Yakovlev 49 GK Vladislav Torop 77 DF Ilya Agapov 78 DF Igor Diveyev 90 DF Matvey Lukin

Players on Loan

No. Position Player GK Vladimir Shaykhutdinov (at Volga Ulyanovsk until 30 June 2025) DF Bruno Fuchs (at Atlético Mineiro until 31 December 2024) DF Yegor Noskov (at SKA-Khabarovsk until 30 June 2025) DF Amirhossein Reyvandi (at Bukhara until 31 December 2024) DF Mikhail Ryadno (at Rodina Moscow until 31 December 2024)

No. Position Player MF Sid Ahmed Aissaoui (at Sheriff Tiraspol until 30 June 2025) MF Renat Golybin (at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk until 30 June 2025) MF Víctor Méndez (at Krylia Sovetov Samara until 30 June 2025) MF Andrey Savinov (at Tyumen until 30 June 2025) FW Adolfo Gaich (at Antalyaspor until 30 June 2025)

Retired Numbers

• 12 – Club supporters (the 12th man)
• 16 – Serhiy Perkhun, goalkeeper (2001) – honored after his death

Famous Players of CSKA Moscow

Many great players have played for CSKA Moscow. Here are some of them, especially those who played for their national teams while at CSKA (names in bold).

From USSR/Russia

From Europe

From South America

From Africa

From Asia

Club Officials and Coaches

Club Leadership and Coaching Staff

Coaching History: Who Led the Team?

Many coaches have led CSKA Moscow throughout its history. Here are some of them:

Nationality	Name	From	To	Duration	P	W	D	L	Win %
Soviet Union	Pavel Khalkiopov	1936	1936
Soviet Union	Mikhail Rushchinsky	1937	1939
Soviet Union	Sergey Bukhteyev	1940	1941
Soviet Union	Pyotr Yezhov	1941	1941
Soviet Union	Yevgeni Nikishin	1942	1944
Soviet Union	Boris Arkadyev	1944	1952
Soviet Union	Grigori Pinaichev	1954	1957
Soviet Union	Boris Arkadyev	1958	1959
Soviet Union	Grigori Pinaichev	1959	1960
Soviet Union	Konstantin Beskov	1961	1962
Soviet Union	Vyacheslav Solovyov	1963	1964
Soviet Union	Valentin Nikolayev	1964	1965
Soviet Union	Sergei Shaposhnikov	1966	1967
Soviet Union	Vsevolod Bobrov	1967	1969
Soviet Union	Valentin Nikolayev	1970	1973
Soviet Union	Vladimir Agapov	1973	1974
Soviet Union	Anatoly Tarasov	1975	1975
Soviet Union	Aleksei Mamykin	1976	1977
Soviet Union	Vsevolod Bobrov	1977	1978
Soviet Union	Sergei Shaposhnikov	1979	1979
Soviet Union	Oleh Bazylevych	1980	1982
Soviet Union	Albert Shesternyov	1982	1983
Soviet Union	Sergei Shaposhnikov	1983	1983
Soviet Union	Yury Morozov	1984	1987
Soviet Union	Sergei Shaposhnikov	1987	1988
Soviet Union  Russia	Pavel Sadyrin	1989	1992
Russia	Gennadi Kostylev	1992	1993
Russia	Boris Kopeykin	1993	1994
Russia	Aleksandr Tarkhanov	5 July 1994	23 January 1997	2 years, 202 days	91	47	18	26	51.65
Russia	Pavel Sadyrin	23 January 1997	2 July 1998	1 year, 160 days	54	16	16	22	29.63
Russia	Oleg Dolmatov	2 July 1998	29 May 2000	1 year, 332 days	65	39	12	15	60
Russia	Pavel Sadyrin	1 July 2000	2 October 2001	1 year, 93 days	24	12	3	9	50
Russia	Valery Gazzaev	2 October 2001	24 November 2003	2 years, 53 days	80	48	14	18	60
Portugal	Artur Jorge	24 November 2003	12 July 2004	231 days	20	9	7	4	45
Russia	Valery Gazzaev	12 July 2004	22 November 2008	4 years, 133 days	213	119	52	42	55.87
Brazil	Zico	9 January 2009	10 September 2009	244 days	28	14	5	9	50
Spain	Juande Ramos	10 September 2009	26 October 2009	46 days	9	4	1	4	44.44
Russia	Leonid Slutsky	26 October 2009	7 December 2016	7 years, 42 days	287	160	57	70	55.75
Belarus	Viktor Goncharenko	12 December 2016	22 March 2021	4 years, 100 days	183	92	40	51	50.27
Croatia	Ivica Olić	23 March 2021	15 June 2021	84 days	9	4	1	4	44.44
Russia	Aleksei Berezutski	15 June 2021	15 June 2022	1 year, 0 days	34	18	5	11	52.94
Russia	Vladimir Fedotov	15 June 2022	Present	2 years, 364 days	2	2	0	0	100

Club Identity: Owners, Sponsors, and Fans

Who Owns and Sponsors CSKA Moscow?

Fans and Rivalries

CSKA Moscow fans

CSKA Moscow fans have good relationships with fans from other clubs, like Partizan in Serbia and CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria.

The club's biggest rival is Spartak Moscow. Their matches are known as the "Main Moscow derby."

Team Nicknames

CSKA was first nicknamed Horses because their stadium was built on an old horse racing track. At first, some found this offensive. But over time, it became a proud nickname. Today, players and fans use "The Horses" along with other nicknames like Army Men and Red-Blues.

Club Records: Top Players

Most Appearances for CSKA Moscow

Igor Akinfeev has played the most games for CSKA, with 751 appearances.

	Name	Years	League	Cup	Europe	Other1	Total
1	Igor Akinfeev	2003–present	568 (0)	53 (0)	132 (0)	14 (0)	767 (0)
2	Sergei Ignashevich	2004–2018	381 (35)	39 (6)	111 (5)	9 (0)	540 (46)
3	Vasili Berezutski	2002–2018	376 (9)	40 (0)	105 (4)	10 (0)	531 (13)
4	Aleksei Berezutski	2001–2018	341 (8)	46 (0)	106 (3)	9 (0)	502 (11)
5	Vladimir Fedotov	1960–1975	382 (92)	42 (8)	3 (0)	0 (0)	427 (100)
6	Alan Dzagoev	2008–2022	282 (55)	32 (5)	78 (17)	5 (0)	397 (77)
7	Vladimir Polikarpov	1962–1974	341 (75)	38 (8)	4 (0)	0 (0)	383 (83)
9	Georgi Shchennikov	2008–2023	257 (6)	23 (1)	74 (3)	7 (0)	367 (10)
8	Deividas Šemberas	2002–2012	254 (1)	37 (0)	70 (0)	6 (1)	367 (2)
10	Elvir Rahimić	2001–2014	240 (6)	36 (0)	64 (0)	7 (0)	347 (6)
11	Dmitri Bagrich	1958–1970	313 (1)	18 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	331 (1)
12	Dmitri Galiamin	1981–1991	299 (3)	29 (3)	2 (0)	0 (0)	330 (6)
13	Sergei Semak	1994–2004	282 (68)	25 (9)	21 (6)	1 (0)	329 (84)
14	Mario Fernandes	2012–2022	259 (9)	19 (2)	48 (0)	3 (0)	329 (11)
15	Volodymyr Kaplychnyi	1966–1975	288 (5)	35 (1)	4 (0)	0 (0)	327 (6)
16	Kirill Nababkin	2009–2024	237 (4)	39 (0)	43 (1)	5 (0)	324 (5)
17	Dmitri Kuznetsov	1984–1991, 1992, 1997–1998	292 (49)	29 (5)	2 (0)	0 (0)	323 (54)
18	Evgeni Aldonin	2004–2013	213 (6)	31 (5)	66 (2)	5 (0)	315 (13)
19	Albert Shesternyov	1959–1972	278 (1)	23 (0)	4 (0)	0 (0)	305 (1)
20	Aleksey Grinin	1939–1952	246 (82)	34 (18)	0 (0)	13 (4)	293 (104)

¹Includes Russian Super Cup, Russian Premier League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Top Goalscorers for CSKA Moscow

Vagner Love scored 124 goals in 259 games for CSKA.

	Name	Years	League	Cup	Europe	Other1	Total
1	Grigory Fedotov	1938–1949	128 (160)	10 (18)	0 (0)	18 (23)	161 (196)
2	Vágner Love	2004–2011, 2013	85 (169)	8 (27)	30 (57)	1 (6)	124 (259)
3	Valentin Nikolayev	1940–1952	81 (201)	23 (36)	0 (0)	14 (16)	118 (253)
4	Aleksey Grinin	1939-1952	82 (246)	18 (34)	0 (0)	4 (13)	104 (293)
5	Vsevolod Bobrov	1945–1949	84 (79)	18 (20)	0 (0)	0 (0)	102 (99)
6	Vladimir Fedotov	1960–1975	92 (382)	8 (42)	0 (3)	0 (0)	100 (427)
7	Vladimir Dyomin	1941-1952, 1954	80 (195)	15 (35)	0 (0)	3 (8)	98 (238)
8	Seydou Doumbia	2010–2014, 2015	66 (108)	5 (11)	23 (30)	1 (1)	95 (150)
9	Boris Kopeikin	1969-1977	71 (223)	21 (37)	2 (4)	0 (0)	94 (264)
10	Fyodor Chalov	2016–present	76 (197)	9 (32)	4 (30)	0 (2)	89 (261)
11	Yuri Chesnokov	1975–1983	72 (252)	14 (35)	1 (2)	0 (0)	87 (289)
12	Sergei Semak	1994–2004	68 (282)	9 (25)	6 (21)	0 (1)	84 (329)
13	Vladimir Polikarpov	1962-1974	75 (341)	8 (38)	0 (4)	0 (0)	83 (383)
14	Valeri Masalitin	1987–1989, 1990–1992, 1993	73 (134)	5 (20)	0 (2)	0 (0)	78 (156)
15	Alan Dzagoev	2008–2022	55 (282)	5 (32)	17 (78)	0 (5)	77 (397)
16	Aleksandr Tarkhanov	1976–1984	61 (249)	10 (33)	1 (2)	0 (0)	72 (284)
17	Vladimir Kulik	1997–2001	49 (140)	14 (18)	0 (4)	- (-)	63 (162)
18	Ahmed Musa	2012–2016, 2018	48 (135)	6 (15)	7 (32)	0 (2)	61 (184)
19	Igor Korneev	1985–1991	48 (144)	9 (20)	0 (2)	0 (0)	57 (166)
20	Dmitri Kuznetsov	1984–1991, 1992, 1997–1998	49 (292)	5 (29)	0 (2)	0 (0)	54 (323)

¹Includes Russian Super Cup, Russian Premier League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

CSKA Women's Team

CSKA also has a women's football team. It was first formed in 1990. After the Soviet Union ended, it played in Russia's top league for two seasons before stopping.

In 2016, a new women's team was registered as CSKA. In July 2017, it became an official part of the CSKA club. Two months later, the team won its first title, the Russian Women's Cup.

Recently, CSKA Women have been very successful. They won two Russian championships in a row in 2019 and 2020. They also made their first appearance in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

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See also

In Spanish: PFC CSKA Moscú para niños