CSKAZ - 20 years

On May 18, 2005, the Army Club won the UEFA Cup. The first of the Russian clubs

In the mid-90s, the fans had such a short chant: “We need a goal, you need two, you need a UEFA Cup.” Personally, she always had fun. Especially when these seven words sang fans of CSKA. Because their brigade, after the victory in the championship of the USSR-1991, did not have enough stars from the sky, once reached silver and bronze in 1998 and 1999, respectively. What kind of Eurotrofey is there? Anyway, the achievements of other metropolitan clubs in the prestigious tournaments in the 90s could count on the fingers: “Spartak” reached the semifinals of the Champions Cup-91, the Cup Cup-93 and the UEFA-97 Cup; Dynamo jumped to the quarterfinals of the Cup Cup-96, and Lokomotiv in the same competition reached the semifinals in 1998 and 1999.

And in Soviet times, only blue and white ensembles danced effectively on European lawns. In 1972, the Moscow Dynamo became the first Soviet team to final the Cup Cup (but lost to the Glasgow Rangers). Three years later, this prize was won by their Kyiv teammates, overcoming in the decisive match “Ferencvarosh”. In 1981, Tbilisi enveloped the holiday when Vladimir Gutsaev and Vitaliy Daraselia were scored on the ball by the German “Karl Zeiss”. And in 1986, Valery Lobanovsky again brought the coveted “cup” to Kyiv (Madrid “Atletico” was defeated by Blokhin and 3-0).

And who could imagine that the UEFA Cup will technically “steal” the “gang”, which, I repeat, before coming to the kingdom of Evgeny Giner, did not scare opponents and, counting a penny, housed different stadiums. And who could have assumed that she would bring her to a fantastic triumph the coach, who would be previously resigned by the same tough and powerful cartridge for failures in work ... Yes, Valery Gazzaev climbed into the army river twice.

After the defeat in the golden battles from Lokomotiv in 2002 and embarrassment in fights with the Georgian and Albanian national team (Valery Georgievich and headed the national team), journalists waved a pen at him. Like, everything is clear with the mustachioed master: Victoria and Alania in 1995 will remain his only success, obtained thanks to the Ossetian vodka money. Many forever talked even to pronounce his name. When the next year the peppy CSKA grabbed Russian gold, most media representatives, as if having conspired, had merit this to President Evgeny Gineer, who, they say, “bought everything”.

Do you remember July 2003? The poster on the southern rostrum of the stadium in the Petrovsky Park during the match of the Champions League qualification round with Vardar read: “Gazzaev! Or in Prague, or on ... ". Further, as you understand, the word is unprintable. Then Valery Georgievich did not get to Prague, and Evgeny Lennovich pointed to the door to him. But at the fresh coach - the Portuguese Arthur Georges - something did not work out, and then Giner, contrary to all logic, succumbing to, apparently, for some sixth feeling, decided to return Gazzaev, who was about to sign a contract with Dynamo.

And he broke him to show him to the native club of Figes and return to CSKA again. Giner even christened the influential friends then crazy. The fans of the red-blue were in shock at all ...

And then Oleg Romantsev and the half -dead “Dynamo” deprive CSKA seems to be a well -deserved championship. Journalists again that there is urine mocks over Gazzaev, calling it a "eternal loser." But Valery Georgievich, with the support of the harsh owner, continued to bend his line. To bend stubbornly. As once, when he was a forward, he moved ahead, crushing defensive redoubts.

Dozens of defeats in European competitions and an unsuccessful romance with the Russian national team did not break him, but, on the contrary, made it stronger. Gazzaev stubbornly taught the mind of young homegrown football players. And in the end, he proved: in order to enchantingly feints in the international arena, no need to buy legionnaires in packs. First of all, you should work with your own talents, trust them and believe in them, despite mistakes. You must be able to endure and wait. Wait for their talent to open. Do not rush to extremes ... Sergey Ignashevich, Berezutskiy brothers, Igor Akinfeev, Evgeny Aldonin, Yuri Zhirkov, Rolan Gusev played throughout the tournament so that skeptics threw their hands only with their hands. Yes, they were greatly helped by Wagner Love, Ivitsa Olich, Carwallo, Elver Rakhimich and Milos Krasich. But you look into the directories and see in which composition CSKA jumped out with a hot May evening at Jose Alvalada.

But when in January 2005 the leadership of CSKA outlined a specific goal for the season - the victory in the UEFA Cup - half the country laughed. What a country! Even the defender Vasily Berezutsky later admitted: “When Gazzaev said what they want from us, I burst out laughing, and the rest were powerfully fenced ... After all, we didn’t crawl out of the Champions League ...”

Yes, competing with Port and Chelsea, the army team did not have enough good luck to take second place, but they were ahead of PSG, having received a chance to compete for a silver cup. And the spring feat of the red-blue, jumping into the playoffs of the draw from the main old-world festival, overgrown with honest myths: after clashes with the troupe from Moscow, “Benfy”, “Partizan”, “Oser” and “Parma” cried. These captures were so struck by the bookmakers that the Portuguese “Sporting” was considered the favorite of the finals only because of the factor of native walls ...

And white-green led in the score in their favorite stadium. But during the break, Gazzaev first arranged for the team a non -ethnic spray in the Russian style, laying out all the objects that came under the arm, and then said: “If we make today, no one would remember us. And if we prevail, you will fix in history forever. You will become the first in Russian football to achieve such progress. So think that you will tell your grandchildren later. ”

The guys thought and in twenty minutes dismantled the naked owners in the raging arena of Lisbon. 56th minute. Alexey Berezutsky - 1: 1. 65th minute. Yuri Zhirkov - 1: 2. 75th minute. Wagner Love - 1: 3.

And I still can’t forget how at two in the morning (after Captain Sergey Ignashevich will raise a 15-kilogram trophy over my head), 15 people drove the ball in the light of the moon near my house! Estimate what emotions the game of Gazzaev’s wards should have caused so that the fans decide to imagine themselves to be Berezutsky’s brothers, Wagner Lava and, of course, Yuri Zhirkov in not the best time for football? And none of the residents of nearby high -rise buildings, despite the wild screams, the explosions of firecrackers, and then songs and dances until the morning, showed discontent. Everyone understood everything perfectly.

After all, I repeat, the victory in the European competition seemed to us a unrealistic dream ... And twenty years ago, Evgeny Giner and Valery Gazzaev, who had not shaved his mustache (although he promised to do this after the battle with the “Oser”), and the entire armor-piercing blue squad fell into eternity, composing a new Russian fairy tale called “UEFA Cup-ours!”.

By the way, none of the domestic trainers will never catch this honorary trophy, because the football chiefs have reformatted this competition to the Europa League ...

AUCTION!
🎉 20 years ago, CSKA became the first domestic club to win the UEFA Cup!

Then the team players left autographs on the ball, which in the next seasons played in the Champions League. Whatever the signature is a legend. Igor Akinfeev is the chief football player of Russia in the 21st century. For many years, Sergei Ignashevich and the Berezutsky brothers constituted an impassable defense at his gate. Phenomenal Yuri Zhirkov, who scored a victorious goal, and Daniel Carvalia, recognized as the best player of that final. And Wagner Love, Ivitsa Olich, Chidi Odia, Rolan Gusev and other idols.

In 2008, the ball was presented with the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta, which celebrated its 15th anniversary.

🍀 Now the ball is auctioned by our partners, a telegram store "For dear people" !