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Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala were looking to challenge the best in their country and then go on to challenge the best in Europe in the UEFA Champions League, but financial problems to the club’s billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov has led to a change of strategy with a focus on young talent and the sale of their stars.
The troubled Russian republic of Dagestan is the home of Anzhi Makhachkala and the home state of Suleiman Kerimov, who on January 17, 2011, bought the club with the aim to make it one of the best in Europe.
The first top signing was that of ageing Brazilian Roberto Carlos from Corinthians, which Suleiman Kerimov followed-up by buying Yuriy Zhirkov from Chelsea FC, Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o from Internazionale Milan, Christopher Samba from Blackburn Rovers and a second time from Queens Park Rangers besides Brazilian Willian Borges da Silva from Shakhtar Donetsk to name just a few.
Samuel Eto’o was made the highest paid footballer in the world with a 20 Million Euros per annum salary while other players also received hefty pay packages with an aim to target a place in the UEFA Champions League, but last season the club only finished third to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Due to the political situation and security reasons, Anzhi train in Moscow and only play their home matches in the Dagestan capital of Makhachkala.
In recent weeks, there has been a lot happening at the club with first high profile Dutch coach Guus Hiddink leaving, then financial problems of owner Suleiman Kerimov making the rounds and the club then changing their strategy from high spending to build a young, talent team and developing an own youth development system.
Anzhi in a press statement had said, “The leadership of Anzhi has taken a decision to work out a new long term strategy for development of the club. We need to admit that the steps taken to achieve the maximum sporting results in the shortest time by buying expensive players did not lead to success.”
This budget reduction has led to an exodus of top class players, which started-off with the Russian trio Aleksandr Kokorin, Igor Denisov and Yuri Zhirkov leaving for 45 million Euros for Dinamo Moscow, then Moroccan Mbark Boussoufa joined Lokomotiv Moscow for €15 million and others are expected to leave as well with Samuel Eto’o on top of that list due to his exorbitant salary.
The case of Anzhi Makhachkala shows the risk of a football club being dependant on one rich person bankrolling the club and how quickly big spending can be cut-off if that person itself faces financial problems.
Currently Anzhi Makhachkala are second from bottom of the Russian Premier League and it could be a fight for top flight survival this season instead of chasing the title and UEFA Champions League spots.
