By Richard van Poortvliet
August 7 – The Anzhi project, to transform a side with little prior success from one of Russia’s poorest regions, into a European powerhouse happened almost overnight. However, this dream looks as though it could be unravelling just as quickly as it was formed with owner Suleiman Kerimov (pictured) taking an axe to the club’s budgets.
I recently wrote about the problems Anzhi had been facing over the last six months, after a fairy-tale start for Kemirov (www.insideworldfootball.com/richard-van-poortvliet/13023-richard-van-poortvliet-money-can-t-buy-you-love-just-ask-anzhi). However, not even I could have expected how events could have unfolded over the last 12 hours.
The days of lavishing €35 million on Willian, or paying Eto’o a weekly salary of just over €400,000 are gone. A club spokesman, Konstantin Remchukov, said: “The main news is that the club has decided to take a different path. A number of high profile players will leave and the budget will be around $50-70 million a year.” This is a significant decrease from the $180 million that the club lavished on wages and transfer fees last season.
Despite seeing their budget slashed, Anzhi will still have funding that many of their rivals in the Russian Premier League would be jealous of. Anzhi board member German Tkachenko said: “The most important thing is that Suleiman Kerimov will be staying with the club. OK, it may not have been the best timing, but believe me, he had his reason’s for making this decision (budget cuts).”
Just like Roman Abramovich, who was the first Russian oligarch to take control of a football club, Kemirov has never given an interview to a Russian news outlet.
The billionaire has never explained his reasoning for buying Anzhi, or why so much money was spent on players, in a region of Russia, which suffers from acute poverty and unemployment. The accepted reasons are that Kerimov was born in the Dagestan region and took over the club as a way of giving something back to the people of his homeland.
Speculation has been rife over why Kerimov has suddenly decided to change the club’s direction away from signing expensive world-class players, to a more cost-manageable operation. The Internet in Russia has gone into overdrive with rumours, such as Kerimov being in ill health (this was subsequently denied), to the Anzhi owner losing interest in the project.
Other theories, such as the club’s requirement to fall into line with UEFA’s financial fairplay guidelines, are also likely wide of the mark. With Makhachkala being one of the poorest cities in Russia, the club would make very little money from ticket sales or merchandise, and the only way Anzhi could compete at a high level domestically, is through a wealthy backer.
Kerimov recently lost about $500 million after Uralkali, the world’s biggest potash producer which part-own, lost a deal with the Belarus Potash Company which had given the company significant control of the world market. Despite this, Kerimov was still worth over $3 billion.
Guus Hiddink’s decision to resign from his position as head coach at the end of July raises questions about how long Kerimov has been thinking about reorganising the club.
Hiddink is more than comfortable living in Moscow and had enjoyed the idea of trying to create a lasting legacy in Makhachkala. For him to resign his post after just two matches of the season, after signing a new one-year contract, suggests he was aware of the turmoil within the club and jumped before he was pushed.
The bust-up between Igor Denisov and Samuel Eto’o may have been the last straw for Kerimov. Denisov, who’s no stranger to conflict with expensive foreign players, clashed with Eto’o and Lassana Diarra. Kerimov sided with the Cameroonian and Frenchman, rather than with the volatile captain of Russia.
It is speculation, but perhaps the Anzhi owner began to wonder if there was any point in trying to assemble an all-conquering side if there is always going to be personal infighting? The conflict amongst the Anzhi players occurred following the resignation of Hiddink. It is unlikely such an incident would have occurred with the Dutchman still at the helm.
Turning Anzhi into one of the biggest and most successful clubs in Europe may be just an impossible dream. Players will always be attracted to playing in Paris, Milan or Madrid. In contrast, Makhachkala is located in one of the most dangerous regions in Russia and Kermiov would always have to pay potential players two or three times the going rate in order to convince them to play for his club.
A trophy, a long run in last season’s Europa League, or qualification for this season’s Champions League may have bought the Anzhi project some more time. However, with the odds stacked against him, perhaps Kerimov realised that fantasy football wasn’t for him.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734801327labto1734801327ofdlr1734801327owedi1734801327sni@t1734801327eilvt1734801327roopn1734801327avdra1734801327hcir1734801327