For the sake of the family, Igor Akinfeev’s wife Ekaterina Gerun sacrificed her own career, but she had already managed to prove herself as a model and actress, but after the birth of two children she decided that the most important thing for her now was their health, as well as the well-being of her husband, who today is the best Russian goalkeeper.

Today Katya is exclusively concerned with the house, caring for the children and her beloved husband.

Personal life of Igor Akinfeev

The footballer has never been sociable with representatives of the press, and he especially does not like to answer questions related to his personal life, so many people learn about all the events taking place in it almost by accident.

So, Igor dated Valeria Yakunchikova for a long time, and his friends and acquaintances were almost sure that soon the daughter of the administrator of the CSKA hockey club and the granddaughter of the famous coach Valery Nepomniachtchi, in whose honor Leroux was named, and Igor Akinfeev would get married.

In the photo - Igor Akinfeev and Valeria Yakunchikova

Valeria also hoped for this, but Igor’s feelings for Ekaterina Gerun interfered with the relationship of the loving couple, and he broke up with his former lover, whom he had dated for several years. The breakup was very painful for Akinfeev’s ex-girlfriend - she could not forgive Igor for his betrayal and took it as a betrayal.

It came as a huge surprise to everyone that Igor had married, not Valeria, but another woman, and even managed to become a father - by that time, Catherine had given birth to his first child, his son Daniel.

The footballer’s wife, like him, is also a secretive person, so it is not known how and where she met her future husband; we can only say that before meeting him, Gerun did not particularly respect athletes, considering them frivolous people.

In the photo - Akinfeev with his wife

Igor Akinfeev was able to dispel this opinion and conquered Catherine with his views on life, seriousness and prudence. Her parents quickly accepted Igor into their family, and their daughter’s future husband also made a great impression on them.

Igor Akinfeev's wife

Ekaterina Gerun was born in Kyiv on November 1, 1986. All of her childhood and youth were spent in Ukraine, where she graduated not only from high school, but also from university, receiving a degree in chemistry. Katya’s external data allowed her to win prizes at local beauty contests, and in the fight for the right to represent Ukraine at the Miss Universe competition, she took fourth place.

Ekaterina Gerun

Ekaterina Gerun successfully began her modeling career, starred in several films in France, played a French student in the domestic film “Lectures for Housewives,” and took part in the filming of video clips of famous performers, including Sergei Lazarev.

Igor Akinfeev’s wife improves not only her external beauty by playing sports and leading an active lifestyle, but also develops spiritually - Ekaterina reads a lot, loves to visit museums and galleries.

Igor adores his wife, pleases her with pleasant surprises and gifts, and she does everything possible to ensure that he always feels comfortable and warm at home.

In the photo - Igor Akinfeev’s wife and son

Two years ago, Catherine gave birth to her second child, daughter Evangelina, and this became the best gift for her loving husband.

Brief biography of Igor Akinfeev

Igor was born in the Moscow region, in the city of Vidnoye on April 8, 1986. He started playing football early - at the age of four he was sent to the CSKA children's and youth school and from the second training he was already in goal.

Igor Akinfeev went to his first training camp with his team when he was eight years old, and this became a real test for the young football player, who, together with his comrades, had to go to training in any weather, including pouring rain.

The real reward for the young goalkeeper was a trip to a tournament in Yugoslavia, where after the match Igor was invited by the head of the football association of the republic, Miljanich, who, after watching his play, said that he saw in him the second Lev Yashin.

After graduating from high school, Akinfeev entered the Academy of Physical Culture, from which he graduated in 2009, defending his diploma on the topic “Technical and tactical actions of a goalkeeper during a football match.”

At the age of sixteen, Igor Akinfeev became the champion of Russia, in the same year he signed his first contract with CSKA and received a call to the Russian youth team. In its composition, he played his first match with the Swedish national team.

Igor made his debut at the “adult level” in the spring of 2003 - against St. Petersburg Zenit, and he helped his team play a draw. After his debut match in the Premier League with the Krylya Sovetov football team, Igor was recognized as the best player of the match - he earned this title because he was able to protect his goal from a penalty in the last minute.

And the CSKA goalkeeper was recognized as the best player in the country in the 2004 season, when his team became the silver medalist of the championship. At the same time, he took third place among the thirty-three best and was named the best young goalkeeper in the world according to the Fox Sports channel. In March 2017, Akinfeev became captain of the Russian football team.

Igor Vladimirovich Akinfeev is the permanent gatekeeper of the Russian national football team, master of sports of Russia, winner of the UEFA Cup, six-time champion of Russia, bronze medalist of the 2008 European Championship.

Childhood of Igor Akinfeev

Igor Akinfeev’s parents are Vladimir Vasilyevich and Irina Vladimirovna, and the football player also has a brother, Evgeniy.

Igor loved football since childhood; when he was four years old, his parents began taking him to his first training sessions at the CSKA Children's and Youth School, and the boy was two years younger than the other students. After the second training session, Desideriy Fedorovich Kovach, the young football player’s first coach, realized that Igor was a born goalkeeper.

In 2002, Igor became the champion of Russia as part of the CSKA junior team. In the same year, he graduated from the football academy and signed his first professional contract (CSKA reserve team). Over the entire season, since joining the club in July, Igor Akinfeev played 10 matches, conceding a total of 14 goals. According to the results of the reserves championship, his team took eleventh place, and Akinfeev was called back to the youth team. In August of the same year, he made his debut in the youth team in a match against the Swedish team.

Igor Akinfeev received his secondary education at Moscow School No. 704. In 2003, after graduating, he entered the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. In 2009, he successfully defended his thesis on the topic “Technical and tactical actions of a goalkeeper during a football match.” Thus, the youngest goalkeeper of the CSKA club became a certified football specialist.

Igor Akinfeev in professional sports

Season 2002/03. Pre-season training camps with the main team took place in Israel. After the first match, the Sport-Express newspaper expressed an opinion about the new goalkeeper: “He made a splash with his confident, mature play, looked stronger than Mandrykin.”

On March 29, 2003, Igor Akinfeev played his first match at the “adult” level (1/8 finals against Zenit). In the second half, he came on instead of Viktor Kramarenko, demonstrating a good reaction - CSKA played a draw. On May 31, Akinfeev made his debut in the Premier League; In the match with Krylya Sovetov, the CSKA team won 2:0, and Akinfeev himself distinguished himself by saving a penalty in the last minute. Igor was recognized as the best player of the match.

At the championship of the 2003 season, Igor Akinfeev played 13 matches with 11 goals conceded, and became the champion of Russia - Akinfeev’s first achievement in big football.

In the 2003 season, Igor Akinfeev made his debut in the Eurocup against the Vardar football club. The match, which took place on July 30, ended in favor of Macedonia (1:2). Football star of the 80s, goalkeeper Rinat Dasaev expressed the opinion that Akinfeev was not to blame for the missed goals.

On September 5, Igor made his debut as a member of the Russian Olympic team in a match against the Irish national team, which ended with a score of 2:0 in favor of the Irish. The second match of the Olympic team with the participation of Akinfeev against the Swiss team also brought defeat to Russia (2:1).

Season 2003/04. Cup of Russia. Akinfeev made his debut in the match on November 5 against the Elets team. The competition ended with the victory of CSKA with a score of 3:1. In the second match of the 1/8 finals, Igor Akinfeev won 4:0 in favor of the army team.

On April 28, 2004, Igor Akinfeev’s first match took place in the main squad of the national team.

Season 2004. On March 7, in the Super Cup match against Spartak, Igor Akinfeev spent all 90 minutes of the game on the field, missing the only goal in the 14th minute. The score is 3:1 in favor of the army team. This season, he became a regular player in the team's main squad, and in the first three matches he invariably appeared on the field in the starting lineup of CSKA.

In the third round, in the match against Samara, Akinfeev received a red card for a brawl and was sent off the field in the last minutes of the game. The fight occurred due to the fault of midfielder Koroman, who, after the Cowboy scored a goal, hit the ball that bounced off the net and hit the goalkeeper in the face. For such a violation, Igor Akinfeev was disqualified for five matches. In total this season he played 26 matches and conceded 15 goals. As a result, the CSKA team won silver medals, and Igor was recognized as the best goalkeeper in Russia, as well as, according to the Fox Sports TV channel, the best young goalkeeper, included in the list of “33 best” at number 3.

Akinfeev began the fight for the Russian Cup from the 1/8 finals. In the final, the army team beat Khimki with a score of 1:0 and won the Cup for the second time. Akinfeev played seven matches with three goals conceded.

On July 27, 2004, he made his debut in the Champions League in a match against the Azerbaijani club Neftchi. The match was drawn. In the return game, CSKA won with a score of 2:0. Having beaten the Scots, the team entered the group stage, during which Igor played all six matches on the field, conceding five goals. As a result, CSKA took third place and got the opportunity to continue playing in the UEFA Cup.

In the 2005 season, Igor Akinfeev won the UEFA Cup.

Season 2006. At the group tournament, Akinfeev managed not to concede a goal for 362 minutes. During this period, many fans compared him to Lev Yashin, Igor’s authority as a goalkeeper grew so much that he began to be considered the most promising goalkeeper.

Season 2007. In the spring, information appeared that the London Arsenal were interested in a promising player. But in an interview, Igor Akinfeev said that he is not going to leave CSKA for the next 4 years.

Injury to Igor Akinfeev (Rostov - CSKA, 2007)

On the 8th round of the Russian Championship on May 6, in a match against Rostov, Igor was injured: while fighting for a penalty ball, he landed unsuccessfully, tearing the cruciate ligaments of his knee. Doctors predicted the goalkeeper's absence from big-time football until the end of the season, but Akinfeev returned to the team before the end of the championship thanks to intensive treatment.

On November 3, as part of the 29th round of the championship against Kuban, Akinfeev played his first match after injury. CSKA won with a score of 1:0.

Season 2008. In January, Igor Akinfeev extended his contract with CSKA until 2011. The 16th round of the Russian Premier League in the match between CSKA and Krylia Sovetov became his 100th clean sheet; it ended in a draw. Igor became the youngest goalkeeper with such an impressive result.

In the Russian Championship this season, Akinfeev played 30 matches, conceding 24 goals. He missed part of the qualifying cycle for Euro 2008 due to injury, but still played 5 matches, conceding 8 goals: Four goals in the first game against Spain, one in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, and three in the semi-finals with Spain. At the end of the championship, Russia took bronze place.

Season 2009. At the Russian Championship in the 4th round match on April 12 (CSKA - Lokomotiv), Igor Akinfeev missed his hundredth goal. In the same year, he entered the top five best goalkeepers in the world according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Season 2010. In the fall, Akinfeev played with varying degrees of success. In the match with the Slovak national team, the army team was defeated - the match ended with a score of 0:1. In the match with the Macedonian national team, the goalkeeper took a penalty, the match ended in victory with a score of 1:0. The match with the Belgium national team ended in defeat.

Interview with Igor Akinfeev (All life in gloves)

Season 2011. On May 22, CSKA won the 5th Russian Cup. On August 28, on the 22nd round of the championship in a match against Spartak, Igor was injured again. On September 7, he underwent surgery, and on February 4, 2012, he began individual training.

On March 11, Akifeev flew with the team to the return match with Real Madrid in Madrid, but was not included in the squad. On April 14, in a match with Zenit, the footballer entered the field for the first time after an injury. The match ended with the score 0:2. Akinfeev played his 50th match for the national team (against the Serbian national team) on August 10, 2011, thus joining the symbolic “Igor Netto club”. CSKA won this match with a score of 1:0.

Season 2013/2014. On May 15, 2014, Akinfeev broke Lev Yashin's record by playing his 204th match to a clean sheet. On the same day he became a five-time Russian Champion. In the same year, Akinfeev broke the record for playing time without conceding goals - 761 minutes

The World Cup in Brazil was not the most successful period in Akinfeev’s career. In the match with the South Korean national team, he absurdly, in his own words, missed a goal.

Ridiculous goal by Akinfeev (Russia – South Korea)

The series of failures continued in the match with the Belgium national team. True, according to Fabio Capello, Igor Akinfeev had nothing to do with it - someone shined a laser pointer in the goalkeeper’s eyes for ten minutes. However, the Belgians' victory (1:0) was counted. During the match with the Algerian national team, Akinfeev made an unsuccessful interception attempt, and the opponents tied the score (1:1). As a result, Russia failed to leave the group, and Igor Akinfeev was included in the symbolic team of “football players who failed the World Cup” (according to the Italian sports publication La Gazetta dello Sport).

The 2014/2015 season was marked by new records for Akinfeev - he broke Sergei Ovchinnikov's record for the number of clean sheets at the Russian Championship (130), and exceeded Sergei Semak's record for the number of matches within the national championship (283).

At a match against the Montenegro national team, which took place on the opponent’s territory, a Montenegrin fan threw a fire at Akinfeev. As a result, the goalkeeper of the Russian team received burns and a concussion in the 40th second of the game. The goalkeeper was taken away on a stretcher, the match was interrupted for half an hour, then continued, but in the 67th minute it escalated into a serious brawl. The judges decided to count Montenegro a technical defeat (0:3).

Igor Akinfeev was hit with fire (Montenegro – Russia)

Later it turned out that the fan who threw the firecracker, Luka Lazarevich, did it unintentionally - he threw away a firecracker thrown at his feet by an unknown person. Video footage from the stadium confirmed his words. He went to prison for 3.5 months, and Igor Akinfeev did not make any claims against him.

Igor Akinfeev became the goalkeeper of the Russian team at the Confederations Cup, held in St. Petersburg in June 2017. Alas, the Russian team under the leadership of Stanislav Cherchesov did not show the best result. In particular, many experts said that it was Akinfeev’s uncertain play that allowed the Mexican national team to score the second goal against Russia. At the same time, no one could name anyone equal to Akinfeev in terms of experience. Soon after this, information appeared in the media that Akinfeev threatened the coach with leaving the national team.

Personal life of Igor Akinfeev

Igor Akinfeev talks little about his personal life, perhaps because one of his many fans once opened her veins when someone unknown insulted her on behalf of Akinfeev on a “fake” blog. Igor was terribly worried when he learned about this incident. However, from the early stages of his career he showed severity in this regard, answering all questions that he had no time for girls.

For 6 years (from 2008 to 2014) Akinfeev dated Valeria Yakunchikova. The 15-year-old daughter of the CSKA administrator, the granddaughter of the famous coach of the Tom team, Valery Nepomniachtchi, attended all the Army matches from an early age and literally charmed the young goalkeeper. She was a professional dancer, starred in music videos (for example, for Timati) and advertising, received a higher education at the RUDN University, in a word, she was not only a beauty, but also an interesting conversationalist. However, for a reason unknown to the press, their relationship failed. The media circulated information about Akinfeev’s betrayal, but the rumors remained rumors.

The public learned that Igor Akinfeev was married only in May 2014, when the footballer’s first-born, Daniil Igorevich, was born. Igor Akinfeev’s wife’s name is Ekaterina Gerun, a model from Ukraine. In September 2015, on the eve of the match with the Swedish national team, Akinfeev’s daughter Evangelina was born.

In an interview, the footballer repeatedly emphasized that their family observes Orthodox traditions, but the couple do not intend to impose any religion on their children, taking into account their personal choice.

Igor Akinfeev in training

During the match between the Russian national team and the Spanish national team in the 1/8 finals, Igor Akinfeev’s save in the penalty shootout after extra time led our team to victory. The footballer saved two 11-meter goals, including kicking a shot from Iago Aspas. Thus, Russia reached the quarter finals of the World Cup for the first time.

Igor Akinfeev is a Russian football player and goalkeeper. From the very beginning of his football career, he plays for the CSKA club and is the captain of the team. From 2004 to 2018 he played for the national team, where he also served as captain. In 2005 he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Childhood and youth

Russian football star Igor Akinfeev was born on April 8, 1986 in the town of Vidnoye near Moscow. His father, Vladimir Vasilyevich, worked as a truck driver, and his mother, Irina Vladimirovna, worked as a kindergarten teacher.

The family did not have much wealth, but their parents poured their souls into raising Igor and his brother Evgeniy. At the age of 4, his father brought Igor to his first training session at the CSKA youth school. The boy was two years younger than the other students, but immediately asked to be put in place of the goalkeeper. He was able to catch balls on the fly, but when they hit the goal, Igor became very upset. His first coach, Desideriy Kovacs, said after the second training session that the boy would certainly be an excellent goalkeeper.

At the age of 7, Igor Akinfeev was accepted into the CSKA Youth Sports School. He had to combine training with schoolwork; there was no time left for yard games and other boyish hobbies. However, the footballer himself considers his childhood happy, albeit with some restrictions.

At the age of 8, Igor and his team went to their first training camp. Their camp was located in Chernogolovka, the conditions were harsh - on a field in the rain day after day. The guy bravely endured the difficulties, washed his socks and tracksuit every day, which greatly surprised his parents and coach.

At the age of 10, his first tournament took place in Yugoslavia. After the match, Akinfeev was invited to the box of the head of the football association, Miljanic. The experienced coach and football player then said that he sees the second in this boy.

After receiving his matriculation certificate in 2003, Igor Akinfeev went to enter the capital’s Academy of Physical Culture. He graduated in 2009, successfully defending his thesis. The athlete chose the topic that was closest and clearest to him: “Technical and tactical actions of a goalkeeper during a football match.”

The youngest goalkeeper of CSKA became a certified specialist.

Sport

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has undeniable advantages: he clearly knocks the ball out with both his hands and feet. At the same time, the football player has a lightning-fast reaction to the game. He always exudes confidence in his abilities, which is why his sports career has been brilliant.

In 2002, Akinfeev, as part of the team, received the title of Russian champion for the first time. That same year, he began playing for the national youth team. The team's training camp took place in Israel. The Russian footballer attracted close attention already in the first match. The Sport Express publication expressed a flattering opinion about the new player. The reviewer wrote that he showed a mature and masterful performance. At the same time, he looked stronger than Veniamin Mandrykin.

At the end of March 2003, the athlete played his debut match at the adult level, participating in the 1/8 finals against the Zenit team. Igor Akinfeev entered the field in the 2nd half, replacing Viktor Kramarenko. As expected, he demonstrated his “trademark” lightning-fast reaction. As a result, CSKA played a draw.

And at the end of May of the same year, the young goalkeeper made his debut in a Premier League game. The CSKA team managed to win the game with Krylia Sovetov with a score of 2:0, and Igor Akinfeev himself distinguished himself, because he managed to save a penalty in the last minute. He was deservedly recognized as the best player of this match.

2003 turned out to be a truly breakthrough year for the football player. Igor Akinfeev made his debut at the Russian Championship. This season he played 13 games. The number of goals conceded was minimal - 11. With this result, the goalkeeper became the national champion. This was his first high-profile achievement in football.

Igor Akinfeev on goal

The debut in the Eurocup against the Macedonian club Vardar somewhat spoiled the triumph. This game, held on July 30, was won by the Macedonians. But the star of the 1980s - the famous one - expressed the opinion that Igor Akinfeev was not to blame for the missed goals. He did everything he could.

This successful year in the sports biography of Igor Akinfeev was marked by two more outstanding games. In early September, the goalkeeper made his debut in the Russian Olympic team. He performed at the match against the Irish national team. The game ended with a score of 2:0 in favor of the Irish team. Unfortunately, the team also lost the match with Switzerland with a score of 2:1. Nevertheless, the footballer, as they say, “gave his best.”

In April 2004, Igor Akinfeev made his first appearance in the Russian national team, becoming the team's youngest goalkeeper in history. His number in the national team is 35.

The Super Bowl game took place on March 7. The athlete spent the entire 90 minutes on the field, managing to concede only one goal in the 14th minute. The army team won against Spartak with a score of 3:1. Starting from this season, Igor Akinfeev becomes a permanent player in the main team of the national team. Moreover, in the first three matches he was the constant goalkeeper.

During the game against the Samara team, Igor Akinfeev was given a red card. He was sent off the field in the final minutes for a brawl. As it turned out, midfielder Ognjen Koroman started the fight. It was he who, after the goal scored by Denis Kovboy, hit the ball, which bounced off the net and hit the goalkeeper in the face. For the violation, Akinfeev was disqualified for 5 matches. This season he managed to take part in 26 matches, while conceding 15 goals.

As a result of these games, the CSKA team managed to win silver, and Igor Akinfeev was recognized as the best goalkeeper in the country. According to the Fox Sports TV channel, the athlete was named the strongest young goalkeeper. At number 3, he entered the "Top 33" list.

The best saves of Igor Akinfeev

The fight for the Russian Cup for Igor Akinfeev began with the 1/8 finals. CSKA managed to beat Khimki with a score of 1:0. After this game they received their second Cup. In seven matches, the goalkeeper conceded only 3 goals.

The summer of 2004 turned out to be hot for CSKA and Igor Akinfeev. At training on July 27, the goalkeeper made his Champions League debut. The team's opponent was the Azerbaijani club "Neftchi". The game ended in a draw. But in the return match, the army team managed to win, beating the Azerbaijanis with a score of 2:0. CSKA managed to beat the Scots and made it into the group stage. Akinfeev spent all 6 games played on the field, conceding only 5 goals. As a result, the Russian team took 3rd place and got the opportunity to continue playing in the UEFA Cup.

By the way, Akinfeev also holds an anti-record in the Champions League - for 11 years, starting from November 21, 2006, he missed goals in 43 matches of the main tournament in a row.

The 2005 season brought a pleasant surprise to the player: Igor Akinfeev won the UEFA Cup.

The next two years in the football player’s professional career were no less happy. In 2006, the goalkeeper managed to keep the goal for 362 minutes. During these hours, some fans and football critics compared him to the famous Lev Yashin. Akinfeev’s authority grew so much that he was named the most promising Russian goalkeeper.

In the spring of 2007, rumors arose in the football community that Arsenal of London had shown interest in Igor Akinfeev. Allegedly, the British had plans for the Russian goalkeeper. But in one of his interviews, the athlete dispelled these rumors. He stated that he will remain in the CSKA team for the next 4 years.

On May 6, 2007, Igor Akinfeev was injured in a match against Rostov. This happened in the 8th round. While deflecting a free kick, the footballer fell unsuccessfully and tore the cruciate ligaments in his knee. After examining his injured knee, doctors predicted that he would not take the field for the rest of the season. But they were wrong: the player managed to restore his health quite quickly and, after intensive treatment, returned to the national team before the end of the championship.

In November, as part of the 29th round of the CSKA championship against the Kuban team, Igor Akinfeev played his first match after injury. The Army team won with a score of 1:0. And in January, the football player extended his contract with the CSKA team until 2011.

The 16th round of the Russian Premier League, held between the CSKA team and the Krylya Sovetov team, turned out to be the driest for the Muscovite and ended in a draw. Akinfeev turned out to be the youngest goalkeeper who managed to achieve such a brilliant result. In 30 games this season, he allowed only 24 goals. At the end of the championship, the country received bronze.

In the 2009 season, on April 12, at the Russian Championship, Igor Akinfeev missed his 100th goal. In the same year, his name appeared in the top five best goalkeepers in the world. This decision was made by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

The 2010 season was spent with varying degrees of success. But the next season - 2011 - the CSKA team managed to win the 5th national cup. Unfortunately, in August of this year, Igor Akinfeev suffered a serious injury. At the 30th minute of the match with Spartak, the goalkeeper went into contact with striker Welliton. After the collision, Akinfeev landed unsuccessfully on his left leg, fell and was no longer able to get up. When he was carried off the field, Akinfeev sat on a stretcher and, without choosing expressions, swore at the Brazilian. Later it turned out that Akinfeev injured the “crosses” of his left knee. In September he underwent surgery in Germany. But already in February he switched to individual training.

In April, at a match with Zenit, Igor Akinfeev appeared on the field for the first time after an injury. The match ended with a score of 0:2. But in August, at the 50th match, the CSKA team won against the Serbian team with a score of 1:0. This was a significant match for the goalkeeper, because after it he joined the symbolic “Igor Netto Club”.

And in mid-May 2014, Igor Akinfeev triumphantly broke Yashin’s record, managing to keep a clean sheet in his 204th match. Thus, he was recognized as a five-time Russian champion. In addition, 2014 was marked for the player by the fact that he managed to break the record for playing time without conceding goals. For 761 minutes, Akinfeev did not miss a single goal. This is the longest “dry” streak in the history of the Russian team.

Unfortunately, success was followed by disappointing failure. It happened at a match with the Belgian team. But Fabio Capello then stood up for Akinfeev, saying that someone blinded the footballer’s eyes with a laser pointer for 10 minutes. Then Belgium won.

The game with the Algerian national team also did not please the Russian fans. According to its results, Russia lost, and Igor Akinfeev, according to the Italian sports tabloid La Gazettadello Sport, even ended up in the symbolic team of “football players who failed the World Cup.” After this high-profile failure, Akinfeev apologized to the fans for his poor performance.

In 2015, the goalkeeper had a new problem. Despite the fact that Igor Akinfeev managed to break the record for the number of clean sheets at the national championship, at the army team’s game with the Montenegro national team, a fan from the opponents threw a fire at the Russian goalkeeper. He suffered serious burns and a concussion. This happened 40 seconds into the game. The match was interrupted. The judges gave Montenegro a technical defeat with a score of 0:3.

Later it turned out that fan Luka Lazarevich unintentionally threw a fire at Akinfeev. As video footage showed, he was throwing away a firecracker that an unknown person had thrown at his feet. However, Lazarevich was sent to prison for 3.5 months. Igor Akinfeev refused to make a claim against the fan.

In 2016, Igor Akinfeev concentrated his efforts on preparing for the European Championship. At Euro 2016, the goalkeeper played 3 games, in which he missed 6 goals. But in the new season, the goalkeeper managed to set a new record for the number of clean sheets: a friendly match with the Romanian team was his 45th, in which he kept a clean sheet.

Akinfeev is the highest paid football player in CSKA. According to the website Footbnews.ru, in 2017 his salary amounted to €2.2 million.

Personal life

The handsome and financially independent goalkeeper always had enough fans. One day, a fan in love cut her wrists. As it turned out, on one of the fake blogs, someone on behalf of the athlete insulted a girl in love. Igor Akinfeev, having learned about what had happened, was very worried. Since then, he has spoken little about his personal life and is afraid of hurting his fans and especially female fans.

For a long time, the handsome handsome man (Igor Akinfeev’s height is 1.86 m, and his weight is 78 kg) had an affair with young Valeria Yakunchikova, the 15-year-old daughter of the CSKA administrator. The girl did not miss a single match and was part of the backstage football community.

Akinfeev and Yakunchikova are professional athletes, and their common interests brought them together. The girl charmed the football player. She not only loved football, but also turned out to be a professional dancer. The young beauty has appeared in commercials more than once and starred in a video. Valeria also received higher education at RUDN University.

Fans had no doubt that this relationship would end in a luxurious wedding, but unexpectedly the couple broke up. There was information in the press that Igor cheated on the girl, and she could not forgive him. The betrayal was followed by a painful breakup.

Soon, Igor Akinfeev’s personal life improved. His fans learned the name of his new chosen one - from Kiev.

The beautiful Katya Gerun lived in Kyiv, worked in the modeling business, and starred in music videos. The girl managed to captivate the football player.

Fans of the football star learned about their wedding on May 17, 2014, when the couple had a son, Daniil. And a year later, on September 4, Catherine gave her happy husband a daughter, whom they named Evangelina. The Russian football star claims that he and his wife adhere to the Orthodox faith, but will not impose their beliefs and religion on their children. They will grow up and choose what they see fit.

Igor Akinfeev and Ekaterina Gerun are happy together. The athlete is sure that anyone can be happy. The main thing is to wait for your half.

It is known that one of the goalkeeper's best friends is the popular singer and leader of the group "". They have been friends since 2004. Igor Akinfeev baptized Sergei's daughter Nina.

In addition to football, Igor plays billiards, loves to travel, but considers fishing to be his main hobby. Akinfeev leads "Instagram", where photos from training and matches regularly appear. Sometimes family vacation shots appear on the account.

Igor appeared in an advertisement for the Moscow Credit Bank. In its plot, the goalkeeper has to fend off a dangerous shot, and Lev Yashin helps him do this. The football community reacted positively to this heartfelt production. And in 2009, the goalkeeper wrote the book “100 Penalties from Readers.”

Igor Akinfeev now

In 2017, Akinfeev, under the leadership of the national team, took part in the Confederation Cup. Russia was in a group with New Zealand, Portugal and Mexico. The team made its debut in a match with Zealand, and the game ended in victory. Akinfeev did not make a single mistake and did not miss a single goal. But subsequent games ended less successfully - in the match with Portugal, the Russian goalkeeper did not catch one ball, and against Mexico - two. As a result, the Russian team did not make it out of the group, and this was the end of their participation in the Confederation Cup.

Igor Akinfeev saved two enemy penalties

The players had a whole year to prepare for the 2018 World Cup at home. The opening match, which took place with Saudi Arabia, Igor Akinfeev kept a clean sheet - not a single ball entered the goal. The game ended with an unreal victory for the national team - 5:0. Success awaited her in the match with Egypt. And despite the loss to Uruguay (Akinfeev missed three goals, including an accidental ricochet from his foot, which was counted as an own goal), Russia advanced to the 1/8.

On July 1, 2018, a game took place with Spain to advance to the quarter-finals. The game turned out to be difficult. During regular time, the teams managed to score one goal each, and then another own goal flew into the Russian goal, this time from the shin. In extra time, no one managed to score, although there were plenty of shots on target for the Russian Federation. Akinfeev repelled attack after attack. Even then it became clear that he was the hero of this match. Overtime also did not reveal the winner.

In the penalty shootout, Igor Akinfeev demonstrated his strong-willed character and professionalism - he brilliantly saved two penalties from Koke and Iago Aspas, which brought victory to the Russians. The winning save deserves special attention - the Russian goalkeeper, while falling, parried the kick of Iago Aspas and led the team to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Igor Akinfeev was recognized as the best player of this match, and FIFA called Igor Akinfeev’s save “the moment of the day,” a message about this was published on Twitter by the World Cup.

Victory "fish" by Igor Akinfeev

For the first time in its history, Russia reached the quarter finals of the World Cup. Russian fans were looking forward to the game with the Croats. The match differed from the previous one in its dynamics, many dangerous moments and beautiful goals. brought the Russians ahead with a kick into the top corner, the Croatians responded with two goals and only a header sent the Russians into the penalty shootout, where Croatia turned out to be stronger. Akinfeev saved one penalty, but Fernandez’s misses, unfortunately, did not allow him to progress further.

Despite the Russian national team's departure from the 2018 World Cup, for the first time in a long time, fans and the entire football world recognized Cherchesov's team as the best in recent decades.

After the end of the home World Cup, Igor Akinfeev joined the Russian national team, to which he devoted 14 years of his sports life.

Awards

• 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 – Lev Yashin Goalkeeper of the Year Prize (Ogonyok magazine)
• 2005 – UEFA Cup (with CSKA)
• 2003, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2016 – Russian champion (with CSKA)
• 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 – winner of the Russian Cup (as part of CSKA)
• 2006 – Order of Friendship
• 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 – the best goalkeeper of Russia according to the RFU
• 2008 – bronze medal at the European Championships (as part of the Russian team)
• 2010, 2015 – Golden Horseshoe Award

Almost all the chosen ones of the Russian national team players have their own pages on social networks. So, as soon as the first games of Euro 2016 began, the girls’ Instagram followers increased significantly. But because it’s interesting what the better halves of those who defend Russia in European football are like. We also stopped by. At the same time, we found out whether it was true what they say that football players prefer blondes.

Sergey Ignashevich and Natalya Ignashevich, together since 2007, two sons

One day, Sergei Ignashevich was invited to broadcast the program “Non-football stories,” where the host was a beautiful girl named Natalya. By the way, an international class master in rhythmic gymnastics and a blue-eyed brunette. Sergei invited the presenter to have coffee, but she was not ready for an affair. The football player at that time was married and had two sons. The young people met again six months later, when Sergei filed for divorce and almost immediately decided to live together. For the sake of her husband, Natalya began to devote less time to work, and Sergei agreed to move from the suburbs to Moscow, and thanks to the efforts of his journalist wife, he became interested in theater and books. The couple still has not registered their relationship, although they are raising two common sons, Sergei and Timofey.

“My morning starts with me preparing four different breakfasts. Then I have about five hours for important things. If I have time, I do fitness. And our evening is traditionally dedicated to children,” says Natalya on the official website of the CSKA club.

Olga Berezutskaya and CSKA defender Vasily Berezutsky, married since 2008, son

Olga, like Natalya Ignashevich, is also a former athlete. She is a master of sports in synchronized swimming and has been dancing for a long time. Hence the slim, fit figure and constant participation in photo shoots. When Olga met Vasily, she was trying to build a career in show business. She appeared on the MTV show "Dance Floor Star", and from there she joined the "Vintage" group. They called her to the casting and to “Brilliant”. But after meeting Russian national team defender Vasily Berezutsky, about whom she knew nothing at all before meeting in person, Olga decided to give up her career. Personal happiness is more valuable!

Olga Berezutskaya. Photo:

Now she is the wife of a football player from the capital's CSKA and a loving mother. True, the sultry brunette still has a small business; she is the owner of her own dance studio.

Alexander Kokorin and his girlfriend Daria Valitova, together for 5 years, no children

The main forward of the Russian national team, Alexander Kokorin, by the age of 25, managed not only to become one of the highest paid football players in the country, but also to acquire a reputation as a philanderer. The current chosen one of the capital's Dynamo forward is Dasha Valitova. Despite the girl’s passion for sports and dancing, she did not make a career in any of these areas. Just as her solo musical career didn’t work out, her tenure as editor-in-chief of Rabbit magazine didn’t last long either. After meeting Sasha Kakorin, the petite brunette chose to focus all her attention on her beloved. The beautiful blonde goes to matches with him, cheers for the national team, and arranges the athlete’s life.

Daria has a tattoo dedicated to her lover - “K9”. When Alexander first saw her, he did not believe that she was real, and even tried to erase her.

Fedor Smolov and Miranda Shelia, together for a year, no children

The past of an exact copy of Irina Shayk - Miranda Shelia is shrouded in mystery. It is known that the girl was born in Georgia, she is from a wealthy family, and studied at Oxford. She has been friends with singer Keti Topuria for many years and allegedly it was she who introduced the blue-eyed Georgian to the striker of the Krasnodar club. He was just going through a breakup with his common-law wife, Victoria Lopyreva, and the charming beauty was there on time. For about a year, the couple tried not to advertise their relationship, until the footballer’s colleague Pavel Mamaev published a joint photo of his friend with his chosen one on one of his social networks.

Fedor Smolov and Miranda Shelia. Photo: Personal page of the publication’s hero on the social network

Smolov’s friend accompanied this shot with an eloquent caption: “Meeting a new couple.”

By the way, Miranda flew to Lille as a bride to root for Fedor Smolov.

Miranda Shelia Photo: Personal page of the publication’s hero on the social network

Igor Akinfeev and Katya Gerun, together for more than three years, two children

Before the birth of his first child, goalkeeper and captain of football CSKA Igor Akinfeev did not advertise that he had a wife, Katerina Gerun. The wedding took place in secret from everyone. The young parents named their first child Daniel, and in September 2015 the couple had a daughter, Evangelina. Meanwhile, the chosen one of one of the most famous goalkeepers in Russia is beautiful and smart. Katya is a chemist by training and speaks English, French and Ukrainian. Thanks to this, she worked for a long time in a company that acquired rights to foreign films and showed them to the Russian public.

After leaving the company, Ekaterina tried herself as a model and actress. She played in Sergei Lazarev's video "Remember" and in several films. Took 4th place in the Miss Ukraine. Universe modeling competition.

It so happened that I was always far from the world of sports. The same goes for my family, girlfriends, acquaintances, and so on. That’s why there wasn’t much excitement in my circle when I met Igor. I will say even more, among the people with whom I spoke, the opinion of athletes was not very good. And if, for example, a friend told me that she was dating a professional football player, then I would, let’s say, cautiously wish her good luck,” Katya herself said in an interview. However, after meeting Igor, she changed her attention to professional athletes.

According to her, the goalkeeper turned out to be reasonable, serious, and attentive. They say about such people - the right person.

Roman and Ekaterina Shirokov, over 15 years old, son and daughter

The tall, clear-eyed, brown-haired woman caught the eye of Roman Shirokov at the local stadium in Dedovsk. Katya and her friends came to watch the training, and the aspiring athlete came up to meet her.

Roman and Ekaterina Shirokov. Photo: Personal page of the publication’s hero on the social network

Later, the girl waited for Shirokov from the army, then moved with him to Moscow (and later to St. Petersburg). Moreover, when Roma began to have serious problems with alcohol and binge drinking began to lead to disruption of his training regimen, Roman was practically written off; it was his wife who tried to fight for the fate of her lover until the last, trying to save him from addiction. And she won. The result is known to everyone - brilliant goals and the title of the best football player in the country.

The couple has a son, Igor, and a daughter, Victoria, who are growing up.

Ekaterina and Igor Smolnikov, more than 12 years old, two sons

Ekaterina and Igor Smolnikov met when they were at school. We moved to St. Petersburg together and endured the first difficulties in the big city together. Katya dreamed of becoming an actress, but did not manage to enroll in the Shchukin School. As a result, the prominent blonde received a journalistic education and, by the way, is quite successful in her profession. She hosts a program on the Zenit team’s club TV channel and is involved in charity work. In addition, two sons are growing up in the Smolnikov family and the parents dream of adding to the family. According to Ekaterina, Igor doesn’t really like it when she comes to the stadium, he worries too much, but at home, on TV, Katya watches every match with the participation of her beloved man.

Personal page of the publication’s hero on the social network

Pavel and Alana Mamaev, more than three years old, have a daughter

Alana Mamaeva is a former model who is spoiled by her beloved husband with very expensive gifts. Recent ones include a branded bag for a million rubles, veneers for 3 million rubles in a Swiss clinic and a vacation in the most luxurious hotel in Dubai. By the way, the couple travels around the world only in business class. By the way, the former model’s favorite hobby is horse riding, which is also an expensive hobby.

Pavel and Alana Mamaev. Photo: Personal page of the publication’s hero on the social network

In response to such gifts, the long-legged beauty got herself a tattoo with her beloved’s team name and tries to support him at all matches. The couple is raising their daughter Alice together.

The Russian national football team enchantingly beat the Spanish national team, thereby guaranteeing itself a place in the quarterfinals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Now the focus is on Akinfeev’s wife, to whose feet odes are now sung, because it was this player who brought victory to our team.

We bring to your attention the love story and dating of the couple Igor and Ekaterina Akinfeev. You will find out where the young people met, when they decided to start a family, what the wedding celebration was like, what they are doing now and how many children they are raising.

Igor Akinfeev (32) became a real hero in the eyes of every football fan. He is one of those who brought the Russian team victory in the match against the Spanish team. Now hundreds of memes are dedicated to his feet. And several hashtags appeared on Instagram: #akinfeevhandsome, #marriedtoakinfeev, #akinfeevloveyou. The last two are especially popular, because for thousands of women throughout Russia, Igor is now the ideal man.

However, the footballer’s heart has long been occupied. The fact that Akinfeev was married became known in 2014, when the footballer’s first-born, Daniil, was born. It turned out that by that time Igor had already been dating model Ekaterina Gerun (31) for two years. And in 2015, the couple had a daughter, Evangelina.

Katya was born in Kyiv. She is a chemical technologist by education, but works as a model and actress. Akinfeeva even starred in Sergei Lazarev’s (35) video for the song “Remember.”

Ekaterina met Igor in the company of mutual friends. True, I had no idea who he was, because I was never interested in football. Well, when it came to the wedding, the lovers decided not to have a magnificent celebration, but simply got married with their family. According to Katya, Akinfeev captivated her with his seriousness and prudence.

The story of the acquaintance and love of Igor and Ekaterina Akinfeev, latest news, photos

The goalkeeper of the CSKA football club Igor Akinfeev met his future wife in the fall of 2012 - they were introduced to each other in the company by mutual acquaintances. Kiev resident Katya Gerun (trained as a chemical technologist) worked as an actress and model. By the time she met her husband, she had graduated from theater school, starred in Sergei Lazarev’s video for the song “Remember” and played bit parts in several films. Katya didn’t understand football, so she had no idea who Akinfeev was. Igor and Katya exchanged phone numbers, and the next day after they met, the girl flew home to Kyiv. At first, the couple only exchanged text messages.

“People must understand that this is yours... This woman will protect you, help you, and will always be there. “I really felt it,” Igor Akinfeev recalls his emotions after meeting his future wife. “And I realized I have to cling and fight!”

As soon as the season ended, Akinfeev flew to Kyiv with serious intentions to meet Katya’s parents. Six months later, she moved to Moscow; they decided not to have a grand wedding - they got married in the presence of close friends and family.

“I was amazed that in our time you can meet such a kind, honest, real man,” she said in the film “Russian Team. Reboot" wife of the goalkeeper of our team.

Their first-born Danya was born on May 17, 2014. “Igor was waiting outside the door, shouting to me: “Come on, as long as possible, I would have given birth a long time ago!” - Katya laughs, remembering how her husband encouraged her when she was in the delivery room. And when Igor took the heir in his arms, his eyes sparkled. In September 2015, a daughter, Evangelina, was born into the family. Ekaterina is raising children, in addition, she has her own beauty salon.

The football player himself also told reporters about how he spends his leisure time with his wife.

She and I watch AppleTV, where all the new products come out. We very rarely go to the cinema, because of children, schools, kindergartens and everything else. We always have a dilemma: I like to watch comedies, because I lay down in the evening to rest, relax, drink tea. We make tea, light sandwiches, sit down - and she says: “Let’s see this.” And this is drama. I say: “No, I don’t want drama.” She replies: “Well, this is a cool film, there is a director with an Oscar,” the Therussiantimes website reports. But a woman is a cunning creature, she always wins. He says: “There are no good comedies.” And I give up: “Well, let’s watch the drama, okay.”