Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

[vata84]

Dear all,

Article here exposes the links between Russia's government (the Kremlin) and the seemingly unlikely rise of Anzhi - a team, according to the article situated in the most dangerous part of Europe.

http://futbolgrad.com/anzhi-kremlin-...orth-caucasus/

This made me think of two things;

* When have government involved themselves (tacitly or otherwise) in the running of a football club? I think of Berlusconi's AC Milan when he was the president. How can this not be a conflict of interests?

* Anzhi will likely qualify for the CL next season and whilst they have a bit to go, could a side from Dagestan win a European competition, and if so, where have side from war-town regions been successful in Europe? Red Star in early 90s before fall of Yugoslavia?

Cheers
Vata

[Janik]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Long list from that neck of the woods, especially in the Communist years. Dynamo Berlin in particular spring to mind. On the other side of the politcal spectrum, there were clubs in Facist countries that had political support of both covert and overt kinds. Real Madrid being a prime exmaple.

Examples from democracies ought to be harder to find. And will commonly come from places that, like Russia currently, are more not really very democratic.

[Janik]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Although...

Cue Berbaslug on Real Madrid's sweetheart deal with Madrid city council on the sale of their old training complex.
Along the same lines, how about West Ham? (source is obviously rather biased, but his general points hold true even if the numbers might be exaggerations)

[dalliance]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Pretty much all of the Eastern Bloc states followed the policy the East Germans called 'Leistungssteigerung durch Konzentration' (focus through concentration) where the best players and coaches would be concentrated at a smaller number of elite clubs who were usually representative of the major organs of the state.

Political interference in East German football was certainly more methodical and calculated than anywhere else in the east. BFC Dynamo under Mielke's Ministry Of State Security were of course the most favoured, although that patronage only really started to ramp up in the 1970s.

The favoured club in the days before BFC was the army side Vorwärts Berlin. They were the DDR equivalent of Dukla Prague, ZDSA Moscow, CDNA Sofia, Legia Warsaw, Honved or CCA Bucharest and all of them benefited enormously because of their army designation. The best young players could be taken from other clubs under the pretence that they had to do their military service, then often were never returned.

[dalliance]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

I think Franco's relationship with Real Madrid is always somewhat overstated too. He had little interest in the sport and it was only their independent rise to global status that encouraged him to jump on their bandwagon for propaganda purpose. Which is little different from what any politician does.

[Southport Zeb]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

One of the most spectacular examples of a club being boosted by government support is FC Olt of Scornicesti in Romania. Scornicesti is a small town of about 10,000 people but amongst those born there was Nicolae Ceausescu. The club spent most of the 1980s in the Romanian top flight, finishing fourth in 1982 and ending up with a stadium of a capacity that greatly exceeded the local population. Dan Petrescu and Ilie Dumitrescu both spent time on loan at the club at the start of their careers.

FC Olt were thrown out of the Divizia A during the winter break of the 1989-90 season, alongside Victoria Bucuresti (the Securitate team). The club have since played in more modest local leagues.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Thanks Vata84

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Dalliance, some great info. Can i ask, are you yourself German? Have you done any writing for football blogs?

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Dalliance, some great info. Can i ask, are you yourself German? Have you done any writing for football blogs? I know the editor of the futbolgrad site, and you seem to know what you are talking about!

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Read Jimmy Burns (albeit one-sided) book about Barca - the essence is the Real bias, which becomes quite convincing but most things do after being repeated 1000 times! )

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Antepli, you are most welcome. If y0u liked the article, you can follow at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Futbolgrad/530424223640423?ref=hl

[dalliance]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

vata, my blog is here.

I've got a few bits on Communist-era Eastern Europe there and others to post including a history of Albanian withdrawals from European competition (I guess from your name possibly of interest to you), Partizan Belgrade's mixed 1965/66 season, regime recriminations for the failed Bulgarian 1970 World Cup squad and indeed, a history of Vorwärts Berlin.

Get your mate to get in touch and we can maybe collaborate on something - I like futbolgrad.

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Great, i emailed beyondthelastman@gmail.com from my FB. We can chat there.

Cheers

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Really fascinating stuff, sincerely!

[Antepli Ejderha]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

I don't have Facebook Vata but have added the site to my favourites.

Great stuff.

[Diable Rouge]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Alania Vladikavkaz famously knocked Liverpool out of Europe when the neighbouring Chechen War was in full sway.

[Magik]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Alania also played Rangers in Warsaw once when the game couldn't be played in Vladikavkaz.

All Legia fans became Alania (or rather Celtic) fans for the day. They had their reasons though...



Dall - if I may call you that - can you point me to this Albanian clubs pulling out of Europe story at your excellent blog? Thanks

[dalliance]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

It's actually not gone up yet magik. If you're keen to see it drop me an e-mail at the address above and I'll mail it to you.

[Defensive minded]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Just one samll thing, dalliance, the actual translation of "Leistungssteigerung durch Konzentration" is "increase in performance by concentration".

[dalliance]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Thanks.

[Calvert]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Cracking sites, chaps.
Thanks.

Loved the Best / Real Madrid story and that fifty thousand Pesetas was the equivalent of three hundred quid.

I fucking love the 70's.

[Kennedy Marbella]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

In the mid-90s Spurs played Hadjuc Split in the UEFA cup. The away leg was played in Austria I think (maybe Switzerland) wbut it was not certain HS could make the game in London. They made it tho, took them over a week in various buses and cars and so on

[Kennedy Marbella]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Should have looked in my Big Book of Spurs in Europe which was on the desk next to me - 1991, the away leg was played at Linz, Austria on 17/10 and attended by 7000. Split won 1-0. Spurs won the home leg 2-0

[vata84]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Magic, it was Anzhi who travelled to Warsaw for Rangers match. Rangers,, coincidentally, played Alania in mid-90s and actually travelled to Vladikavkaz. Check out article at top of the link for more details. Moreover, yeah can you share the Albanian article you mention? Cheers

[Magik]

Dagestan, Anzhi and the Kremlin - When governments

Aye you're right. Somehow I can't help thinking Anzhi was established something like 5 years ago.

Here's Rangers in Warsaw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy9lCmUJC2A

The Albanian piece is by dalliance, i'm going to e-mail him just now.