Akinfeevs Heartfelt Message to Nikolich Following Coachs Departure from CSKA

The goalkeeper and captain of Moscow’s CSKA, **Igor Akinfeev**, reached out to Serbian coach **Marko Nikolic** following news of his departure from the position of head coach of the red-blues. The coaching staff of CSKA will also see the exits of Rado Smilyanich, Goran Basarich, and Alexander Rogic.

“Marko, thank you for our work together! And for the season,” Akinfeev wrote on his [Telegram channel](https://t.me/igor_akinfeev35).

It’s worth noting that Nikolic took charge of CSKA in June 2024. Under his leadership, the team secured a third-place finish in the Russian Premier League and also won the Russian Football Cup.

Earlier, media outlets reported that Nikolic intends to buy out his contract with CSKA and take over as head coach of AEK Athens.