CSKA's win heralds new Russian revolution

A Russian side contesting a Champions League final is no longer a dream, according to CSKA Moscow coach Valery Gazzayev.

CSKA's UEFA Cup victory over Portugal's Sporting on Wednesday is set to herald a new era in Russian football, awash with cash and attracting foreign players for transfer fees that have raised eyebrows across Western Europe and beyond.

Backed by a $54 million sponsorship deal with Russian oil company Sibneft, of which Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is still the majority shareholder, CSKA became the first Russian team to win a European trophy with a 3-1 success over Sporting in their own Alvalade stadium.

Abramovich's cash provided the backbone for Chelsea to secure their first English league title since 1955 and in his homeland the money is pouring in to the capital's clubs.

Last week Dynamo Moscow splashed out €20 million ($25.7 million) to sign Porto pair Maniche and Costinha, who joined their former team-mate Derlei in the Russian capital.

Spartak paid €12 million for talented young Argentine Fernando Cavenaghi and Lokomotiv brought home Russia striker Dmitri Sychev from Olympique Marseille, evidence of Russian football's growing financial muscle.

As well as attracting other top players to Eastern Europe, Gazzayev said his side's UEFA Cup win would provide the catalyst for a new generation of footballers.

'Landmark victory'

"This is a symbolic victory. Now every child in Russian youth football schools will know what to work for and what to dream about and will know those dreams can become true," he said.

"This is a landmark victory for Russian football. It will give the nation the belief to go on and win more things at both club and international level. I hope the next medal I pick up will be a Champions League one."

CSKA so nearly made it into the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League.

Having come through a second qualifying round tie against Azerbaijan's Neftchi Baku in July, CSKA were paired with Porto, Chelsea and Paris St Germain.

A 3-1 win over the French side in their final game did not prove quite enough though, Porto's last-gasp win over Chelsea putting the Portuguese side through.

CSKA had to settle for a place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup but their failure to progress in Europe's premier club competition led to the departure of captain Sergei Semak to PSG and Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik to Chelsea.

Around the same time CSKA's Brazilian striker Vagner Love said he was homesick and tired of the harsh Russian winter, incurring the wrath of Moscow supporters.

But a deal with Brazil's Corinthians fell through and he was forced to return to Russia.

Luckily for CSKA, Love did not dwell on his disappointment and his goals, capped by the third against Sporting, helped CSKA seal their UEFA success.