World Cup Outing: Russia players, coach get national honour
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday presented the national football team with state awards for making the nation proud at the FIFA World Cup which the country hosted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday presented the national football team with state awards for making the nation proud at the FIFA World Cup which the country hosted.
Chief coach Stanislav Cherchesov was conferred with the Alexander Nevsky Order, while the Order of Honor was awarded to goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and central defender Sergey Ignashevich.
Honorary certificates were also given to other players and coaches.
This summer Russia hosted its first-ever FIFA World Cup, which kicked off in Moscow with a remarkable opening show at Luzhniki Stadium on the evening of June 14 and ended with a spectacular final match, played also at the Luzhniki Stadium, where France confidently defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the much-coveted World Cup Trophy.
The national football team of hosts Russia managed to make it to the quarterfinals stage of this world championship, where Croatia edged them out in a 4-3 penalty shootout win on July 7 at the Fisht Arena in Sochi.
Earlier the President praised the performance of the team and urged the players to “keep the fighting spirit” for the upcoming football events.