Anzhi Makhachkala
From RangersPedia
Football Club Anzhi Makachkala  Nicknames:Dagi Stadium Capacity: 16,100 Rangers Allocation:None Rangers Record Victory:1-0, 27th September 2001. |
FC Anzhi are a Russian football club based in Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan. The club was founded in 1991 and started off life in the Russian league in 1992. They won promotion in 1996 and won the first division (second tier of Russian football) in 1999. The years between 2000 and 2001 were the most successful in the clubs history. They finished 4th in 2000 (were so close to finishing third but lost the last game of the season to a 95th minute penalty) and in 2001 they reached the Russian Cup final, losing on penalties to Lokomotiv Moscow.
They participated in the 2001 UEFA Cup against Rangers however it wasn't an ordinary tie. Due to troubles in the neighbouring region of Chechnya, Rangers chairman Sir David Murray refused to pay for his players and staff to travel to a place that was associated with terrorism. Rangers were threatened with being banned from European competition if they refused to travel but UEFA finally came to their senses and ordered the match to be played in Warsaw, Poland. The manager of Anzhi wasn't particularly pleased about it claiming his club had received 150,000 requests to see this game and taunted the Rangers team saying they were probably scared of them. We were right to get the game moved though. Weeks before a bomb exploded on the railway line and Chechnyan rebels killed 5 Russian soldiers. The British Home Office ordered the game to be moved and we received support AC MIlan, Inter Milan and even Martin O'Neil of all people!
Anyway, to the game and Rangers sealed a 1-0 victory six minutes from full time when Bert Konterman's strike from outside the box was deflected into the net. That left the few hundred Bears that made the trip over happy. The 15 or so Anzhi supporters went home disappointed knowing that their first, and only, European adventure was over. FC Anzhi Makachkala have done nothing else of note and were relegated from the Russian Premier League in 2002. However, on November 8th 2009, they won promotion back to the Russian Premier League.
Current Rangers player Andrius Velicka also had a spell with the Russian team.
What To Expect
Well we don't really know what to expect! Because of the game being moved 'n' all, coupled with Anzhi doing nothing of note in their history, there really isn't anything worth mentioning.
Stadium
The Dynamo Stadium in Dagestan is a multi-purpose stadium although it's mainly used for football. It opened in 1962. It appears to be in the shape of a bowl except from a stand behind one of the goals.
Rangers Records
Rangers one and only match against this side occurred in September 2001, with us winning 1-0.
How To Get To
Well I'm afraid it's really difficult to give you directions to this stadium! I'm sure that won't really matter though as I can't envisage anyone traveling to that part of the world and seeing a stadium that is nothing special.
Pubs
Take your pick!
