PFC CSKA Moscow (Professional Football Club CSKA Moscow), commonly known as CSKA Moscow, is one of the most successful, historic, and prestigious football clubs in Russia and the former Soviet Union. The club traces its origins back to 1911 and later became associated with the Soviet armed forces, adopting the name CSKA, which stands for Central Sports Club of the Army. Its traditional colours are red and blue, and the club is affectionately nicknamed "The Horses" by its supporters.

During the Soviet era, CSKA became one of the leading forces in Soviet football. Benefiting from its military connections and its ability to attract top talent from across the country, the club won numerous Soviet League Championships and USSR Cups, establishing itself among the elite teams of Eastern European football.

One of the most successful periods came during the 1940s and 1950s, when CSKA dominated Soviet football with a team often referred to as "The Team of Lieutenants," composed largely of players serving in the military. This era helped cement the club's reputation as one of the Soviet Union's premier sporting institutions.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, CSKA successfully adapted to the new Russian football landscape. Beginning in the early 2000s, the club entered another golden era, winning multiple Russian Premier League titles, Russian Cups, and Russian Super Cups.

The greatest achievement in club history came in 2005, when CSKA Moscow won the UEFA Cup, becoming the first Russian club ever to win a major UEFA competition. In the final in Lisbon, CSKA defeated Sporting CP 3-1 after coming from behind. The victory was a landmark moment for Russian football and significantly enhanced the club's international reputation.

Key figures in that historic team included Igor Akinfeev, who would become the greatest goalkeeper in club history, Sergei Ignashevich, Vasili Berezutski, Aleksei Berezutski, Daniel Carvalho, Vágner Love, Yuri Zhirkov, and Evgeni Aldonin. Many later became central figures for the Russian national team.

Among the greatest players in CSKA's history are Igor Akinfeev, a club legend who spent more than two decades with the first team, Vágner Love, Alan Dzagoev, Miloš Krasić, Seydou Doumbia, Keisuke Honda, and Roman Eremenko.

Home matches are played at the modern VEB Arena, opened in 2016 in Moscow. The stadium replaced the club's previous ground and is considered one of the most advanced football venues in Russia.

The club's main rivalries are with Spartak Moscow, in the famous Moscow Derby, as well as Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow. The rivalry with Spartak is widely regarded as one of the most important and intense in Eastern European football.

Thanks to its domestic dominance, its historic 2005 UEFA Cup triumph, and its deep roots in both Soviet and Russian football history, CSKA Moscow is widely regarded as one of the most important football clubs in Eastern Europe.

CSKA Moscow Stickers