From Real Madrid to Russia: Roberto Carlos’s wide ride
Roberto Carlos. A name that needs no introduction to any football fan. But while his career has been filled with unforgettable moments, there are some chapters most people don’t know about. And that’s where OlyBet.TV’s new story series comes in!
Known as one of history’s most legendary left-backs, Carlos played for nine clubs over a two-decade career. While he spent his prime years winning four La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, the quirkiest chapter? That was in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala.
Anzhi, a Russian club now lying in the football history’s trash heap, was founded in 1991 in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, a republic nestled between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea.
It first climbed to Russia’s top division in 2000, but didn’t last there long, dropping back to the second division three seasons later. A second chance in the top league came in 2010, but even then, they barely survived, clinging on by just three points.
But everything changed in January 2011 when the club was “bought” by billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, one of the world’s 150 wealthiest people at the time, according to Forbes. And when I say “bought,” I mean gifted – the president of Dagestan handed Kerimov the club in exchange for a promise to take Anzhi to new heights.
Within a month, Kerimov flexed his financial muscles, and Anzhi went on a wild shopping spree, scooping up the likes of Brazilian defender João Carlos (Genk), midfielder Jucilei (Corinthians), forward Diego Tardelli (Atletico Madrid), Moroccan winger Mbark Boussoufa (Anderlecht), and to top it all off, the one and only Roberto Carlos.
Anzhi was “appealing”
Though Carlos was 37 at the time, he was seen as the cornerstone player around whom Anzhi could build. “I had offers from many clubs throughout the world, but the offer from Anzhi was the most appealing. The conversation with the club’s president also convinced me and I made the decision very quickly. I could tell immediately that I was dealing with serious people. I liked their project,“ said Carlos, excited about the move.
And why wouldn’t he be excited? Even though he didn’t speak Russian (though he’s fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Italian), had never heard of Makhachkala, or spoken to the head coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev, Carlos had 10 million reasons to join Anzhi – his reported salary for the 2.5-year contract, in euros!
“It is a new challenge and a new experience for me. Hopefully I can do my best and win trophies with my new club,” said Carlos optimistically.
Carlos was just the start. By summer, Anzhi had added more stars: Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o (from Inter Milan), Russian star Yuri Zhirkov (from Chelsea), Hungary’s captain Balázs Dzsudzsák (from PSV Eindhoven), and Belgian rising star Mehdi Carcela (from Standard Liège).
Stint as player-coach
But despite the big names, trophies didn’t come. Anzhi crashed out of the Russian Cup in the round of 16, and halfway through the league season, with the team sitting seventh, it was clear Gadzhiev wasn’t the man to lead this star-studded squad to the title.
After Gadzhiev was let go, Roberto Carlos took over as player-coach and steered the team to a fifth-place finish. He also managed to squeeze in 28 appearances and five goals, playing mostly as a defensive midfielder by then.
Realizing that more spending was needed, Kerimov loosened the purse strings even further and brought in famed coach Guus Hiddink, whose first signing was Congolese center-back Christopher Samba (from Blackburn Rovers).
Meanwhile, Carlos announced he would retire – not immediately, though. He planned to hang up his boots at the end of the season, but only so he could dedicate himself even more to the club. “Although my [playing] contract with Anzhi finishes, I will continue as an assistant to the president Suleiman Kerimov because with him I have a contract for life. He has asked me to help create a structure for the club for the next 10 years,” said Carlos, who became the club’s sporting director in August 2012.
A painful crash
Under Carlos’ leadership, Anzhi kept spending big, buying Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid and Willian from Shakhtar Donetsk. They even opened Dagestan’s first youth academy, headed by former Estonia national team coach Jelle Goes.
But despite all the effort, the trophies stayed elusive. Anzhi finished third in the 2012/13 Russian Premier League and reached the Russian Cup final, only to lose on penalties to CSKA Moscow. For President Kerimov, that wasn’t enough.
And just as quickly as he had opened his wallet, Kerimov slammed it shut. He slashed Anzhi’s €138 million budget by two-thirds, triggering a mass exodus. In just three weeks, ALL of the star players – including Roberto Carlos – were gone, with Carlos moving to Turkey’s Sivasspor as head coach.
Meanwhile, Anzhi went into freefall, ultimately being relegated to Russia’s third division and declaring bankruptcy in 2022. Indeed, the club no longer exists.
