MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. /TASS/. CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev revealed to Russia’s Sport-Express daily on Monday how he made a decision to end his career with the national team before the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Akinfeyev announced his decision to wrap up his career with the national football squad on October 1, 2018. He played 111 matches for the team, 48 of which he finished without conceding a goal.

"I made this decision before the [2018 FIFA] World Cup and only my wife and parents knew about it," Akinfeyev said. "I had no doubt whatsoever."

"When I finally understood that that was it, I called [Russian national team ex-Head Coach Stanislav] Cherchesov and told him that there would be a statement the following day released on the official website of CSKA Moscow FC," he continued. "Back then I did not want to sound pretentious on camera and asked spokesman Igor Vladimirov to reprint the statement on the RFU [the Russian Football Union] website, so the news went out that way."

"Afterwards, I spoke twice with Cherchesov on this issue, but I told him straight away that I would never change my decision," Akinfeyev noted.

"If I didn’t have injuries and still felt strong, I would have definitely decided against such a decision and kept playing without giving a damn," he said. "However, in my situation, when one is raising three children, there is not much of a desire to leave for another training camp."

"Speaking about my professional football career starting from 2002, I’ve been doing the same thing over and over again with little time off. You are well aware that there are spring matches of the [national] championship and the Cup, there are autumn matches, the European tournaments, European Cups, World Championship, European Championship and it all goes in a circle," the goalkeeper added.

Akinfeyev, 36, has manned the net for CSKA Moscow FC since 2003 and together with the club he won 20 trophies, including six Russian national football championships and the UEFA Cup.

Playing for the national football team, the goalkeeper earned a bronze medal at the 2008 UEFA Euro Cup and reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he served as the national squad’s captain.

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Russia in 11 cities across the country, Akinfeyev led his national squad to the quarterfinals stage of the global football championship, where Russia lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout (3-4) following a tense match, which ended with a 2-2 draw after regulation time.