Defender Mario Fernandez returns to CSKA

Defender Mario Fernandez, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup with the Russian team, returns to CSKA, which he left in May 2022. In December, the football player decided to play for the Brazilian Internacional on loan, but in April broke off the agreement with him.

The fact that Mario Fernandez is returning to CSKA was announced by the president of the Moscow club Evgeny Giner at a meeting with journalists. He did not disclose any details, but, apparently, the player will soon begin preparations for the new season, which starts at the end of July.

32-year-old Mario Fernandez is one of the most honored players of CSKA, where he moved in 2012 from the Brazilian Gremio (the transfer cost, according to Transfermarkt, was € 10.5 million). Playing for the army for the next ten seasons, he became the team’s leading player, won the Russian Championship three times (2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16) and the Russian Cup once (2012/13).

Associated with the name of Mario Fernandez is the brightest episode in the recent history of the Russian national team – reaching the 1/4 finals of the 2018 World Cup.

Having received Russian citizenship in 2016, Fernandez played 33 matches for the national team.

Fans remember the goal that Fernandez scored in extra time of the quarterfinals of the world championship against Croatia (2:2). Then, however, he did not realize one of the post-match penalties.

In September 2021, it became known that, due to increased injuries, Mario Fernandez was finishing his performances for the national team, and in May 2022, two years before the expiration of the contract with CSKA, he announced the suspension of his career and left for Brazil, where he In early October, his wife gave birth to a son.

Mario Fernandez’s break from football was short-lived. In December, having received permission from CSKA to spend 2023 in Brazil, he moved on loan to Internacional (Porto Alegre), but left this club in April for personal reasons. Now Mario Fernandez intends to return to CSKA, which still has the rights to the player. Since leaving for Brazil, his transfer value, according to Transfermarktdecreased by more than two times – from €8 million to €3 million.

Evgeny Fedyakov