Football fans of a certain vintage will remember the name Anzhi Makhachkala. The Russian club sent shockwaves through Europe with their freewheeling spending between 2011 and 2013, looking to do what many Saudi Pro League sides are attempting today - drag football away from its roots and create a new force of nature.
In January 2011, Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, worth £7.2 billion at the time, purchased his hometown club. To say he was ambitious would be an understatement. Kerimov was determined to bring superstar names to Russia and transform Anzhi into the country’s biggest club.
During his reign, Kerimov made 18 major signings. The high point came in 2012/13, when Anzhi finished third in the Russian Premier League and qualified for the Europa League - even beating Liverpool - under Guus Hiddink.
But in summer 2013, disaster struck: Kerimov lost £5.5 billion on an investment, Anzhi unravelled, star players were offloaded, and Rene Meulensteen, who briefly replaced Hiddink, was sacked after just 16 days. A dramatic freefall followed, ultimately stripping Anzhi of its professional status. But what became of the players signed during those short-lived glory days?
The 18 Players Anzhi Makhachkala Signed Between 2011 and 2013
Roberto Carlos (Free transfer)
roberto carlos
The legendary Brazilian, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in Champions League history, was 37 when he arrived in Russia, having been released by Corinthians. He was likely ready to retire, but Kerimov offered him £8.6 million over two years to play defensive midfield.
On top of that, he was gifted a £1.2 million Bugatti Veyron for his birthday, so turning down such a tempting end-of-career payout would have been difficult. From a performance perspective, however, the transfer seemed more about showmanship than actually pushing the club toward glory.
Willian (£31.5 million)
Willian celebrates scoring for Chelsea
Willian played just 11 games for Anzhi, despite being their record signing before moving to Chelsea for a similar fee. It was in the Premier League where he truly shone, his explosive pace on the flanks helping the Blues win two league titles, an FA Cup, and a Europa League.
Now 37 and playing for Gremio in his home country, Willian was still active in England as recently as last season, featuring in 10 league games for Fulham and bringing his Premier League career totals to 47 goals and 45 assists in 327 appearances.
Samuel Eto'o (£24.3 million)
Samuel Eto'o Barcelona
Eto’o became the highest-paid player in the world when he joined Anzhi, picking up £17.3m-per-year after tax. He rewarded them with 26 goals in 73 matches. He also lived in Moscow, making the 1,200-mile flight to Makhachkala for matches because he feared for his safety.
"Plenty of people will be looking out for my security, and if I took this decision it’s because I don’t consider that my life or that of my family are in any danger,” Eto'o told his website upon his arrival. "I’ll travel there on the day of the match or the eve of the match and then I’ll go back to Moscow. It’s that simple.” He then had brief stints with Chelsea and Everton before doing a tour of Turkey and the Middle East with the likes of Antalyaspor and Qatar SC.
Aleksandr Kokorin (£17.1 million)
Aleksandr Kokorin
Anzhi didn’t just try to poach Europe’s top talents - they also showed some (though very limited) commitment to developing players already in the country, as evidenced by the arrival of Aleksandr Kokorin, who would go on to earn just shy of 50 international caps for Russia.
However, Kokorin never made a first-team appearance for Anzhi and was sold to Dynamo Moscow after less than 12 months in Dagestan. He later enjoyed a successful spell at Zenit, winning the Russian Cup, Russian Super Cup, and Russian Premier League. Now 34, he plays for Cyprus-based club Aris Limassol.
Lacina Traore (£12.6 million)
Lacina Traore
The lanky striker, who was nicknamed "The Big Tree", scored 18 goals in 46 matches for the club but, at the age of 35, has now been without a club for three years, having last played for Bandırmaspor in the second tier of Turkish football before having a five-game stint at third tier Portuguese side Varzim.
Sadly, Traore never played more than 50 games at any club he joined, and he was constantly shifted out on loan to the likes of Everton and Amiens upon joining Monaco in 2014. Still, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 with Ivory Coast is definitely a highlight.
Igor Denisov (£13.5 million)
Igor Denisov
Denisov managed just three matches before he was also sold to Dynamo Moscow. The fiery midfielder was constantly at loggerheads with coaches and managers throughout his career, and refused to play any part in Russia's Euro 2008 campaign, where they made it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by Spain.
He had a penchant for training ground bust-ups and was once caught drink-driving. Denisov spent most of his career from 2002 to 2013 at his hometown club Zenit Saint Petersburg, playing 354 games, scoring 29 goals and winning honours including three Russian Premier League titles and the UEFA Cup, but ultimately let himself down with his short-fused temper.
Yuri Zhirkov (£13.5 million)
Yuri Zhirkov
Signed from Chelsea, Zhirkov played 63 times for Anzhi before moving on to - yes, you guessed it - Dynamo Moscow. He was eventually snapped up by Zenit during their halcyon days and finished his career with 105 international caps for Russia, earning a spot in the Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament.
Over his career, he also won the Premier League and FA Cup in England, as well as five Russian Premier League titles and a UEFA Cup.
Balazs Dzsudzsak (£12.6 million)
Balazs Dzsudzsak
The Hungarian international joined from PSV but made just eight appearances for Anzhi due to injuries. He soon moved on to Dynamo Moscow. Now 38, he continues to play for his hometown club Debreceni, having amassed 109 caps for the Hungary national team during a successful international career.
Chris Samba (£12.6 million & £10.44 million)
Chris Samba
This perhaps sums up the Anzhi madness. They signed the defender from Blackburn Rovers in January 2012, only to sell him back to QPR the following year. But six months later, the club splashed out again on another hefty transfer fee. You’ll never guess where he went after just five appearances - Dynamo Moscow once again stepping in like Anzhi’s younger brother in all of this.
Jucilei (£9 million)
Jucilei
Jucilei was actually quite loyal to Anzhi. While many players sought a quick escape, the Brazilian stuck around for the disastrous 2013/14 season. In total, he made 99 appearances for the club before moving on to stints in Abu Dhabi and China, eventually returning to Brazil to play out his later years with Sao Paulo and Boavista.
Moubarak Boussoufa (£7.2 million)
Boussoufa
Snapped up from Anderlecht, Boussoufa scored 13 goals and assisted a further 27 in his 87 appearances for Anzhi. Not a bad signing for £7.2 million, proving that big money moves aren't always the way forward. The Dutch-born Moroccan attacking midfielder embellished his career in the Middle East after having flourished with his national team, playing 70 times for the Atlas Lions.
Vladimir Gabulov (£6 million)
Vladimir Gabulov
Vladimir Gabulov joined Anzhi in 2011 for £3.4 million, becoming their primary goalkeeper during the club's fleeting time in the sunshine. From 2011 to 2013, he made 61 appearances, securing 23 clean sheets, and helped Anzhi reach the Europa League Round of 16 in 2012-13.
However, financial troubles led to a budget cut in 2013, triggering a player exodus. Gabulov returned to Dynamo Moscow, later played for Arsenal Tula and Club Brugge, retiring in 2018. Post-retirement, he served as FC Olimp Khimki’s chairman and their general director before it dissolved this year.
Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez (£5.13 million)
Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez
Signed from Standard Liege, Carcela-Gonzalez played 47 times for Anzhi - mostly during the 2012/13 season. He was sold back to Standard Liege, where he finished his career following spells at Benfica, Granada and Olympiacos. Like Boussoufa, he was also a mainstay in the Morocco setup, featuring 22 times and scoring once from midfield.
Ewerton (£4.86 million)
Ewerton
Ewerton didn’t leave the Russian club until 2015 when he joined Sporting. He played 35 times for Anzhi, before making a success of himself in Portugal, though he ended up retiring at just 31 after a brief spell in Germany with Nuremberg and the oddly-named Wurzburger Kickers.
Lassana Diarra (£4.5 million)
Lassana Diarra warming up for PSG
Lassana Diarra warming up for PSG
Anzhi signed the defensive midfielder from Real Madrid, but he lasted just 18 league matches before moving to Russian Premier League rivals, Lokomotiv Moscow. He ended his career at Paris Saint-Germain after having also had spells with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Portsmouth.
Although he was never able to work his way into being first-choice at any of these clubs, he won't be complaining that his trophy cabinet includes two FA Cups and a Ligue 1 title. In the 2005/06 season, he won Chelsea's Player of the Season award, too, proving he always had the potential to reach the top.
Diego Tardelli (£4.5 million)
Diego Tardelli
The striker failed to score in 14 matches for Anzhi before moving to Qatar - odd, considering he had no trouble finding the net in the Brazilian Serie A. He finished his career with 209 goals in 608 appearances for clubs including Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, and Santos.
His talent also caught the eye of the Brazil national team, where he managed three goals in 14 appearances during a period when Neymar was still making his mark.
Andrey Yeshchenko (£4.3 million)
Andrey Yeschenko
Andrey Yeshchenko joined Anzhi in 2013 during the club's final few months of lavish spending. Playing as a right-back, he made 34 appearances in the Russian Premier League without scoring, contributing to a mid-table finish in 2013-14. In 2014, he was loaned to FC Kuban Krasnodar, where he played 21 matches.
After Anzhi, Yeshchenko returned to Dynamo Moscow on loan in 2016 before signing with Spartak Moscow, where he won the Russian Premier League in 2016/17. He retired in January 2025 after a stint with PSK Pervorechenskoe and became manager of FC Kuban Krasnodar - a position he still holds.
Oleg Shatov (£2.5 million)
Oleg Shatov
Oleg Shatov joined Anzhi in the 2011/12 winter window from Ural Yekaterinburg, becoming a key playmaker amid the club's rise to prominence. Over 18 months, he made around 50 appearances across competitions, showcasing versatility as an attacking midfielder and winger.
His form earned a Russia national team debut in 2012, scoring on his international bow against Iceland. When Anzhi slashed budgets in 2013, he moved to Zenit for a reported €20 million. There, he won two Russian Premier League titles and a Cup. Loans to Krasnodar 2017 and Rubin Kazan preceded a 2021 return to Rubin, then rejoining Ural in 2022. In November 2024, he became Ural's caretaker manager.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 13/09/2025)