Out of nowhere, a conflict has erupted in a major RPL club. CSKA suspended goalkeeper Ilya Pomazun from working with the first team after the transfer market closed in Russia. Apparently, the reason for this decision was the words of a 28-year-old army graduate about Spartak, which he said in an interview with journalist Nobel Arustamyan.
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In this interview, Pomazun, answering a question about a possible move to Spartak, said: “Why not? Anything can happen.”
It would seem that there is nothing special in the goalkeeper’s words. At least something new. Ilya has already made it clear that he does not rule out a move to his main rival. For example, in March of this year, in an interview with Championship, speaking about the prohibition of such a transfer, Pomazun admitted: “In the contract with CSKA there is no prohibition to move to Spartak. Is there a personal prohibition? Everything happens in life.”
Ilya’s calm attitude towards Spartak can probably be explained by the fact that his father Alexander played for the red-and-white team. In the early 90s, Pomazun Sr. joined Oleg Romantsev’s “golden” team, where, however, he stayed for only a year and played only 14 matches. However, he played in the Champions League in the 1993/1994 season, including in the group stage with PSG (1-4) and Galatasaray (0-0). Once he even took part in a derby with the military team, which Spartak won 3-0.
But Pomazun Jr. has been at CSKA since he was 15 and still belongs to this club, although the last four seasons he played on loan at Ural so as not to be under the command of Igor Akinfeev. Obviously, in the military club, Ilya was once seen as a replacement for the legend. But Akinfeev is “eternal.”
ILYA POMAZUN
Photo by: RIA Novosti
As a result, by the age of 28, Pomazun had played only 10 matches for CSKA – even fewer than his father played for Spartak. Ilya grew up in the Russian national team in the Urals. In the winter of 2024, information appeared that the army graduate could move to Spartak. The Moscow club allegedly considered Pomazun as an alternative to its goalkeepers and was negotiating the transfer of Ilya. However, the deal did not materialize.
That is why Pomazun’s dismissal for another interview is a big surprise. But this version is supported by the goalkeeper’s agent Alexei Safonov.
“Ilya was told that the club’s management did not like his statement in an interview with Nobel Arustamyan,” said Safonov, commenting on the situation with his client. – We have not spoken much with him in recent days, as the transfer window was closing. After the match between CSKA and Zenit we will talk and try to sort out this situation. The main task is not to do any harm.
“I don’t want people to take advantage of this situation. I don’t want to look left and right now. The main task is to start training fully. I think common sense will prevail. CSKA also understands that this is an important asset for the club. They will not do self-harm” (RB “Sport”).
Throughout the summer and before the transfer window closed, Pomazunu was looking for a new club after Ural was relegated from the RPL. It was clear that CSKA was not counting on Ilya. The team has a solid number one, Akinfeev, and there is his promising replacement, Vladislav Torop. Pomazun was not even used in cup matches. The army team included Ilya in the roster for the season only on September 12.
As the “Championate” learned, Pomazun was informed immediately after returning from “Ural” that Akinfeev had chosen Torop as his successor and was ready to help the young goalkeeper develop, so Ilya is not even seen as number two. However, the proposals received about Pomazun did not suit the army leadership. In particular, from Zenit and foreign clubs that wanted to rent the goalkeeper from the Russian national team. When it became clear that the transfer story had dragged on too long, CSKA itself began to approach other RPL teams and offer Pomazun (for example, Rubin and Paris NN). But the goalkeeper positions were already filled.
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Agent Safonov confirmed in the summer that Pomazun “has a couple of options with foreign clubs.” He spoke of interest in the goalkeeper from France, Switzerland and Belgium. In addition, in Spain they wrote about Atlético’s interest in Ilya, but it seemed like a “duck.”
According to Legalbet, Pomazun is now training individually at the Oktyabr Stadium. His future is in the dark. Ilya’s contract is valid until the summer of 2028, and the Russian national team candidate risks missing six months. Pomazun has minimal options. In Turkey, the transfer window closes today, in Azerbaijan, Israel and the United Arab Emirates – in the next few days.
