Putin congratulates Russia’s head coach Cherchesov on his 55th anniversary

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Russia’s head coach Stanislav Cherchesov on his 55th birthday in a telegram published on the Kremlin’s website.

"You have devoted yourself to football - the number one sport, have shown yourself as a talented player, a reliable goalkeeper of the national team," the message says. "And of course, you are known and valued as a wonderful coach and mentor. You have done a lot to prepare our team for its worthy performance at the World Cup in our home country, have created a comfortable psychological climate for the footballers, inspired them to achieve results, to play a beautiful, winning game."

"There are important starts and challenges ahead," Putin stated. "I am sure that under your guidance, the Russian team will continue to develop, to achieve success and make millions of loyal fans happy. I wish you good health, prosperity and luck."