"Make way for the young!": Mario Fernandez refused to play for the Russian national team

“The Russian Football Union thanks Mario for his brilliant performances and wishes him success in his future career”, - the RFU said in a release.

According to the footballer himself, before making such a decision, he consulted with his family and the head coach of the national team Valery Karpin.

"And I would like to thank him (Karpina - editor's note) for the support he gave me . Each time it becomes more and more difficult to play on two fronts, more and more time is required to recover from the games. Unfortunately, injuries have become more frequent", - the CSKA website quotes the athlete.

Fernandez pointed out that it is unfair to occupy a place on the national team and that it should be lost to young players.

It's worth reminding that Mario Fernandez received Russian citizenship in 2016. The following October he made his debut for the national team. For the Russian national team, he played 33 matches and scored five goals.

Earlier it was reported that Fernandez missed the 2022 World Cup qualifier on September 4 with the Cyprus team.