Ex-Russia defender Sergei Ignashevich deserves respect for putting his career and reputation on the line when he agreed to return to the national team for the FIFA World Cup, former Russia forward Sergei Kiryakov told Sputnik.
"We should take our hats off to Sergei Ignashevich and thank him… His return to the Russian national team was the kind of step that could have ruined his whole career and reputation… If he had failed or delivered a poor performance, he would have been remembered by his last matches for Russia… I bow to him, that really deserves respect," Kiryakov said.
READ MORE: Russia Soccer Veterans Samedov, Ignashevich Retire from National Team
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the final set to be played at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
