Chertanovo Moscow does things a bit differently. With an average age of 20.2, the youngest club in the Russia Football National League (second division) is currently in fourth place with a second consecutive promotion a realistic goal. The recent addition to the first team of Sergey Pinyaev highlights the club’s commitment to youth.
Chertanovo Moscow is a young team, with no one older than 25. Even the youth sides of Spartak Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg and Krasnodar competing in the FNL are older than Chertanovo.
On Wednesday, the club got even younger, calling up 14-year-old Sergey Pinyaev to the first team. The kid is so young this Twitter account miscalculated his age and called him 15 before issuing a correction.
Russian FNL side Chertanovo have registered 15 year old Sergey Pinyaev for their first team squad.
The teenage striker has recently returned from his 2nd trial with Manchester United, and is tipped to have a big career ahead and has been prolific at youth level. pic.twitter.com/Y7boWvO5hw— Russian Football News (@RusFootballNews) February 20, 2019
Despite his age, Pinyaev isn’t exactly an unknown quantity in Russia.
The striker scored five goals during a week-long trial with Manchester United in 2018.
He scored a hat trick for the Russian U-16 team against Israel and five goals against CSKA Moscow’s youth team, including a completely-unnecessary-but-totally-cool rabona.
13-year-old Sergey Pinyaev with a superb rabona finish for Chertanovo vs CSKA Moscow.
Huge talent. pic.twitter.com/Ewp14xg3aw— FootballTalentScout (@FTalentScout) November 1, 2018
If any club is going to give a 14-year-old playing time, it’s Chertanovo. (Or D.C. United with Freddy Adu, but let’s hope this kid has more success at the top level than the American.)
It would be a bit of a surprise, however, if Pinyaev receives any significant amount of playing time. Chertanovo is currently in a massive battle for the final promotion playoff spot. Sitting on 38 points, four back of third place, six clubs are within three points of Chertanovo, in its debut season in the FNL. (The third- and fourth-place teams qualify for the promotion playoffs, with the top two earning immediate promotion.)
Plus, the Moscow club doesn’t really need help on the goals front. Chertanovo leads the FNL with 45 goals, but has given up 36, fourth worst in the division.
But just being on the first team at the age of 14 is remarkable.
Sergey Pinyaev Highlights
13 year old Sergey Pinyaev is a PROBLEM pic.twitter.com/fTkPMmgPBf
— Overtime FC (@_overtimefc) January 11, 2019
NEW TALENT ALERT
Sergey PinyaevAge: 14
Nationality: Russian
Height: 1,65 m
Position: Centre-Forward
Current club: Akad Chertanova
Current international: Russia U15Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/pDNkL7u2ou
— Fener Int (@fenerint) January 12, 2019
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