Anton Kardanakhishvili moves to Samara

A graduate of the CSKA Sports School and our club’s Youth Project, he already played for the Volga team in the 2022-23 season on loan. After that he debuted in the red-and-blue main team. Last season, the 22-year-old playmaker took part in 28 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 assists in 8.6 minutes on the floor.

In the ranks of CSKA, Kardanakhishvili became the champion of the VTB United League this year, and three years ago he won the VTB United Youth League. Then, in 2021, Anton also played for the Russian National Team for the first time in games of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Andrey Vatutin, PBC CSKA President:

Just like parents in relationships with children, the club is always a little sad to send its own pupil on an independent voyage. At the same time, we are confident that this transition will help Anton become a very good adult player. Therefore, we met the aspirations of the basketball player himself and our colleagues from Samara, who expressed a great desire to get Kardanakhishvili into their ranks. The modern history of our club knows many examples when players gained experience in other teams and then returned to CSKA in a new capacity - just look at Kurbanov, Astapkovich and Gankevich. Therefore, it is quite possible that we say to Anton not “farewell”, but “goodbye”.

I would like to thank the entire CSKA family for a wonderful six years! I grew up here, went through all the stages, starting with CSKA Junior, and reached the main team. Together we managed to win the Belov Cup! This is a great honor for me and unforgettable memories for life. Special thanks to the coaches, players, doctors, management, fans, everyone who worked with me, and, of course, Andrei Vatutin and Natalia Furaeva for the opportunity to gain this experience. No goodbyes, hope to see you soon!