The CIS team was created to allow theSoviet national team to participate inEuro 1992 having already secured their place in the tournamentafter participating in qualifying, and having done so before the Soviet Union was dissolved. The only way to preserve the spot for the post-Soviet team was to take part in the competition as a unified team.
As theSoviet Union formallyceased to exist on 26 December 1991, so did all its organizations including thefootball federation. The Association of Football Federations of CIS was formed on 11 January 1992 and was approved by FIFA two days later.Beethoven'sSymphony No. 9 was adopted as its anthem. Along with the Association, national federations of its members started to form and apply for international recognition.[1]
The CIS national football team was formed based on theUSSR national football team which completed its participation in theEuro 1992 in June 1992. The CIS national football team was disbanded soon thereafter, and all its results were transferred to theRussia national football team that played its first game in August 1992.
Unlike theYugoslav national football team which was barred from competitions during that time and replaced with the team of Denmark, FIFA and UEFA chose to preserve the former Soviet Union team and admitted to their rank a transnational team[1] for the first time in their history. UEFA was offered an additional qualifying tournament among former members of the Soviet Union,[1] but chose not only to ignore the offer and not to impose any sanctions against the non-existent political entity discriminating in the way against other former members of the Soviet Union, but also allowed the transnational entity to the European finals over national.
The CIS national football team was coached byAnatoly Byshovets. The team failed to achieve success in the1992 European Football Championship, finishing last in the group, but achieved two notable draws withGermany and theNetherlands, before being beaten 3–0 byScotland in what turned out to be their last match. In addition to their three matches at Euro 1992, the team played six friendlies: two against theUnited States and one each againstEl Salvador,Israel,Spain,Denmark, and againstEngland in Moscow, the team's only match in front of a home crowd. The CIS also played an unofficial match againstMexico, a 4–0 loss.[2]
Following the Euros, the CIS team was dissolved. Their final record was three wins, five draws, and three defeats, including the unofficial loss to Mexico.
^Tsveiba was capped once byUkraine, in 1992. He switched allegiance toRussia in 1997, earning eight caps.
In total, the CIS squad contained seven Russians, eight Ukrainians (one born in Germany), a Georgian, a Belarusian, an Abkhazian, a Circassian, and an Ossetian.[citation needed] Caps included games played for the Soviet team as well as the CIS. Some players simultaneously played for other national teams such asKakhaber Tskhadadze (Georgia) andAkhrik Tsveiba (Ukraine).
Some players resumed their international careers with their respective individual nations; however, many preferred to play for Russia. Although almost one third of the team were from Ukraine, only two Ukrainian players ever played for theUkraine national football team, while another four chose to play for the Russian national team.[citation needed]
For teams that have undergone name changes but no border alterations seehere For teams that have undergone border changes but no name alterations seehere