interview-Soccer-Euro-Akinfeyev eager to erase bitter memories

By Gennady Fyodorov

MOSCOW, May 26 (Reuters) - Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev has a personal score to settle at Euro 2008 after the bitter memory of missing out four years ago on becoming the youngest player in the tournament.

At 18 years and two months, Akinfeyev was youngest player at Euro 2004 in Portugal and hoped to break Belgian Enzo Scifo's 20-year-old record as the youngest ever to play in a European Championship finals.

Scifo made his Euro debut at 18 years three months and 25 days during the 1984 tournament in France.

Instead, Akinfeyev had to watch agonisingly from the bench as Russia lost their first two games against Spain and hosts Portugal and became the first team to be eliminated.

"Although I came to Portugal as Russia's third-choice keeper I was hoping to get a chance to play," the CSKA Moscow captain told Reuters in an interview on the eve of his team's departure for their Euro 2008 training camp in Germany on Sunday.

"After we lost our first two matches and were already eliminated, there was some talk on the team that I would get a chance to play in our last group game against Greece."

Having already broken most of Russia's goalkeeping records, he wanted to make history on an international stage as well.