Russia lost 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-finals against Croatia and were eliminated from this summer's tournament. Reaching the quarter-finals was Russia's best result at the World Cup since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"The national team's result at the World Cup is above all praise... Everyone used to say that... reaching the knockout stage would already be a success... I don't want to go into detail, but I'll put focus on team spirit, the desire to stand up [to the opponents], to fight for the sake of the fans... All the flattering comments are well-deserved. We defeated Spain, who used to be the favorites to win the tournament, it was a tough game," Chugainov said.

He praised the players and the coaching staff.

"We should thank everyone, the guys and the coaches, for making the country happy... The players have fulfilled the [head] coach's plan," Chugainov added.

He also said that Russia forward Artem Dzyuba, who chalked up three goals and two assists in five matches for his side, was "indispensable."

"He [Dzyuba] started... as a substitute, but he went onto the pitch during the Saudi Arabia game, scored a goal and became an indispensable forward [in the following games]. I was most amazed with his performance in the match against Uruguay," Chugainov said.