What do the letters mean CSKA, Dinamo, Spartak ...?

In football and especially in Eastern Europe, there are a series of acronyms that name many of the most important collections of that geographical area of the world. Communist influence (in many cases extinct, among others still alive but nuanced) It has been so throughout the twentieth century in the company of countries that moved to the world of sport their presence giving teams a given name and social component.

Although there are many more names than will quote, yes that we hung by the football we're going to stop now know what the most important acronyms mean of the strongest teams in Europe from the East, especially those belonging to the regime of the Soviet Union:

CSKA: Its initials stand for Central Sports Club of the Army Moscow. During the years of the Soviet Union it was known as “the team of the Red Army”, for his affiliation with the Army of the Soviet Union, so obviously it was supported by the Ministry of Defense. CSKA could call up at any time a player from any other club in the league, so always he had a great squad and will reflect the fact that it is the fourth team's laureate of the USSR. In fact, they are known by the nickname of "horses", because usually, when a player was called up to join the team, He is usually assigned to the cavalry unit.

DINAMO: Dynamo was founded in 1923 por Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Russian KGB secret police, in order to improve the physical fitness of police, so is the police team and was supported by the Ministry of the Interior. Its name means moving power. Has been eleven times champions and virtually every country of the communist orbit has a team with this acronym: Dinamo Moscow, Kiev, de Bucarest, de Zagreb

SPARTAK: The club was historically considered “the village team”, without political ties, but union. Spartak team was simply a group of people, without government support, which necessarily permeated society and irked Moscow ruling class. Owes its name to the slave Spartacus.

A railway guide to the Locomotiv, perhaps, because it belongs to the union of the railway.

LOKOMOTIV: It was founded on 12 August 1923 Club of the October Revolution (because of the Russian Revolution), and changed its name to Lokomotiv in 1936. Lokomotiv had back in the union of the railway.

Although the acronym made reference to Soviet equipment, the truth is that in other countries there were other denominations with clear political overtones. Ferencvaros in Hungary was the team that channeled opposition to the Communists, and Rapid Bucharest Romanian, that was the antithesis of the whole army, he Steaua Bucarest, of which outside big fan Ceaucescu, a man of that talk another day, because their relationship for football went further than usual for a head of state.