Russian goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev has announced his decision to quit Russian national football team to bring up his children.

      The 33-year-old goalkeeper has 29 caps for Russia and was the country's first-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2012. His wife, Marina, died in March 2011 in a car crash, and Malafeev was left to raise his two children on his own.

      He also hit out at claims he quit the Russia's team because of his age. "It's a pity that we have people who know so little about football. Goalkeepers play until the age of 38-40," Malafeev said on Twitter.

      Malafeev still continues to play for his club side Zenit St. Petersburg, where he has won three Russian titles and the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.

      Russian football team's next games are World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland at home on September 7 and away to Israel four days later. The most possible candidate for goalkeeper's place is CSKA Moscow's Igor Akinfeev, who played for the team before his serious injury.