After Gadzhi Gadzhiyev left the club during the summer, Aleksandr Markarov was appointed as an interim manager until a permanent manager could be found.[1]
On 19 August 2001, during the game against CSKA Moscow, Serhiy Perkhun collided head-to-head with Anzhi forward Budun Budunov who also sustained serious head trauma during the collision.[2] At first, the injury appeared to be minor. Perkhun was substituted for and diagnosed with a broken nose. However he became suddenly comatose on the way to the airport and died nine days later from a brain hemorrhage.
On 27 September, Anzhi faced Rangers in the First Round of the UEFA Cup, with the match being switched to a single-legged tie and moved to neutral Warsaw from Dagestan due to increased fighting in neighbouring Chechnya.[3]
The UEFA Cup First Round tie between Anzhi Makhachkala and Rangers was played over One-Leg at a neutral venue due security concerns regarding the ongoing Chechen War in the neighboring area.[6]