"Very grateful to the Monaco management for the five-year contract"

Monaco and Russian national team midfielder Aleksandr Golovin has won the prestigious Sport-Express poll and for the second time in a row won the award for the best player in Russia for the calendar year. In the final poll (coaches and top managers of RPL clubs, journalists and fans participated in the voting), Golovin beat his nearest pursuer, Krasnodar striker John Cordoba, by 70 points!

In 2024, Aleksandr Golovin managed to score three goals and five assists, helped Monaco finish second in the French league, extended his contract with the club until 2029 and cemented his status as one of the team's leaders. The award winner answered questions from Izvestia and Sport-Express about his progress at Monaco, his performance in the Champions League, his contract extension and the Russian national team.

The current Champions League format also has its advantages

- For the second year in a row you won the Best Footballer of the Year award organized by SE. What does it mean for you?

- Thank you very much for this assessment, I am grateful to everyone who voted for me in your poll. As I said a year ago, it's great that managers, coaches, journalists and fans take part in this voting. That is, different representatives of the soccer community.

- Do you feel your own progress compared to last year?

- It is difficult for me to talk about it. Perhaps, you can see from the outside, but I feel pretty confident. At the end of last season we won the right to play in the Champions League. Perhaps this is the main difference from 2023.

- "Monaco" this season is imposing a struggle with PSG for the title of champion of France, only 4 points to the first place. How do you assess the chances of the championship?

- There are always chances. They were last season, they are now. It is hard to predict and forecast. A lot will depend on us and on how our opponents will look. The only thing I can assure you is that we will do everything possible to maximize the result.

All Golovin: Russian tries to help Monaco in the fight for gold

How our foreigners perform in France and other European championships

- The situation in the Champions League is more complicated. How do you like the new format? Were you able to understand it? Wasn't it much simpler before?

- Rather, it was not simpler, but more familiar. The scheme of the tournament with minimal changes has existed for many years. I think that the current format also has its advantages, although there are some curious nuances. For example, the fact that you play someone at home and someone away. There are no return games. At the same time there is a common table, it is interesting. Otherwise, in any case, you need to win and then everything will be fine.

I always go to the national team with great pleasure

- You have extended your contract with the club until 2029. Why did you decide on a five-year agreement? Can we say that your move to another club and another league is now unrealistic?

- I would not link these two issues. The five-year contract is an offer from the management of Monaco, for which I am very grateful. This is stability, confidence in the future, and evaluation of my game. I repeat that here I can only say words of gratitude to the club management.

Moving to another club? First of all, everything suits me at Monaco, we play in the Champions League, we are fighting for high places in the table. Secondly, even if I imagine that some club is seriously interested in me, the interests of Monaco, which has given me a lot, must be taken into account. This is not even up for discussion. Therefore, with the signing of the new contract, nothing has changed in this matter.

- Several times this year you came to the Russian national team. Which visit was the most memorable? You have complicated logistics - do you have any doubts whether it's worth flying in for a friendly match?

- I have never had such doubts, I don't have and I won't have them. Yes, the logistics are not easy, but if I am ready, if there are no injuries, I always go to the national team with great pleasure when I get a call-up. For me, there are no questions or even thoughts on this topic. And it's hard for me to single out any one training camp or visit, because I always get positive emotions from the Russian national team.