"The endless talk about officiating is starting to make me nauseous."
Legendary Russian coach Oleg Romantsev said that the problem of corruption in our soccer, which was raised by Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, should be dealt with by the competent authorities. And, of course, the figures involved in this disturbing story should not remain nameless. Also in an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, the ex-mentor of Spartak and the Russian national team spoke about the unfortunate pause for the Red-Whites, named Zenit's main rivals in the RPL-2024/25 and the best Russian player of last year.
- "Spartak has gained excellent form. There is no fear that the pause in the championship is not good for Dejan Stankovic's team, but it is just right for Zenit and Lokomotiv, who have lost momentum?
- In this question, you can sense the anxiety for Spartak's future. I must admit that I am thinking the same thing. I can't hide the fact that there is a reason for it. I know from experience that it's dangerous to stop when the team is at peak form, the game is going on, and points are being scored. After all, a chess player who has the advantage doesn't postpone a game. But this is a situation that neither Spartak nor the coach can influence - that's the rules. The difficulty of the moment is also that Stankovic has no experience with such a long winter training camp. Still, I hope that Dejan will be able to build a work program to make the most of the time. He seems to have decided on the lineup, which is already a lot. Physically, the players are fine. Now the main thing is not to lose their conditioning. Especially since the guys have tasted victory. I hope that with the same spirit they will play the control matches. And if this course is correct, then the meeting with Spartak at the end of February will not disappoint the fans.
As for the rest of the gold medal contenders, I have already repeatedly talked about Semak's problems. Musayev, Lichka and Galaktionov have a lot to think about in the winter. The winter break is an opportunity for them to rethink the reasons for the December losses and work on their mistakes. That means that all of this dashing bunch, including Spartak, will give us a hot and unpredictable end to the championship.
- Could you remind us what Sergei Semak's problems are? Is it about the psychological fatigue of Zenit players and coaches after six consecutive championships?
- I'm sorry, but I can't understand how one can get tired of winning? After all, this is the point of a footballer's profession! That's why, when I took a newcomer, I told him in the first conversation that he came to the team, which has only one goal - to win! And I immediately tried to understand whether this guy would become a Spartak player. Fortunately, I was lucky and most of the time there were no mistakes. Yes, tournament slumps happened. But those were working moments, which we coped with by joint efforts and then moved on. And I do not remember that they affected the mood of the team, forced me to reprimand the players, to hold meetings with appeals to pull themselves together and remember the honor of the club.
I also find it strange to hear talk about some "loss of motivation". How can that be?! Why then to work hard in training, and then come out in full strength on the field, deceiving themselves and the fans? Perhaps some of Sergei Semak's players have really dulled their sense of struggle, and without the ultimate game charge, they can't even beat opponents from the bottom of the standings. There are no other reasons. After all, Wendel and Claudinho, who were leading the rest of the team not so long ago, cannot suddenly lose their sense of play. Of course, two home misfires against Krylia Sovetov and Akron are a low blow for Zenit. But the winter training camp is enough time to understand the reasons for the slump, work on the mistakes and start with a clean slate.
And he has already proved that Semak knows how to find a way out of difficult situations. Especially since he still has the strongest squad in the league. But it is obvious that it will be difficult for him to continue his golden streak this season. First of all, because Krasnodar, who topped the table, have become much more powerful and diverse. And Spartak, which is on the tail of the leaders, has not yet said its last word. The main thing is that after a confident away win over the Bulls, Stankovic's team believed they could do a lot.
- Has something similar happened in your career?
- We went through something similar in the 1989 season, which I single out as the most difficult of all winning seasons. Back then, after being in the lead, we were under constant pressure from journalists, fans and opponents. After all, few believed that Spartak would reach the golden finish. And only after the defeat of Lobanovsky's Dynamo in Kyiv did we realize that the dream could become a reality. And then there were Luzhniki and Shmarov's winning goal against Dynamo's Chanov in the golden match.
- Manferd Ugalde, who scored 15 goals in 18 games, became the hero of the first part of the season for the Red-Whites. At the end of November, you were in no hurry to name the Costa Rican the new leader of Spartak's attack. Will you be just as reserved now?
- I'll say this: if Ugalde continues to score, I'll call him a leader. If he stops, I'll wait. But seriously, I'm very happy that after being criticized after coming to Spartak, the guy didn't swim, didn't give up and put the skeptics under his belt. That means he's our man, a Spartak man! And, of course, thanks to Stankovic for his patience and flair, which made Ugalde sharper, more mobile and more accurate. He also shined with technical subtleties that allow him to score in the most difficult situations. Remember his first goal in the meeting with Dynamo - a classic! And his transfer to the center of attack is a timely and important coaching find.
I remember, when I took charge of Spartak, after some time I came to the conclusion that Fedya Cherenkov would be even more useful to the attack if he was freed from the roughing work. And I guessed right - having saved the energy that was being used to help the defense, he began to torment the opposing defenders so much that they didn't understand how to stop him. There was another moment when the reshuffle in the lineup affected the mobility of the team. That season we were not playing well. Then I decided to swap Pyatnitskiy and Ledyakhov - I moved Andrei from the midfield to the position under the striker, where Igor played, and moved him back. It worked - the game immediately added dynamics and sharpness. And things in the championship became more cheerful. And Ledyakhov and Pyatnitskiy played as if they had been playing in those positions all their lives. I hope that Stankovic in the spring will still please us with the same tactical finds, as Ugalde's opening.
- Which of the Russian players pleased you in the first part of the season?
- I am not a big fan of such polls. When I was still working, I did not single out anyone either after the matches or at the end of the season, because I believe and still believe that the game is a collective affair, and the king is made by the entourage. But I will make an exception for you. Although I'm sure I won't surprise anyone if I agree with my friends Valeriy Gazzaev and Valeriy Karpin, who singled out Aleksandr Golovin among the rest. I don't see him in the Monaco squad very often, but the way he looks confident in the national team, feels and understands the game, allows me to consider him a true professional of a high level. And his last visit to the national team against the backdrop of rotten talk that it would be better to train with Brazilians instead, also shows that Alexander is a decent, devoted to Russia and soccer man.
- Recently, the topic of corruption in refereeing and unscrupulous agents, raised by Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, has been hotly debated. After that, a poll was organized on the Sport-Express website: "The main evil of Russian soccer - refereeing or agents?". How would you answer? And doesn't it seem strange that the mysterious stranger who told the head of the region about Krylia Sovetov's secret debt to referees hasn't been named yet?
- Let me start with the fact that all this should be handled by the competent authorities. And of course, it's very strange that nameless heroes appear in this story, although officials have been in contact with them. Igor Ledyakhov is right, who recently said that if the governor has irrefutable evidence of corruption in the judiciary and the unscrupulousness of agents, then let him make it public. There is also talk of some 10 clubs allegedly involved in corruption. But they have not been named either!
As for refereeing, the endless talk about it makes me sick. I heard that in China there was an operational investigation, as a result of which the head of the referee corps ended up behind bars. For some reason arbitrators and their bosses are not untouchable there. They say they shoot for corruption there, but this does not stop the dashing Chinese. That is why a special security body was created to restore order among those who like to make money from soccer, and at the same time it is tasked with looking after the players. And in our country, the problem of corruption in soccer was raised by a respected governor, who is supposed to lead a huge industrial region.
In short, the Samara story is a unique and disturbing event. And I am very sorry that it happened in a city where soccer is very much loved. It's also a pity for a nice, cheerful team that plays for the fans. And it is also very unpleasant that everything that happened may be in the hands of those who are trying with all their might to prolong the isolation of our soccer. Otherwise, everything is still at the level of rumors, which usually generate mutual distrust and suspicion. Therefore, the question about the main evil of Russian soccer still hangs in the air.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
