"If a coach isn't fired at least once, he's not a coach yet."

Looking at Stanislav Cherchesov, you wouldn't say that he is a coach who recently lost his job. Our conversation lasted for an hour and a half - and not once during that time did we get the feeling that we were talking to a depressed person. Optimism, self-confidence and his trademark jokes (where without them?) - everything is with him.

Disagreements with the federation

- Recently, you recently said on TV such a phrase: "While the head coach of the national team of Kazakhstan in front of you". Now something has changed? What about the legal side of the issue?

- On Thursday (January 30. - Ed.) received a notice from the Kazakhstan Football Federation that the contract will be terminated. Unilaterally, on the initiative of the KFF. Now waiting, as they say, deciphering.

- And on what terms part with the Federation?

- On those specified in the contract. Only the federation, myself and my coaching staff know them. We never create problems. The agreement is an agreement, it will be fulfilled, shake hands and part ways.

- In early January you flew to Kazakhstan, met with the new president of the KFF Marat Omarov, discussed plans. You outlined your vision of preparation for the starting in March qualifying tournament for the World Cup-2026. How unexpected was the situation with the dismissal after that?

- You know, our coaching staff took two titles in Poland - and left. In Hungary, they won three titles and left. Here it was 0:15 and one point in six games - in such a situation everything can be expected. Another thing is that at the meeting with Omarov, in order not to make him uncomfortable, I immediately asked him: are we cooperating or do you have any questions?

- And what did you hear in response?

- Nothing concrete that day. By the way, this time I asked that the program of our training be drawn up in as much detail as possible, literally to the minute, so that the new head would have it all on his desk and would not think about what he had encountered for the first time.

We discussed what had happened and what would happen - we already knew the composition of the group. Naturally, we talked about the work we had done. Everyone understands the outcome of the performance in the Nations League, it's on the surface, but no one sees what was going on inside. And we had to approach March with new ideas, which we tested in the Nations League. Roughly speaking, we laid a certain foundation, but we failed to build it - we didn't have time. I repeat: what we planned in terms of game plan in the Nations League, you can say, we realized. We switched to a scheme with four defenders, introduced a lot of youngsters - so that at the end of March in the opening game of the World Cup qualification with Wales the guys did not start from scratch. Can you imagine: veterans would have been released in the LN, some of them would have finished by spring - and before Wales and Liechtenstein, the first important games of the cycle, we would not know where to start.

We discussed all this with the previous head of KFF Adilet Barmenkulov, he knew our plan and understood what we do and how we do it. Therefore, everything was calm. It is clear that no one is satisfied with 0:15, including me. Another thing is that in a group with Austria, Slovenia and Norway it's quite easy, I would say, to count on top results. We, together with Adilet Nazarbayevich, went to the European Championship last summer, saw the Austrians and Slovenians in person and understood with whom to compete in the League, could compare them with us. So, the performance in the Nations League should have been devoted to other things to start the World Cup qualifying campaign with a new, refreshed team.

We can't continue this work, but we hope that what has been laid down will to some extent help the new coach to make at least one less mistake than he would have made if he had come and started to rebuild from scratch with four defenders, rejuvenate the squad and all that.

By the way, a couple more weeks - and it is possible that he would have had to think about the future himself. I warned my staff about this scenario.

- What do you mean?

- Let me explain. I always say that any manager, who has recently taken office, should be given time to create a system and to understand with whom to go forward. And in my case, the certainty has not yet come: recently, already under the new president, in the federation came and a month later left the managing director Kaisar Bekenov and head of the sports department Gani Kainazarov, with whom I discussed many different organizational aspects. The future of Yerlan Zhamantayev as president of the local league is in question, as well as the structure itself - it is possible that the organization of the championship KFF will take care of itself.

An ordinary person wonders whether he likes or dislikes someone. A businessman always looks from the point of view of his business - whether something is profitable for him or not. And a coach should be guided by whether he is able to solve the problem in these or those conditions. And I could make a certain decision in a situation when, figuratively speaking, all the bridges need to be rebuilt.

In our last conversation I wished Omarov that everything would turn out the way he plans for himself - good luck in all directions.

- If you look from the outside, without knowing the details, judging by the rapidity of news about the appointment of a new head coach of Kazakhstan's national team - Ali Aliyev from Kyzylzhar, who has so far received the prefix "acting", your departure was prepared in advance. Did you not have any signs, strokes, moments of conversation with Omarov feeling that everything is close?

- I have never paid attention to such things, no matter where I worked, I did not think up anything for any of the managers. I can say this for sure: when I work, I do not consider any other offers, I do not talk to anyone. And if I do, my superiors know about it. Everything else does not concern me.

- After the message on the official KFF website about your departure, did you communicate with Omarov?

- Yes, we talked on the phone. But as a man and a functionary I can not evaluate him, because I have not worked with him, and it is not my place to say anything unsubstantiated.

An offer from the Middle East

- With any of the players of the Kazakhstan national team in recent days communicated?

- Yes, the captain Askhat Tagybergen, Bakhtiyer Zainutdinov, Nuraly Alip, Aslan Darabaev, Stanislav Pokotilov... called. We calmly talked - by the way, about leaving - for five seconds, the rest of the time - about the future. We had discussed something before, and nothing changed. Wherever we work, we always stay in contact with the players. For example, we still keep in touch with the guys from Legia and Ferencvaros of our model.

- By the way, when was the last time you talked to Marquinhos?

- In Budapest. He didn't consult me before moving to Spartak. But the guy knows how he ended up here: we took him from Bulgarian Botev, where he was on loan from Atletico Mineiro, and we did everything possible for the Brazilian to open up. I'm glad that in Moscow Marquinhos is regularly on the pitch.

- Many coaches after dismissals look upset, some even get depressed. I can't say that about you.

- And I will ask you a question: why should I be upset?

- After all, the job's gone.

- Well, I did not take steps to leave. If I had left the Kazakhstan national team, having passed at least halfway, I would blame myself. And if I was not given to bring the work to the point that I imagined, why should I be upset by the decision of others?

How can you be held accountable for something you can't be held accountable for? I mean the main goal, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Those 0:15s are mine. Recall as much as you like, the media has to write about something. Only our coaching staff did everything possible to turn those 0:15 into completely different numbers - after a while, of course.

- Andrei Kanchelskis, with whom you once played a lot in our national team, expressed the opinion that Cherchesov needs a break in his career now.

- Well, Andrei is an experienced manager, he has coached a lot of people in the post-Soviet space - he knows what he is talking about.

- And seriously - are you planning some kind of vacation? And in general, how do you see your future?

- Just two or three weeks ago, I was approached by a club from the Middle East, a club that claims to be champions in their country. But I was under contract with KFF at that time. We'll see... To be honest, I don't want to be approached by anyone with an offer on the second day.

- Why?

- Because it's not impossible to get a call that you can't refuse. That happens too. Plus, the club and the national team are different things in this sense. In the first case, you are not able to instantly switch from your daily work to a new one, with your thoughts still in that team. But in the second, you are not in the process 24 hours a day because of the specifics of the international calendar.

- Have you already received other calls with employment options?

- Yes. Not from Russia, either. I was offered to join the board of directors of a club, to help with the sports direction. That is, on the management side, not the coaching side. I thanked them, but replied that I wasn't ready to change my occupation yet. And the call came even before the official announcement on the KFF website - apparently, people knew something in advance ...

Communication with Romantsev, advice to the youngsters

- About your period at Spartak you said in one interview that at that time the Red-Whites were led by Cherchesov, who was not yet the coach.

- I have to make a correct assessment. What am I supposed to do, lie to myself? If I did that, I'd still not be a coach. Experience is a great thing. And if I hadn't, say, when I joined Legia (albeit unsuccessfully), I wouldn't have won the title in Poland or Hungary. But just having experience doesn't work - you need to apply it correctly.

- Has Oleg Romantsev expressed his support to you in recent days?

- The last time I communicated with Oleg Ivanovich was on January 4, when I congratulated him on his birthday. He is an outstanding coach himself and understands that you should not touch your colleague the next day after leaving somewhere. Time will pass - we will call and talk about everything thoroughly.

- It is clear that a lot depends on the offers, but how do you see the pause in work in terms of time?

- I don't see any at all. But it's like with a kettle - you look at it, you look at it, you think, when are you going to boil? And then you turn your back and it immediately turns off. The longest pause in my career was a year and seven months, just between Spartak and Zhemchuzhina. And where, in fact, did you start from? From the First League - and then it went upwards.

- And what was the most offensive dismissal? When did you feel - damn, it wasn't for business?

- There are different kinds of resignations. "Spartak" bought me from "Tirol", "Dynamo" - from "Amkar", my contract with "Legia" ended and I didn't renew it. In Hungary - its own story, in the national teams of Russia and Kazakhstan - their own. But in general, if a coach is not fired at least once, he is not a coach yet (smiles). When one of my young colleagues is fired, I call with congratulations, saying that now you are a real coach. Sometimes such things also develop you and make you angry in a good way, they make you aim for the result.

- You have a lot of experience in both national teams and clubs. What is more preferable at the moment?

- What tasks will be set before me and the staff is the main thing. But everywhere it takes some time. Example. Ask any specialist - sometimes two months of winter training camp and a dozen friendlies are not enough for something to start working. And when after two training sessions you need to beat Norway or Austria.... No coaching course can explain how to do that - you can only understand it on your own skin.

- Are you prioritizing Russia or abroad?

- I would like to work in my own country or at least where Russian is spoken.

- You said that you are not yet ready for the role of a member of the club's board of directors. What if - purely theoretically - you were offered to become a member of the RFU executive committee or head of the Russian Premier League? How do you feel about such a kind of activity?

- I haven't even thought about it. Because this is not soccer - this is soccer organization, working out its strategy. You have to assess your knowledge and skills correctly. I was not prepared for this. When I came to the RFU office every day, being the head coach of the Russian national team, I saw that it was a completely different job. Although constant communication with Alexander Dyukov, Vitaly Mutko, Nikita Simonyan, Sergey Pryadkin - as well as with Leonid Fedun and Boris Rotenberg - gave me a lot.

- By the way, did you talk to Vitaliy Leontievich for the last time?

- I always congratulate my former managers on holidays, birthdays. This applies to everyone I listed in the previous answer.