"The higher our position, the more money, it's good for us"

Last week, the players of Dynamo Makhachkala created the main sensation of the spring season in Russia. They were able to beat Spartak Moscow (2-1), one of the main contenders for gold in the current national championship draw. The Dagestan club itself, along with this victory, won three matches in the last four rounds. In his debut season in the RPL, he is in 10th place with six rounds to go, having a gap of 12 points from the relegation zone. At the same time, Dynamo is four points away from the transition zone.

In an interview with Izvestia, Shamil Gazizov, general director of the Makhachkala club, commented on the success of the match against Spartak, assessed the team's results this season and explained why the current head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg, Sergei Semak, who worked with Gazizov at Ufa, should not be underestimated.

— How did you manage to win away from Spartak?

— I think our performance was great in the first half. In my opinion, we just moved Spartak. By choice, by dedication on someone else's field, by the ability to conduct a power struggle, we had just an exemplary match before the break. And in the second half, Spartak showed who he really is. And it was very, very difficult for us. But thanks to the team for gritting their teeth and withstanding this onslaught, delighting our fans with such a victory.

— As the person under whom Sergey Semak launched his career as a head coach in the RPL teams, are you glad that you indirectly helped him lead Zenit in the current championship race by taking points from Spartak?

— Well, how did you help? Here the question is different. We still have to play the remaining six rounds against Zenit and Krasnodar. It will be nice to meet them at home (smiles).

— Are you going to repeat what you did with Spartak in the matches against Zenit and Krasnodar?

— We will play, and the Almighty will judge everything.

— Regarding Semak, I would like to clarify one point. Many people criticize his work at Zenit, even though he has led the team to the championship all six seasons in St. Petersburg. The main argument is that with such a superiority of the club in the budget and the selection of players, any coach would take gold.

— I can say right away: not everyone. Six championships — let someone repeat it. I consider Semak to be a very high-level coach.

— Many people like to say that Semak should try to achieve something with a club with a small budget. As if he hadn't taken Ufa to the European Cup in front of you. Can you remind me how much that result was beyond the financial capabilities of the club?

— It was very serious. And Sergey Bogdanovich already showed at Ufa that he is a great coach.

— How did your team win three out of four matches after a crushing defeat by Dynamo Moscow in March (0-4) and significantly strengthen its position in the fight for survival?

— It should be understood that 80% of our team held Ramadan in March. This needs to be taken into account. In the end, the post ended. Accordingly, both the drinking regime and nutrition have become standard for football players again. Maybe it affected the results. Although we must pay tribute to the guys, in March they defeated Krylia at home (4:0). In any case, we have come out of this segment so that today we have 27 points, and there are six rounds ahead. We still need to score points in order to keep our registration in the RPL calmly, without transitional matches.

— Are you satisfied with the overall results of the team?

— We want to be as high in the table as possible. It's not easy to stay in the RPL without transitional matches, taking 12th place. And to be higher — in the top ten or even higher, if possible. As you know, the Premier League now earns such money through a TV contract and bookmakers that one place higher is extra money for the club. And our club has a small budget, so I want to earn more through sports results. The higher our position, the more money, which is good for us. Therefore, we will fight for victory in every match.