"We felt that the team needed to be shaken up"

One of the main events of the spring in Russian football was the dismissal of Marcel Lichka from the post of head coach of Dynamo Moscow. He worked at the head of the blue and white for almost two years. In his first season, he managed to win the bronze medals of the Russian championship. In addition, the team under his leadership almost won the national championship for the first time since 1976 — before the last round it was satisfied with an away draw with Krasnodar, but the defeat in this game (0:1) deprived Dynamo of the trophy.

They have been very unstable this season. At the time of the Czech specialist's dismissal, the team was in fifth place. And the reason for his resignation was the departure from the Cup of Russia following the results of the derby with Spartak Moscow (1:2). Rolan Gusev, who assisted Lichke, has been appointed acting head coach until the end of the season. In the first match under his leadership, the blue and white won 3-1 against the Samara Wings of the Soviets and are now only two points behind third place.

In an interview with Izvestia, Dmitry Gafin, Chairman of the Dynamo Board of Directors, explained the choice of such a moment for the resignation of the head coach, commented on the removal of midfielder Jorge Carrascal in the match with Krylia and shared his opinion on Yaroslav Gladyshev's super-productive performance this spring, who scored six goals in the last four matches.

— Why did you decide to leave your personal account at this moment?

— This is a decision of the board of directors. We lost the chance to compete for the Russian Cup. However, we still have the opportunity to fight for third place in the Russian championship. The Board of Directors considered the results we achieved in the spring part of the season — just three wins - to be unsatisfactory. Hence this decision. We felt that the team needed to be shaken up in order to try to achieve the minimum goal set for this season — a place in the top three winners of the championship.

— Did Lichka's resonant phrase after the defeat in the Cup by Spartak affect the decision to resign, when, answering a question about a possible dismissal, he said: "If they decide that the club does not need me, then I will go home to Prague, where it is 22 degrees Celsius, but it is cold here. I won't be upset."?

— It's difficult for me to comment on this. We try not to get emotional and look at more fundamental factors. Such as the quality of football and the result.

— Could Lichka have retained his post and achieved a contract extension at the end of the season with a Cup victory and a championship medal?

— For this season, the club had a task — the Russian Cup and a place in the championship as high as possible, but always in the top three. We are guided by the fact that the whole team — both the players and the coaching staff — must achieve this result.

— You noted the high dedication of the team in the match against Krylia Sovetov. Have you had any questions about dedication in recent personal games?

— It seemed that the team devoted itself to football in recent games. But unfortunately, we were constantly missing something in order to achieve a positive result. Perhaps there was a lack of a certain emotional charge.

— Does it feel like this season all of Dynamo, including the team, coaches and management, have not been able to fully get rid of the emotional consequences of missing the championship a year ago?

— Yes, it was a very difficult moment. Such a scar that everyone has left on their hearts. And maybe you're right.

— Does the coaching staff or the management of Dynamo need a tough conversation with Jorge Carrascal, who, with the score 1-1 in the match against Krylia, was eliminated out of the blue and put the team in a difficult situation?

— In the locker room after the match, Jorge apologized to the team and the coaches. And we accept that. At the same time, we have doubts that a player should be removed for such a violation.

— Are you already looking for a new head coach?

— Follow our club media sources and find out everything after the end of this season.

— Is there any trust in the club's sports director Zeljko Buvac?

— There is.

— What do you attribute Yaroslav Gladyshev's high performance to this spring?

— First of all, I attribute this to the fact that Yaroslav is a super talented football player. We've known this for a long time. Back when he played at the Dynamo Academy and for Dynamo-2. It probably took him more time to mature mentally and show the kind of football he's showing this spring. He turned 22 on the day of the match with Krylia. I want to wish him a happy birthday and wish him to remember this game and the previous ones. And do everything the same way as in these games, just a little better, tougher and more aggressive. If he succeeds, then we will have one of the best players of the Russian national team.

— It was reported the other day that Anton Shunin will soon announce his retirement from playing, and the club will organize a special farewell ceremony for your former goalkeeper and the fans at the Akron match. For your part, can you summarize the results of your cooperation with him?

— We have said many times that Anton Shunin is a very important football player for the Dynamo Moscow football club. He has devoted his entire career to the club. We want Anton to say goodbye to the fans who love him when he finishes his career. And we wish him all the best in the future, the realization of all his plans. If they are associated with the club, then we also want his plans to be implemented in this direction.