"Let Zenit win the championship — it's somehow more familiar after all"
The Russian Premier League (RPL) Football Championship draw will end next Saturday. The central match of the last, 30th round will be the confrontation between Krasnodar and Dynamo Moscow. Krasnodar needs to win to win gold medals, Dynamo needs a victory to take bronze. A year ago, these teams also met in the last round, and then Krasnodar's 1-0 victory deprived Dynamo of their first championship in 48 years.
In an interview with Izvestia, blue and white defender Dmitry Skopintsev spoke about the motivation for the last match of the season, changes in the team after the recent resignation of head coach Marcel Lichka and commented on the departure of long-time goalkeeper and captain of Dynamo Anton Shunin, who ended his football career.
— How did you like Anton Shunin's send-off?
— He deserved to put such an end to his playing career, to say goodbye to the fans like that. Anton has had a decent, eventful career. We are very happy for him. Shunin now has a new stage in his life. And we will be glad to see him in any position, in any guise in the future.
— In what position?
— The supervisor. I think it's his. Maybe later he'll pull me closer to him (smiles).
"As who?" The deputy sports director?
- of course. He'll make me some kind of chief breeder. We will bring football players (laughs).
— How did Dynamo win all three matches after Marcel Lichka was replaced by Rolan Gusev?
— Probably, emotions and motivation from Roland Alexandrovich. On my own, I would like to note that everyone tried their best, played to the limit of their abilities. And it brought results.
— Have your functions changed after the change of coach?
— If we take the three matches under Roland Alexandrovich, then I came out against Spartak (2-0) in attack, against Akron (2-1) in defense. The playing time is about the same.
— Why have the personal results not been very good lately?
— To be honest, I didn't think about it. We need to analyze it. In principle, I can't say anything bad about this segment, but also nothing positive.
— Before the game of the last round against Krasnodar, do you have flashbacks from last year's trip there, when you missed the championship?
— I think we will be more relaxed and relaxed, because we are not fighting for the trophy. But, on the other hand, we will be well-loaded, because there are chances for bronze.
— Is there a special desire to punish Krasnodar for that defeat and deprive it of gold this season?
— Yes, of course, this is a matter of principle for us.
— Wouldn't it be a shame to deprive your former club of gold?
— I've only been playing there for a year. That's how I am a graduate of Dynamo. I don't feel any excessive love for Krasnodar, only respect for its president Sergey Nikolaevich Galitsky. As it is, I will fight to win the match. We'll go out and fight.
— In your opinion, who deserves the championship more this season — Krasnodar or Zenit?
— Yes, let Zenit win — it's somehow more familiar after all.
— In the last match against Akron, Dynamo played in an orange uniform. How did you feel when you weren't in blue and white?
— Normal, interesting color combinations. Everyone knows that our classic colors are blue and white. But time does not stand still — we are developing in this direction as well.
— I noticed that you often play with the collar of your T-shirt turned up. Are you doing this on purpose?
- yes.
- why?
"I like it that way." We have several people doing this — we're just imitating Eric Cantona. I'm loving it.
— How can you remember him if you were born the year he finished playing?
— Well, I watched the archived matches with his participation. I could appreciate both his playing and his style.
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