"The moment when Agkatsev scored a penalty in Makhachkala was exciting"

Last week, Krasnodar football club became the champion of Russia for the first time in its history. One of the heroes of this season was right-back Sergey Petrov. He has been playing for the Bulls the longest, joining them during the winter break of the 2012-13 season. And at the age of 34, he constantly appeared in the main squad of the club, with which, after winning gold, he extended his contract for another season.

In an interview with Izvestia, Sergey Petrov shared his emotions from winning the RPL, recalled the episode when Krasnodar goalkeeper Stanislav Agkatsev took a penalty at the end of an away match with Dynamo Makhachkala (3:2) and helped the team avoid losing important points, and also told whether it was important to interrupt the six-year championship series of St. Petersburg Zenit, where he started his adult football career.

— Would you have believed if someone had told you a year ago that you would become champions?

— Of course! We've been working for this. Our goal was to become champions. I think we've earned it with our work.

— Even after three draws at the start of the championship, there were no doubts about the possibility of winning gold?

— There was no doubt. And why should they be? It's just that people from the outside don't see what's going on inside the team. Those who criticize us all the time. But we believed in ourselves and in our strength. And they just did their job.

"We will do everything to experience these moments of joy again"

Krasnodar football player Alexander Chernikov — about the emotions of the first championship in the club's history

— You are the oldest player in the Krasnodar championship, apart from Fyodor Smolov and Yuri Dupin, playing in a very energy-intensive position as a fullback, but at the same time, at the age of 34, you have almost completely played out a winning season, despite all the logistical difficulties. How did you survive all this?

— Yes, everything is fine. Nutrition and sleep, plus recovery at the base, are among the best (smiles). So you can see the result for yourself.

— The most difficult moment for Krasnodar in this championship season?

— I think, first of all, the end of the match in Makhachkala, when Stas Agkatsev kicked a penalty. It was an exciting moment. But we have shown that we can win through character.

— The players of Dynamo Moscow said before the match of the last round that they wanted to get even with Krasnodar for taking away their championship a year ago. Did it motivate your team in any way?

— I saw these statements, but I didn't pay attention to them.

— Have you ever thought about ending your football career on the wave of success?

— No, it's too early to finish. Let's play some more.

— What are your emotions about leaving Zenit without a championship?

— Yes, there are no special emotions. It was a long time ago when I played at Zenit. I've been at Krasnodar for 13 years now. So... There are no complaints about Zenit at all. I started there, I played for the reserve team. And I will always be grateful to the club for everything it has done for me. But it so happened that I have been playing for Krasnodar for a long time and have achieved all my successes with it. This is football — it happens that you change teams.

— Does anyone else play from that Zenit double besides you?

— It is necessary to remember...

— It seems that only goalkeeper Nikolai Zabolotny is left, who is in Sochi.

— Yes, exactly, Kolya is playing. And the rest graduated — Lech Ionov, Kanuna (Maxim Kanunnikov. — Izvestia). No one is playing anymore. Max Kanunnikov, by the way, along with Igor Cheminava, were among the first to congratulate me on the championship. As soon as I turned on my phone immediately after the match with Dynamo, I saw their congratulations.

— It has often been suggested in the media that it is impossible to deprive Zenit of gold, Krasnodar will stumble somewhere anyway. Was it annoying or encouraging?

— There were such moments, yes, we read all this... But again, I repeat, if you believe in yourself, then you can really achieve everything. We have shown it and done it.

"Everyone wanted to give a gift to Galitsky"

Krasnodar football player Yuri Gazinsky — about the gold of the Russian championship and whether he believed in it at the beginning of the season

— Such conversations especially intensified when, six rounds before the finish, you were defeated away by Zenit (1-4). How did you react to that defeat?

— We sat down, talked, discussed everything, that we need to get together and make the most of the rest of the season. In the end, everything ended well.

— How did you manage to survive Matvey Safonov's departure to PSG painlessly? How did Stanislav Agkatsev manage to replace him?

— Stas has performed very well in previous seasons. He periodically replaced Matvey and played in the Cup. We already knew a year ago that he was absolutely ready to become the main goalkeeper. Therefore, Safonov was quietly released. And we are happy for him. He won the championship in France, Stas and I won the championship in Russia. Matvey went to Europe, to a club like PSG, is the right choice. He's doing great, fighting for a place in the first team, winning trophies.

— How can Krasnodar stay at the top?

— For now, I just want to enjoy the championship a little more and celebrate. I'm sure we have everything we need to win again, but I don't want to think about it or talk about it yet.