"You need to take a step back, then two steps forward"

In early June, Roman Rotenberg was dismissed from the post of head coach of the SKA hockey club, a decision made by the new board of directors. The club from St. Petersburg was headed by two-time Olympic champion and former Torpedo coach Igor Larionov. In his first interview after his unexpected departure, Rotenberg told where he would spend the next season, and also spoke about his work in the Russia 25 national team.

"I am ready for new challenges, open to suggestions"

— Was your resignation a serious blow to you?

— What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Of course, for me, as for any person, this is unexpected. There were a lot of plans. They were teammates with guys I had worked with for many years. We wanted to keep moving forward. But the management's decision is not being discussed.

— What about your future? Is it in the KHL that you want to coach?

— I think that in four years I have managed to achieve a lot, both in personal development and in the development of the players. We are only at the beginning of a long journey. You need to take a step back, then take two steps forward. I am always ready for new challenges and open to suggestions. Right now, I want to emphasize this, I am fully focused on junior hockey. And I will be coaching the kids next season.

— Don't you think that SKA is going to fall down now?

— As the head coach of the Russia 25 national team, I have to think about all the hockey players. He shouldn't be selfish. You can't just think about yourself, you have to think about the team as well. I wish you all good luck. And I will monitor all the players. And for the Channel One Cup, our task is to assemble the strongest team. We won this tournament two years in a row and we want to do it again, always be in the first place.

— Did Igor Larionov call you?

— I have been working with Igor Nikolaevich for a long time, not only when he worked in the Russian Olympic Federation, he was an assistant and then the head coach of the youth national team. I always turn to our legends and consult with everyone. I don't want to give you any last names, but I have great respect for everyone. As the head coach of the club, any club coach can call me, but I don't think it's worth focusing on that.

— Will you go to the SKA matches?

"Why not?" Sure. I'll go to matches and training sessions. I watch the players grow, I try to develop myself. I study new exercises every day. I watch the training sessions of children's coaches, KHL coaches. I think that's what every coach does, who wants to grow and strive to win in the future. I have a book of exercises, and I'm constantly adding new ones.

Hockey Novel: Rotenberg's team defeated Kazakhstan, but lost to Belarusians

The annual tour of the Russian national team began very controversially

"In 14 years of my work, this is the worst result"

— Let's be honest. Seventh place and relegation in the first round of the playoffs is not something that SKA should show in the championship.

— In 14 years of my work, this is the worst result. But the level of competition is growing. A coach always has two criteria for work: this is the result and the development of the players. I agree with the result. There is only the first place for us. As the head coach, I won the Continental Cup with a big advantage in my first year. He reached the conference finals and won two bronze medals in a row. We did not succeed in SKA last season. It was better for the national team — we won the Channel One Cup, the main tournament for the national team.

The next factor is player development. Guys are calling me, we're talking. Feedback is important to me. And when hockey players from other clubs tell me that we have adopted the things that were in the national team, and they give results, this is the most important thing for me. It is clear that every coach always strives for cups, but there is also this moment when the players want to fight for the coach, feedback comes from them. This is also very important to me.