"Next season we will take the fifth or sixth place in the league in terms of budget"

According to the results of the last Russian Football Championship draw, Fakel Voronezh took the last 16th place in the RPL and was relegated to the first league. Nevertheless, this club won the sympathy of the general public by the fact that even in unsuccessful periods it gathered full stands at its home matches, and also lasted three seasons in the elite, having the smallest budget. In an interview with Izvestia, Fakel CEO Roman Askhabadze told how the club is going to return to the RPL in a year, commented on the bankruptcy of Khimki and named the estimated budget for the upcoming season.

"The Torch will not burst, will not deflate, will not go bankrupt"

— When the RFU was deciding who to keep in the RPL instead of Khimki, did you have at least minimal illusions that Fakel's candidacy would be considered?

— We don't live in illusions. We have been living in reality for many years, so after the end of the championship, we realized that the last place we took gave us very little chance of such an outcome. And that if something changes based on a sporting principle or some other circumstances, then the teams that finished above us in the RPL table will be considered. This is a normal story, so we lived with the tasks of recruiting a team for the new season, already in the first league.

— Is it worth the task to return to the RPL in one season?

— Yes, we have exactly such a task.

— What is your budget position for the upcoming season in the first league?

— On the third or fourth.

— In three years in the RPL, Fakel has gained a reputation as the main club, living within its means, ready to miss out on high-profile players in the squad, rather than paying for them beyond its financial capabilities. Isn't it a shame that they lost the fight for survival to Khimki, among others, who did not disdain to sign unsecured contracts with people of the level of Anton Zabolotny, Lukas Vera, Zelimkhan Bakayev and many others, eventually escaped relegation, but did not receive a license because of debts? It seems that if they lived like you, you would have a better chance of finishing the season above them.

- no. In no case do we regret anything. Because the club's development strategy is based on its capabilities. For today, Fakel has such opportunities as it has. If there had been other opportunities, or if I had worked at another club, maybe there would have been a different strategy. But today, "Torch", as you correctly noted, lives within its means. And our main story is connected with the fact that the "Torch" will not burst, will not deflate, will not go bankrupt. Our financial activities have been measured for years, not for the first season. Yes, we lost the competition for survival in the RPL in our third year of playing in it, but nevertheless, we played three seasons in the highest echelon of Russian football — this is a historic achievement for the club since its foundation. So we definitely don't regret anything.

— My point is that there were no mechanisms for controlling the costs of Khimki, which, as it turned out, were not provided with anything. If they lived within their means, like you, they would have a weaker squad, and some of the high-quality players from the Moscow region club could, for example, strengthen Fakel.

— Another case is more important here. Let's not talk in the subjunctive mood about who could strengthen the "Torch". Let's pay attention to the situation with Orenburg.

— Are you talking about last year's transfer of Lukas Vera from Orenburg to Khimki, for which the Moscow Region club did not pay anything in the end?

- yes. Perhaps Orenburg could use this money to acquire someone and use this reinforcement to stay in the RPL. In this vein, I am in favor of an unequivocal tightening of penalties for violations related to non-payment of funds. If I do not pay for player transfers to other clubs, and this takes a certain time, then it is necessary to tighten sanctions, including the withdrawal of points, and so on. That's exactly what you have to be tough with. If you do not have the opportunity to allocate funds and buy a player, then this indicates the professionalism of the management. Everyone should live according to their income, means and plan the expenses of these funds for the whole season ahead. If you run ahead of the train and promise in advance what you can't do, it's a direct blow to the reputation of not only your club, but everyone else, as well as the league and the RFU. Tougher decisions need to be made here.

"We will keep 95% of this budget in the first league"

— Fakel's entry into the RPL in 2022 coincided with the conclusion of a major four-year broadcast contract between the league and Match TV, as a result of which even the last 16th place in the Premier League allowed the club to earn more than 300 million rubles. In many ways, this allowed you not to depend too much on outside investments, and freed the Voronezh Region budget from the need to spend money on professional football. Now that you've been cut off from this RPLO "cubicle" for a year, how much work will you have to rebuild?

— We will depend more on the funds that we can raise ourselves in the market by signing advertising contracts with partners, finding new sponsors, and increasing our work with fans in terms of our ticket program, and not only loyalty programs. We have everything for this, both the CRM database and the purchased equipment. Therefore, there is something to build on. We are completely dependent on the Voronezh Region for the subsidies it provides. But these subsidies mostly go to youth football - we were able to increase spending on it to 150 million rubles last season.

— Are these regional subsidies?

— This is a total of regional subsidies and what Fakel was able to earn on its own. And next season we plan to reach 200 million rubles. There is a certain interest in the market from companies that are willing to invest in the development of the club, especially in youth football. Moreover, there are no debts and audit-related problems in Fakel. Therefore, we understand that we will probably be able — I cannot fully guarantee now — to reach the figures of last season without the money or, as you said, the "pot" that we received from the RPL television contract with Match TV.

— So you will save a budget of 1 billion rubles even without more than 300 million from the share from the TV contract?

— Yes, we will keep 95% of the budget in the first league. Moreover, we will compensate for these more than 300 million rubles from the RPL television contract not at the expense of the region, but we will work together with the Board of Trustees to replenish the budget through the work I mentioned above. We understand that we will most likely realize this story. Maybe not immediately, but during the championship for sure.

— After Fakel's departure from the RPL, a serious staff turnover began, with the departure of iconic players for the club — Igor Kalinin, Irakli Kvekveskeri, Alexander Belenov, Sergey Bozhin and many others. How much reinforcement is needed for the first league now?

— I think we have already closed the breeding campaign. We managed to implement it by 90% already before training camp, as the coaching staff wanted. We worked very quickly and competently in terms of everything — speed, quality and costs for certain transactions. We had only one small transfer for several million rubles, and the rest was completed at the expense of free agents.

— Will the departure of Fakel affect the interest of the region in the construction of a new stadium?

— There is a project for a new stadium. We are participating in it, although the Voronezh Region is engaged in the construction itself. The project has been approved. Then there is the issue of the timing of the dismantling of the arena. I can't say exactly when it will start. But I think this question will be publicly answered by the regional government and the relevant department when they receive clear introductory information and fully coordinate all documentation. To date, it has been discussed that the dismantling of the old Trade Union stadium will begin in late summer or early autumn of this year.