"We have a game and a team, we'll start scoring points soon"

In the spring, Akhmat Grozny's players barely escaped relegation from the RPL, avoiding it only after the transition matches, where they got from 14th place. In the offseason, the head coach changed in the team — Alexander Storozhuk replaced Sergey Tashuev. The club has partially changed its composition — in particular, one of the leaders of recent years, Bernard Berisha, left Grozny. Lechi Sadulaev, who is constantly being called up to the Russian national team, could also leave for CSKA — rumors about his transfer went on throughout the first half of the summer.

Akhmat also started the new season unsuccessfully. He started the championship with a home defeat against Rubin Kazan (0:2) and an away defeat against CSKA (1:2). Moreover, in the match with the army team, Grozny led 1-0, but conceded two goals from Danil Krugovoy at the very end of the first half. In the first match of the Russian Cup, the team started with a 1-2 home defeat to Zenit St. Petersburg in the group stage.

In an interview with Izvestia, Akhmat defender Rizvan Utsiev explained how the club's results should improve, speculated about whether Sadulaev should leave for a top club, and also told why he continues his football career at the age of 37.

— What happened to Akhmat at the end of the first half of the match against CSKA?

— Loss of concentration — I don't know, it's hard to say anything else in particular. We played well in the first half. We had good chances to score more goals against CSKA. It's a shame that things have turned around this way. It was possible to compete for points in this match.

— Is it worth talking about big problems in connection with the opening defeats this season?

— The most important thing is that we have a game and a team. I think we'll refine certain points in the game a little bit and start scoring points soon.

— Almost the entire off-season, information about the imminent transfer of Lech Sadulaev to CSKA was constantly appearing in the media. How much did this affect the team?

— There has been talk about this for a long time, so we are used to all the rumors. Therefore, it did not affect us in any way before the matches of the season, including against CSKA. We have been preparing and preparing for the games as seriously as possible, not paying attention to such conversations.

— Did you communicate with Sadulaev as the most experienced player of Akhmat? Did they give him advice on whether he should leave for CSKA?

— We didn't talk about it with him. Of course, as an Akhmat player, I want a player of Lechi's level to be in our team. But what's best for his future, let him decide for himself.

"Akhmat needs five or six transfers in the summer to compete for top spots"

Football player of the Russian national team and Akhmat Turpal-Ali Ibishev — about the match against Belarus, the difficult struggle for survival in the RPL and the necessary reinforcement for the Grozny club

— From your point of view, is it better for his future to play longer at Akhmat or try himself at a club with financial capabilities like CSKA?

— It's better for Akhmat to play with us. For Lech, it might be better to play in a top club in the future. And you can also try yourself in Europe — maybe go there right away from us, maybe first by playing in the same CSKA.

— If Lechi had left for CSKA this summer, would it have been even harder for Akhmat?

— We have a reinforcement of the squad. But still, Lechi is the leader of the team. Which is very important to us.

— After all the summer changes in the squad and coaching staff, what results does the team aim for in the new season?

— Of course, I want to compete for high places this season. Be as tall as possible. In the last couple of years, we've been struggling more at the bottom of the table. But now we have an enhancement — a qualitative enhancement. And I think everything will be fine with Akhmat in the near future.

— Has anything changed in the preparation and tactics of the team with the arrival of Alexander Storozhuk as head coach?

— Each coach has his own requirements, his own nuances. So there are changes at certain points. But in general, as under Tashuev, we tried to play more offensively, and now we try to do it under Storozhuk.

"We'll be on pins and needles until the RFU decides"

Football player of Pari Nizhny Novgorod Alexander Troshechkin — about the collapse of club licensing, uncertainty about the future of his team, defeat at the joints and a failed season

— What is the reason that you suffered more at the bottom of the table in the last two seasons, after you had taught the public over the years that you rarely finish below tenth place and constantly take points away from the favorites, playing with them on equal terms?

— If we look at the last season, then in general we lost a lot of points due to our individual mistakes during poor execution of attacking chances. In terms of playing under Tashuev, we looked very powerful for most of the matches and could have completely avoided the same transitional games. But due to the poor implementation of the moments, they constantly played draws, as a result of which, with a good game, they did not achieve the result that would have allowed them to rise significantly higher in the table. Something didn't work out, no luck. There were a lot of draws in the spring, a lot of point losses in the season due to goals in the last minutes, offensive ball losses, penalties, and so on. If it weren't for these shortcomings, we would be at the top.

— Is there any confidence now that these shortcomings will be avoided?

— I have no doubt about it.

— You are already 37 years old, and in recent years you have not played as often in the main squad as before. Have you ever thought about ending your football career and, for example, starting coaching?

— The club said that they are extending the contract. So I continue to work and prepare for the matches.