Safonov's first coach named the athlete's strong character traits

The character of the Russian goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Matvey Safonov has been giving him advantages since his youth — thanks to him, he has always achieved his goals. His first coach Alexey Chistyakov told Izvestia about this on December 18.

"There were a lot of things that set him apart from the other guys. The first is anthropometric data. The second is psychological stability and fighting qualities. These are the most basic features that, even now, with his character, have helped to achieve such results," said Chistyakov.

The coach added that his former ward had been ambitious since childhood, loved to play in goal and showed leadership qualities.

"He sets a goal and achieves it. <...> Obviously, he chose the right path, and we were convinced of that," the teacher shared.

Close the gate: how Safonov and Golovin performed in the Champions League

Matvey finally has the opportunity to prove that he is capable of being number one this season.

The meeting, where PSG won in a penalty shootout over Brazilian Flamengo, took place on December 17. Safonov became the first goalkeeper in the history of football to deflect four consecutive penalties in a series at an International Football Federation (FIFA) tournament.

On December 18, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev congratulated Safonov on setting the record and called him Lev Yashin's true heir after winning the Intercontinental Cup. He also stressed that Russian athletes continue to demonstrate the highest results, despite restrictions and discriminatory measures.

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