"We will fight and bite in the Premier League"

On May 8, in the first league of the Russian Football Championship, two winners of the current season were determined, who go directly to the RPL— these are Voronezh Fakel and Moscow Rodina. They became inaccessible to competitors in one round before the end of the tournament. Rodina, founded only in 2015, made its first appearance in the elite of our football, beating Chelyabinsk at home (2:0). In an interview with Izvestia, defender Stanislav Bessmertny explained how the team achieved success, assessed its readiness to play in the RPL and commented on the failure of Dynamo Moscow, which owns the rights to it, which crashed out of the Russian Cup this week following two matches in the RPL against Krasnodar.

— What are the emotions of joining the RPL?

— Amazing. The top ones. It's something you have to remember for the rest of your life. It will remain in the heart. So the emotions are the best.

— Many insiders claim that Ural had the biggest budget in the first league this season. How could they get ahead of him and leave him without a direct ticket to the RPL?

— Due to the close-knit team, coaching staff, medical staff. Our medical staff are simply top-notch, doing everything to ensure that we recover. I've never had anything like this before — respect for that. The coaching work was excellent — our staff made the right decisions at the right moments. And, I repeat, a close-knit team. All this is interconnected and helped to get into the RPL. That's how it was supposed to happen.

— How difficult is it to win in the first league?

— A tough championship. It's hard to get out of it in the RPL. But due to the fact that we train at the maximum, we managed to do it through unity.

— What is the difficulty of this tournament?

— Many teams in the first league and the "buses" put (play defensively, not giving the opponent space in their half of the field. — Ed.), they play strictly for the result, they constantly impose a struggle. The league itself is very difficult. But we got over it. We kept ourselves at a high level and achieved success.

— What do you need to improve in order to stay in the RPL?

— Play the same way, be united and believe in winning. If the team believes, then everything will be fine.

— To what extent is the current Rodina squad ready to play in the RPL?

— I think I'm ready. Most of our players have previously played in the RPL. It is clear that some of the quality of the game is even much better than those players who are currently playing in the Premier League. So we'll fight and bite.

— You are leased by Rodina from Dynamo Moscow for this season. Do you have an understanding about your future?

— To be honest, I don't know. As God wills, so everything will be.

— Is "Homeland" a priority career option for you?

— This is a good option for me. Playing, joining the RPL and playing all the time is my dream.

Sports weekend with Izvestia

The penultimate round of the RPL, the Gagarin Cup finals and other events

— Has anyone from Dynamo already congratulated you on leaving the RPL?

— To be honest, I haven't looked at the phone yet (the interview took place an hour after the match with Chelyabinsk. — Ed.). I only called my loved ones—my beloved's mother, my girlfriend, and my brother. I haven't read the rest of the messages yet.

— Did you watch the away match of Dynamo against Krasnodar in the Russian Cup, which took place a day before your entry into the RPL?

— Yes, I watched it, I supported Dynamo. I really wanted the guys to win. They looked good in the game, but it's very difficult to play in Krasnodar. Nevertheless, I liked Dynamo — they played attack, open football, and penalty shootouts are a lottery. Unfortunately, it happens that she decides the fate of the match. Hurtful. I wanted Dynamo to win. But something was missing. I don't know why, because I'm not on the team right now.

— If Dynamo retains the staff and coaching staff that it has been working on this spring, will the club be able to claim something serious next season?

"Maybe he can. But I'm in Rodina right now. And all thoughts about the last match of the season against Arsenal Tula.