"We have a good team and coaching staff — we can fight for the championship"

The season for RPL clubs ended with the triumph of Spartak Moscow in the Russian Cup. In the superfinal at the Luzhniki stadium, the red and white beat Krasnodar: the main time ended in a draw - 1:1, and in the penalty shootout, Spartak turned out to be more accurate — 4:3. The first shot in the post-match series was confidently delivered by 21-year-old midfielder Igor Dmitriev. In an interview with Izvestia, he spoke about the emotions of winning the first trophy in his career, the pressure before the penalty, the role of goalkeeper Ilya Pomazun in the victory, as well as the changes that took place in the team after the January appointment of Carlos Carcedo.

— What are the emotions of the first trophy in your career?

— The most positive ones, that's obvious. I've always dreamed of winning a trophy with Spartak. And this is the first time it happened. It was a very intense match, an even game. But we turned out to be a little better. The happiness is indescribable. Many thanks to our fans for their support. We did it all for them.

— How hard was it to take the first penalty in the post-match series?

— I volunteered to hit first. I was worried at first. But already when I was walking towards the 11-meter mark, I was confident in myself.

— Are you surprised that, as in the semifinal of the "Path of the Regions" against Zenit, Carcedo's move worked again with the replacement of the goalkeeper and Ilya Pomazun's exit under the penalty shootout?

— No, I personally believed in Ilya. And he did a great job again.

"We owe the fans a lot — we're starting to repay our debts"

Spartak CEO Sergey Nekrasov talks about winning the Russian Cup and his goals to compete for the championship next season

— Do you understand why he does this, going off the scoresheet in a penalty shootout?

— Honestly, I have no idea. But he always takes penalties well. I don't know how he does it (laughs). Ilya takes a lot of them in training, too. I can't figure out how.

— Is it now necessary to set the task to fight for victory in the Russian championship next season?

— I don't know, it's not me who sets the tasks. But, of course, I would really like to win the championship. We will try to do this.

— Is the current Spartak capable of this?

— Of course, 100%. We have a good team, a good coaching staff. I believe that we are capable of a lot, we can fight for the highest places.

— What did Carlos Carcedo bring to the team during his four months at Spartak?

— Probably a lot of teamwork, a team spirit. The team has a good mood inside, everyone understands each other. Due to this, we won the Cup.