"I hope the match with Sion took a step towards returning to European competitions"

Zenit St. Petersburg continues to prepare for the new Russian Football Championship, which starts at the end of next week. On Wednesday, July 9, the blue-white-blues played a test match at home with the Swiss "Sion", winning it with a score of 5:2. But the main thing was the very fact of holding such a game: not once since February 2022 has a European team from an unfriendly country met with a club from Russia, much less come to play on our territory.

In an interview with Izvestia, Zenit midfielder Alexander Erokhin expressed the hope that such a meeting would bring our teams closer to official international competitions, and also appreciated the performance of the club's Argentine newcomer Roman Vega.

— Where would this Sion have been in the RPL if it had entered our championship?

— I think I would definitely fight for a place in the top 5, top 6 of the RPL. I would be among our leading teams, among the leaders, and I would impose a struggle on them.

— Can you call Sion the strongest of your rivals in friendly matches during the suspension from European competitions?

— Give or take, it's close to the level of our best sparring sessions during this time. We had good matches with Red Star and Fenerbahce. There were good teams and players there. "Sion" is about their level. It is clear that this team is trying to play fast attacking football. It was interesting for me to play against such an opponent.

— This match received a wide response due to the fact that for the first time since February 2022 Zenit played with a team from a European country unfriendly to Russia. Does this increase the chances of our clubs being disbanded in European competitions in the foreseeable future?

— Of course, I hope that we have taken some definite step in this direction. And there will be more such matches, at least friendly ones for a start. But, of course, we want our teams to play in European competitions at the level of the best clubs on the continent. I hope it happens.

— How do you like Anton Miranchuk's performance for Sion? Has he improved since the last time he played against you for Lokomotiv?

— It's hard to say because I didn't see him playing for Sion all the time last season. And it's difficult to judge by our match, because both we and his team are currently in pre-season, training camps. Maybe they're under stress and just getting in shape. Therefore, I find it difficult to answer.

— Have you ever had a chance to go to Europe to join a team at least as high as Sion?

— It's hard to say... there were probably chances, but since I didn't leave, it means that I didn't receive any specific offers. I think if there were any specifics, the first step in this direction would have happened. But there's also the fact that I've been playing for the best team in Russia for a long time. And in different years, there was no point in leaving it somewhere. And now all I can think about is helping Zenit.

— And before 2017, when you joined Zenit, did you have any conversations with your agent about interest from European clubs?

— Well, there are always some conversations around many football players. And in the press, too. Maybe they were with me, too. But conversations are just conversations. You should not pay attention to them until it comes to a specific offer.

— How do you like Roman Vega, who has already played two friendly matches for Zenit?

— A good defender. He's fast, with a great left foot. He will add quality to us. And it will help the team in terms of competition.

— Vega is the only Zenit newcomer so far this summer. Do the club need more reinforcements to fight for the championship gold?

— This is probably not a question for me. I can only say that our team has some of the best Russian football players and strong foreigners. Everyone is ready to contribute a part of themselves to the team's game and its successes. Therefore, I hope that this season we will be able to solve the tasks that we face — to return the gold of the championship.