"I want to play for the Russian national team in Grozny"

In the last two friendly matches of the Russian national team against Nicaragua (3:1) and Mali (0:0), Akhmat Grozny midfielder Lechi Sadulaev played. He has been regularly called up to the national team since 2022 and has already played 11 games for it. Sadulaev is one of the leaders and captain of the club, who, with the arrival of Stanislav Cherchesov as head coach, has seriously strengthened his position in the RPL. Only in the last match against the leader and reigning champion Krasnodar (0:1) did Akhmat break a long series of games without defeats. In an interview with Izvestia, Sadulaev explained how he remains motivated to play for the national team in the face of its suspension from official competitions, told how the Grozny club gained momentum, and stated that he did not consider himself the captain of the team until the Akhmat veteran Rizvan Utsiev, who rarely gets into the main squad in recent seasons, finished his career..

— Having played in 11 friendly matches for the national team, how do you keep motivated to fight for it when the prospects of returning to official competitions remain vague?

— There is always motivation to play. It doesn't matter where, when, or with whom. Of course, it would be interesting to play with tops. I hope to be able to participate in such matches. But in any case, playing for the national team is a big motivation. Then, after finishing my career, I will look at myself going out on the field in a Russian national team T-shirt and be proud. That's why I want to play for her as much as possible.

— How does it feel for you to play for the national team in different cities, be it Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Volgograd? Is there a difference in support in the capital and the regions?

— No, they are well supported everywhere. It's always interesting to play in different regions and feel the support of the stands there.

— Do you dream that the Russian national team will play one of the next matches in Grozny?

— I really want it. I hope it happens. I remember how the Russian national team already played in Grozny (in 2016, a friendly match with Romania. — Ed.). I went to that match. I was 16 years old at the time. And for me, as a young man, it was very interesting to see the national team in my native region. At that moment, I dreamed that one day I would play for her myself. A dream come true, but I want to play for her in Grozny.

— You are 26 years old, but the next two-year cycle in the national team has actually been lost due to ineligibility for Euro 2028. Do you believe that you will have time to play an official match for Russia and, perhaps, go to a major tournament?

— When we get back, I will do everything to be called up to the national team for official matches. I will try to achieve this. It all depends on me, on how I'm going to play.

— This season you became the captain of Akhmat. What emotions do you feel from this?

— Rizvan Utsiev was and remains the captain of the Akhmat. He hasn't finished his career yet, so he's the captain, and I'm helping him. Yes, when he's not playing, I go out on the field with the captain's armband. It is a great honor and responsibility for me. Especially because Utsiev is a legend of Akhmat, our real captain. It's a big responsibility to replace him in this capacity when he's not on the field.

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— Arsen Adamov told how he instructed Denis Glushakov in Akhmat about local customs in Grozny. For example, he explained that you should not wear shorts and short-sleeve clothes. As a captain, do you conduct similar training for newcomers who do not know the rules of conduct in Chechnya?

— Basically, those who come to us already know everything. They'll find out before the transition. We help and explain to those who don't know something. We have no problem with that.

— What has changed at Akhmat since Stanislav Cherchesov took over as head coach? Why did the team's results improve so dramatically?

— First of all, he established discipline. This is the most important thing for any team. And because of that, we started playing well. Our team is very good, and the coach helps us and motivates every player. In addition, we did a lot of serious work at the winter training camp and improved all the components. That's where we started the spring, and I hope it will continue.

— This season is the first for you in six years, when you still can't score a goal in the championship. What's in the way? Does it put a lot of pressure on you?

— I'll definitely score (smiles). I'll find a moment and score. But that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is the team's game and its results. I try to play for the team. And I'm glad that we're winning now. And the goals will come. Of course, it's hard when you don't score. But if the team wins, then we are doing everything right.

— The RFU has been hosting the Youth Football League (SFL) and the Youth Football League (IFF) for more than five years. Do you follow them? How would you rate the benefits of these tournaments?

— We have a lot of young guys who have gone through these competitions. The same Alexey Batrakov. He has a good school, but playing in the UFL helped him reach the adult level faster. And there are many such examples. In Russia, young football players are generally well treated. That's why there are a lot of young guys playing in the RPL right now who are performing at a good level.

— Can you single out the young players from Akhmat who have passed the UFL and IFF and now have the prospect of reaching the RPL?

— Yahya Magomedov is a very good promising goalkeeper, he is already training with the main squad of Akhmat. And there is a defender in the youth team, Ahmed Elberdov.