"I believe that with the arrival of a new coach we can avoid relegation"

This season, several clubs are fighting hard for the right to remain in the Russian Premier League. Seven rounds before the finish, only Sochi, which was last, almost lost its chances of salvation — it is 11 points behind the 14th line, the zone of transitional matches. Orenburg, which is in the penultimate place, is in a relatively better position. He is only one point behind Pari Nizhny Novgorod, which is located in the transition zone, and three points behind Akron and Dynamo Makhachkala, which are in 11th and 12th places (they give the right to remain in the RPL without joints).

In the fall, Orenburg changed its head coach, and Ildar Akhmetzyanov took over the position. With him, the team improved in the game, and in the spring scored four points in two matches with top clubs - a home victory over Zenit St. Petersburg (2:1) and an away draw with Dynamo Moscow (3:3). At the same time, she scored only three points in three other spring matches. In particular, she lost to a direct competitor for survival, Dynamo Makhachkala (0:1).

In an interview with Izvestia, Orenburg defender Danila Vedernikov explained why he was unhappy with the away draw with Dynamo, told how his team was able to retain its place in the RPL, and shared his opinion about the loss of positions by former leaders of the sports block "Pari Nizhny Novgorod", because of the conflict with whom he left the club a year ago..

— Is it possible to be satisfied with the draw in the last game against Dynamo Moscow? Or should we say that we lost two points?

— There's a residue left from not winning. I think we could have won. Therefore, I am unhappy with this draw. I will be happy when our team retains its registration in the RPL on May 18.

— Without participating in the transition matches?

- of course.

— Why is Orenburg doing well this spring to score points with top clubs like Zenit and Dynamo, but is it worse to achieve results in games with direct competitors?

— Listen, this is football. We score points against some teams, but not against others. For example, we won 2-0 against Akron this spring. Do you consider him a top player?

- no. But you also scored fewer points against teams like Akron and Dynamo Makhachkala than you did against Zenit and Dynamo Moscow.

— It seems to me that there is no relationship, no pattern. It just happened that way on this day, and it was different on another day.

— Do you feel that with the performance that the team showed in the last spring matches, it is possible to avoid relegation from the RPL?

— I felt it back in the fall, when the new coaching staff came in. And in the winter, at the training camp, he had more time to explain his requirements to us, work with the team, spend more training and theoretical sessions with the players. Overall, there was more time and communication. All this played a role. In my opinion, we are playing much better now than in the first part of the season.

— A year ago, your scandalous departure from Pari Nizhny Novgorod took place, followed by harsh statements addressed to Alexander Udaltsov and his deputy Vladimir Rykov, who held the positions of sports director of the club at that time. Are you happy that a year later Rykov is no longer at Nizhny Novgorod, and Udaltsov has been transferred to a more modest position?

— That's a provocative question. I don't care about the fate of these people. Generally. There are none for me. What difference does it make to me? I don't follow them.