"There are only two epochal players in the RPL right now — Dzyuba and Akinfeev"

The Rodina Football Club, founded less than 10 years ago, entered the Russian Premier League for the first time. A round before the end of the season in the First League, the team guaranteed itself a place not lower than the second, giving a direct ticket to the RPL. In an interview with Izvestia, Alexey Zinin, the club's sports and operations director, spoke about Rodina's financial capabilities, assessed the team's readiness to make its debut in the elite, commented on rumors about negotiations with Artyom Dzyuba and the tightening of the limit on foreign players, and also explained why the club intends to carefully strengthen the squad.

— With the release of the RPL, Rodina gets access to a fat piece of the pie in the form of income from the TV contract between the league and Match TV, according to which the club will receive at least 350 million rubles. How much does it empower your organization?

— We have an investor who can afford a lot. Another thing is that we have never used this resource to its full potential. And we live very carefully. We do not make large transfers. And in general, we rarely make transfers — as a rule, football players come to us for free, as free agents. And very often the guys even come for a pay cut.

One of the latest examples is Yordi Reina, when he joined Rodina from Torpedo, he took a significant salary cut in order to be with us. So we are more for the idea, for the atmosphere, for the team. Yes, you need to reward the guys for the game, for the result, including for reaching the RPL. But we are not going to kill anyone with money. And the fact that 350 million rubles will be added to our budget... It's good that they will be added. But this does not mean that we will immediately allow them to transfer. We have something to develop with this money.

— What's the first thing?

— Build arenas, attract more and more young players under the banner of Rodina, so that they grow up to be people with our value system. We also need to continue to expand the fan base so that more people come to the stands and support us. We have many teams in the club's system — the main team, Rodina-2, Rodina-3, Rodina-M (youth), SFL (Youth Football League) and academy teams. They are all evolving. There is a project called "Native Games" involving schoolchildren. So we have a place to invest money.

I believe that if you develop systematically and don't waste your money, you will eventually increase your strength and capabilities. We need to move forward, so we definitely won't buy players for big money and fabulous salaries. This would also be unfair to the current squad of Rodina, to the guys who have come a long way and have given their best.

It was wrong when they solved the problem, brought the club to the RPL, and in their place someone comes and receives salaries two or three times more. It breaks the atmosphere in the team. And the atmosphere is the most important thing for us. I am sure that it is impossible to solve the problem without a team. And the team we have now — players, coaches, medical staff, administrators — all this is more important than any big transfer. You have to think ten times whether to take one top player or keep the team you have. Because the arrival of one player can upset the existing balance.

— In this regard, the rumors that appeared in the media in the spring about the negotiations between Rodina and Artyom Dzyuba have no basis in fact?

— There were no negotiations with him. Neither on our initiative, nor on his initiative. But I'm not saying that we won't hire anyone. I'm just explaining that we will approach this issue very carefully and carefully. No one knows what will happen next. It is necessary not only to have a line and strategy, but also to remain sensitive to the adjustments that life makes.

Agents call us very often and ask: "Who are you looking for?" "We're not looking for anyone." "And what positions would you like to offer a player for?" - "For any, you offer, and we will consider it." Sometimes a football player appears on the market that you can't pass by. And you start thinking, analyzing whether he will fit into the existing team. Somewhere during the pre-season, we may begin to realize that the team lacks a certain quality. And then we can easily attract a person with this quality. But I have great faith in the players that Rodina has now, who have withstood a very heavy workload in the First League. They deserve their chance in the RPL.

"We will fight and bite in the Premier League"

Rodina football player Stanislav Bessmertny — about the club's readiness to play in the elite division and Dynamo's departure from the National Cup

— Won't you need stars like Dzyuba to attract an additional audience?

— Do we need a big name that the fans will go for? Yes, it's important. No one will refuse this. But, in my opinion, there are only two epoch—making football players in the RPL right now - Artem Dzyuba and Igor Akinfeev. I mean, those with whom, in theory, we could start a conversation. It is clear that Batrakov's "Homeland" will not be able to pull it now. But it is very important not to say too much at the moment. We need to finish the season, go on vacation, summarize the experience of the past season and decide whether and how to strengthen.

— When you watch the current RPL season, how do you feel about Rodina's ability to gain a foothold in it?

— I watched RPL, but this is a little different. We need to go through the preseason. There will be sensations along the way. If we do all the work that we have outlined, if the players progress within the framework of the vision that we have, if we add quality to the team, then Rodina will feel confident in the Premier League. I won't name the place in the table, but it definitely won't be like we're shaking in every match and thinking about how not to lose and not get eliminated. I don't want to think about any departure at all. Our task must be worthy of the dream that we had. It's stupid to join the RPL to fight for survival.

— The Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation has tightened the limit on foreign players for the next RPL season. Is Rodina ready for this, given that the restrictions in the First League are even more stringent?

— I'll say this: we will adapt to any rules of the game that exist. If our football is moving towards Russian players, then we have Russian players. We are raising a large galaxy of interesting young people. But I'm still not in favor of the limit. In my understanding, it kills real pure growth. I remember the time when the Russian national team reached the semi-finals of the European Championship, CSKA and Zenit won the UEFA Cup. There was no limit then.

— After all, in 2008, when Zenit and the national team achieved these successes, there was already a limit.

— Yes, but what is more important here is that the Russian football players who formed the foundations of these teams appeared and grew without limit, winning the competition in a fair way.

— Isn't it because when they debuted and grew up, there wasn't enough money in Russian football to import expensive foreign players, who were more difficult to win the competition from?

— Spartak bought Fernando Cavenagi in 2004 for €14 million. But Roman Pavlyuchenko won the competition from him. CSKA bought the Argentine Ferreira for 8-9 million. But Yuri Zhirkov ousted him from the team. There were enough legionnaires then, loud, with a name, with a status. But the Russians won the competition from them and grew. But that's my opinion.

I'm definitely not in favor of a limit. It's a good story when guys grow up and win the competition from strong foreign players. Now we can come to the conclusion that they will win the competition from the same boys. I'm not sure if it will benefit them. But once the limit is imposed, we will act within it.