"We didn't change the Sobolev until the last minute — we saw how loaded it was"

Zenit St. Petersburg's players have started the new season by winning the Russian Super Cup. On July 18, they played a match against Spartak Moscow in Nizhny Novgorod. Sergei Semak's team lost 0:1 to the capital's club until the very end, but they were able to even the score in regular time thanks to Alexander Sobolev's goal from the penalty spot. And then we won 4-2 in the penalty shootout.

In an interview with Izvestia, Zenit assistant head coach Anatoly Tymoshchuk appreciated the match, shared his opinion on the competition in the fight for victory in the upcoming Russian championship, noted Sobolev's game and motivation, spoke about strengthening the St. Petersburg team and expressed hope for the speedy return of our clubs to the international arena.

"There are enough teams in the RPL that claim the title"

— How did you like Zenit's game in the Super Bowl against Spartak?

— We played better in the second half than in the first. We created dangerous moments and put good pressure on the opponent. Of course, we tried to strengthen the game in attack. And we succeeded — we scored a penalty in the last minutes, and then we were able to snatch victory in such an important match for us at the start of the season and take the Super Cup. Winning the title is doubly joyful. Of course, we didn't think about doing it this way — to win back at the end and then win in a penalty shootout. We just wanted to win. But in the end, the main draw was played, and then the football lottery determined who was better. Fortunately, it was us. We are happy about our victory. We thank our fans. There were more Spartak fans at the Super Bowl, but ours shouted and supported us as much as they could throughout the game. It's doubly enjoyable and cool.

— In the spring, you lost to Spartak on penalties in the Russian Cup, then the opponent replaced the goalkeeper at the end of regular time — Ilya Pomazun, who replaced Alexander Maksimenko, was successful in that series. Now Maksimenko played in the Super Bowl until the end, and Zenit won. Did the coaching staff somehow study before the game which of Spartak's goalkeepers should take the penalty?

— Well, this time, I think Spartak didn't expect us to win back in the end, so they kept Maksimenko on the field until the last moment (smiles). And, if memory serves, the red and white had no substitutes left by the time we equalized the score. As for us, we, of course, practiced penalties. But, as Sergey Bogdanovich [Semak] said, whether you work them out or not, psychology is still very important. Sometimes she lets down even those penalty shooters who usually don't miss. So it's kind of a lottery, but its outcome depends a lot on the psychological stability of the batters. I would like to thank our guys for showing it this time.

— Are you satisfied with the team's current readiness for the season?

— Since it was the first match, both teams were well prepared. Spartak showed good movement, and we also showed the expected performance. Although we didn't manage to get the right rhythm in the first half. Because before that, we only had friendly matches — it's not exactly the same as official matches, especially for a trophy, as in the case of the Super Cup. That's why there were difficulties, but we wanted to win and improved in the second half. Nevertheless, functionally there is still a lot to add.

— Did Spartak give the impression of a team that can force Zenit to fight for the championship in the new season?

— You've seen how difficult the fight was in previous seasons until the last round. Everything was decided in the last rounds. Therefore, I will not say that Spartak will be fighting with us in the upcoming championship, but there are quite a lot of teams that claim the title. I don't want to talk about each of them separately, but I think that in the new season there will be the same fight for gold as in the previous ones. The strongest will win. And we will do our best to become the first again. It's important to get off to a good start, not like last year. Now the first step has been taken in the form of winning the Super Bowl. But the championship will last a long time. And it will be important to play good football over a long distance. And they expect an enchanting game from us that we can show.

— So it's not just you and Krasnodar who can compete for the championship, as in the last two seasons?

— Every year, certain clubs declare their desire to participate in the championship race. But it so happened that in the last three seasons we and Krasnodar were in it, plus Dynamo two years ago. However, Spartak, CSKA, Lokomotiv, and Baltika are capable of a lot. I am glad that the championship is unpredictable. There is no clear favorite. Naturally, given how much Zenit has won, we always have to win all the tournaments we participate in. And the last Super Bowl is no exception. I hope that we will improve, win and please the fans.

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"In conditions of healthy competition, motivation also grows"

— Two years ago, Zenit was reinforced by a group of bright Russians led by Alexander Sobolev and Maxim Glushenkov. In May, Sobolev became the champion for the first time, and Glushenkov won the first trophy in his career. Does it feel like they've become even more confident since then?

— It is important when you go to your dream, goal and come to it. But you should not lose motivation when you come to it. We must keep striving for victory. I recently read an interview with Sasha Sobolev, where he said, "I've already won the championship — now I want to win the Super Bowl." And so we saw how flawlessly he played now in the Super Bowl. He converted a penalty in the most important moments — first he equalized the score at the end of regular time, and then scored the winning penalty in the post-match series. And I think he, like the other guys, will continue to be hungry for victories. It is generally very difficult to get enough of them if you come to success through torment, suffering, emotions, joy, tears, and the support of relatives and friends. You can't forget that. And happiness is when an athlete has the motivation to continue winning.

— Why did Sobolev withstand the pressure from the Spartak stands so much, especially when he kicked a penalty right in front of them at the end of regular time?

— He was very motivated for this match. He might not be able to do everything, but Sasha moved and tried. That's why we didn't change it until the last minute — we saw that it was in order, that it was charged. Naturally, he was motivated to prove and prove himself. Besides, we have very good competition in the squad. It improves the quality. In conditions of healthy competition, motivation also increases. Sasha is no exception here. There is a struggle for a place in the main squad, for playing on the football field. And everyone wants to win it, so they show their best in the training process.

— Does this competition need to be intensified? Do Zenit need more new players before the end of the summer?

— It depends on the head coach. It depends on whether we change the game scheme or not. We are glad that we already have reinforcements, that Felipe Augusto has a second striker. In any case, you always want more, if there are players who are stronger than those who already exist. But we still have a very strong and good team with qualified players.

— How can Zenit's game plan change?

— If you remember, last season we played not four defenders, but five— or rather, three central defenders. We switched to playing both two forwards and a diamond in the middle line. Our scheme varies depending on the condition of the players, the needs of the team and the views of the head coach. It's great that our squad is quite flexible and allows us to vary our tactics so much.

— In recent weeks, when you read the news about the lifting of sanctions against the Russian Olympic Committee, about a possible FIFA meeting on Russian football, do you have any hope that our clubs can return to European competitions soon?

— Of course, we're waiting for you when we get back. We want to play in the international arena, but we have to follow the rules that exist. The issue of returning to European competitions does not depend on us, the players and coaches. Therefore, we must now show a good game where we participate. And I am glad that the Russian championship is developing, that there is competition in the domestic arena. Many players come here and want to play here — that's the most important thing. But if there is a return, everyone will be happy. I hope we will be ready for this and will be able to show our best qualities on the European stage, to impose a struggle on the strongest teams there.