"Cherchesov instilled in us team discipline and will"

The second round of the Russian Football Championship will end on the evening of August 2 with a match in Grozny, where the local Akhmat will host the current Russian Cup winner Spartak Moscow. The club from the Chechen Republic started the season well with a 1-1 draw with Lokomotiv Moscow. In an interview with Izvestia, Akhmat defender Turpal-Ali Ibishev appreciated the start of the team, told what head coach Stanislav Cherchesov had brought to it over the year, and also expressed hope for a return to the Russian national team.

— Can you take the start of Akhmat in the new season positively?

— Rather negatively. Because we could have won against Lokomotiv. In addition to scoring a goal, we had two or three chances to score an opponent's goal. But we didn't implement them, and in the end we played a draw. Therefore, we are unhappy with the result. We were closer to victory.

— How satisfied are you with the summer pre-season training, the first under Stanislav Cherchesov?

— We did a very good job at the training camp. We trained hard, plowed hard. In addition, our squad has been strengthened by good players who should help Akhmat. I think we'll be fine. And we will show ourselves well in terms of the game and the results.

— One of the newcomers is your defender Arsen Adamov, who gained a foothold in the RPL, playing for Ural, and in recent years has been at Zenit. Is it a great success that your "Akhmat" was able to bring him back?

— Yes, he is a very good defender. We were in touch with him while he was away from Akhmat. And they welcomed him with joy when Arsen returned. I'm sure he'll help us.

— Your local legend Rizvan Utsiev, the long-time captain of Akhmat, retired from playing at the end of last season. What role did he play in shaping you as a football player?

— Very serious. Rizvan is our long—term leader, who always supported the guys as an experienced player, gave numerous football tips, and showed an example of a professional attitude. And now he is with us, constantly appearing at our training sessions, working in the club's system.

Akhmat Stadium: Spartak will have a difficult trip to Grozny

The red and white will try to keep up with Zenit and Krasnodar, who are playing easier opponents in the 2nd round of the Russian Premier League.

— What do you expect from the upcoming match with Spartak?

— I'm waiting for a good game, which, hopefully, will end with our victory. I am sure that we are capable of beating Spartak, although it is certainly a strong team that won the Russian Cup for a reason. But we are very well prepared, which we showed in the match against Lokomotiv, which, as I said, we should have won by the game. We need to play the same way and even better against Spartak. The main thing is to realize your moments better. And then we have to win.

— Last season, after Cherchesov was appointed head coach, you periodically lost your place in the main squad in the championship, but then you won it back. Why was the game so unstable?

— Last summer, I got injured at the training camp, went to Serbia for treatment, recovered, and then I was getting in shape, but I didn't play very consistently due to the crumpled preseason. That's why Stanislav Salamovich didn't always let me out on the field. But this summer I had a full training camp, and now the head coach trusts me. Let's see what happens next.

— What did Cherchesov bring to the team during the year of collaboration?

— He is a very good coach who instilled in us team discipline and will. Stanislav Salamovich convinced us that if we do what he says, it will bring better results. And we can see this from last season.

— What can you claim now in the championship, when he has been working with Akhmat since the beginning of the season?

— It's hard to say, time will tell. But I am sure that we can rise high in the table and we will fight to the end in every match. We can beat any opponent.

— Do you expect to return to the Russian national team this year?

— Yes, of course. I really enjoyed playing for her in previous years. It is a great honor for me that I was called there and released on the field in matches. Unfortunately, lately I have been playing unstably in the base of Akhmat, so I did not get into the national team. But I am sure that if I show my best game at the club, I will earn a call-up to the national team.