"I won't say for sure that I'm finishing my coaching career"

After leaving Shanghai Shenhua, Leonid Slutsky unexpectedly led the Russian national media football team and beat Tajikistan on the road (4:3) thanks to Roman Pavlyuchenko's winning goal. After the match in Dushanbe, the former head coach of the national team, CSKA and Vitesse, in conversations with Izvestia and Sport-Express, spoke about the possible return of Alexander Golovin to Russia, Alexey Batrakov's transfer to Galatasaray and the championship race in the RPL.

"If there is no challenge, then I will focus on the media component"

— Some people already call you a media coach. Do you agree with such a media prefix?

— The RPL website recently posted statistics, and it shows that I own two of the biggest coaching records: I won the most wins and scored the most points.

Then who are other specialists when the record holder is a media trainer in terms of achievements, trophies and quality of work? I have worked for the national team, in various championships, participated in the European and Asian Champions League. If I'm a media coach for many people, well, okay, so be it. I just clearly distinguish between media and coaching.

I really like developing in the media — it causes a lot of positive emotions. But at the same time, again, I share this with coaching, in which I have great statistics and achievements. I've worked with players that none of the Russian specialists have worked with. But I perfectly understand all these exclamations. While working at CSKA, I participated in KVN as a guest star. Then everyone was shouting: "Lenya is a caveman." I don't care about that. Let them achieve similar results for a caveman and a media coach, and then we'll talk.

Dismissed the team: Slutsky leaves China with two trophies, but without a championship

The Russian coach left Shanghai Shenhua — will he continue his career in the RPL

— Are you admitting that you will participate in the Russian national media football team event once again? From the outside, you have a great connection with the players and the management of the Media League.

— I've known [Media League president Nikolai] for a long time. Osipov and [Dmitry] Kortava, the operating director of the Media League, we have always maintained communication. But still, I think it was a one-time story. If something like this happens again, then we can talk. It's good that this is how it turned out now, and everyone was pleased with this collaboration. But I'm more interested in other media projects outside of football: some kind of reality show, the opportunity to be a presenter.

— Are there many offers in the media sphere?

— Quite a lot. I'm thinking about it. I am 100% interested in developing in this.

— Do you admit that your last job at Shanghai Shenhua was at a professional level?

— I don't know. I can't say right away. It's very difficult. I won't say for sure that I'm finishing my coaching career, but I have accumulated a high level of fatigue. It's normal when a coach burns out. A lot of Russian coaches have been through this. And even more so, this is a frequent occurrence for top specialists. The stress level, regardless of whether it is China, Russia, England or Holland, is maximum. I don't have any long-term plans yet, but I will definitely spend some time realizing my media potential.

— Are you really not attracted to the option of working in Russia?

— Nothing has changed for me globally. As a coach, I need some kind of challenge. I have to weigh the offer and understand that there are many more advantages — it should be as interesting as possible. Considering how much I work, I think I deserve to choose and feel at ease. I definitely won't sit around and jump at the first offer I get. I am very calm in this regard. If there is no challenge, I will focus on the media component. I am at the age and status when I am as selective as possible.

"I'm in touch with Golovin all the time"

— The transfer window will close in Russia soon, and there has long been a discussion about the possible return of Alexander Golovin to the Russian Premier League. Are you still skeptical about this scenario?

— We are in touch with him all the time, so I don't want to run ahead of the train. I understand that "the dog could have grown up during the journey" — Sasha is already 30 years old. It's clear that he's listening somewhere, but the choice will be his. I will accept any decision he makes.

— Even the transfer to Spartak?

— So, should I stop communicating with a person I've known for more than ten years? As far as I know, there is no such question.

— How do you like CSKA this season?

— I don't really follow the RPL, but I really like that there are big stars — Batrakov, Kislyak, who are ready to move to European clubs. The transfer of Lyosha [Batrakov] is proof of this. I consider CSKA as a big group of young, interesting players. In addition to Kislyak, these are Danilov and Glebov. In a single match, CSKA can compete with any team, but so far there is no margin of safety to qualify for the championship. The dominance of Zenit and Krasnodar (the interview was recorded before the 7th round of the Russian Premier League. It's not surprising, because both teams have a winning record in recent seasons. This experience cannot be thrown in the trash.

In order for CSKA to claim the status of such clubs, the army needs to play consistently and efficiently, to score points even in "unbeaten" matches. There is no such thing yet.

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— You didn't name Spartak. Are red and white not contenders for the title for you?

— If we take the level of the squad, Spartak can compete with Zenit and Krasnodar. The match with the St. Petersburg team is the clearest confirmation of this. But I don't really believe in those who systematically stumble against weak opponents. Spartak is a team that can beat anyone, but it can also stumble with anyone. To fight for the championship, you need not only a high-quality game, but also a result that does not always show up in red and white. Zenit and Krasnodar are seen as big contenders for the championship.

— How do you like refereeing in the RPL this season? Recently, a huge response was caused by a penalty in Voronezh in the match "Fakel" – "Zenit" ...

— Every time I think refereeing in the RPL won't surprise me, it still happens. They are coping with this task. I spoke about refereeing in Russia many years ago, and my opinion hasn't changed since then.

As for the penalty shootout in Voronezh, I can imagine what Fakel's coaches and players experience at such moments. Every time you think, "No, this can't be happening." But then there are more terrible situations...

— How did you perceive Batrakov's transfer to Galatasaray?

— Our public needs to learn how to really evaluate themselves. Batrakov moved for a lot of money to a top European club playing in the Champions League. Lyosha has an amazing salary. There can be no two opinions here. This is a huge step. Even if Batrakov spends his entire career at Galatasaray, I will consider this a successful career. The main thing is that he plays and fights for trophies.