- Did you manage to look at yourself from the side during football matches? Maybe they discovered unexpected features or was everything clear and recognizable ?
- There are a lot of surprises during a match. I once saw a funny episode. We played with Real Madrid in Madrid, and when Obiora did not score a goal, I had some incomprehensible foot movements, it was shown everywhere. I either danced or resented - no one understood.
- By the way, it struck me as a memory: when you played the Lazio Cup in the Cup in Rome, you suddenly appeared in such an impressive form, as if image makers of several countries were working on you ...
- Only on your own!
- Did you like that Italian style?
- When we were in Italy, we went shopping, bought something and put on new things. Thought maybe it would bring good luck.
- And for the trainer, are there any symbols in the clothes?
- There is work clothes - the one in which we all go to the game. For example, I believe that the game players and coaches should wear the same clothes, but good. I really like club suits when football players, coaches and club leaders come in shirts and ties. We were taught this in early youth by Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov, who instilled this style of clothing precisely at matches.
Clothing outside work, I think, should be arbitrary and democratic.
- How do you feel your football past, where are its origins?
- Without a doubt, the first training was in Orel with the outstanding coach Vladimir Alexandrovich Stepanov, who came from Moscow. For us, the boys, this period was very interesting. Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan, who took me to Spartak. Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov, who invited me to the Moscow Dynamo. Victor Georgievich Korolkov - when I really enjoyed playing in the first league in the Krasnodar Kuban. In just one year, we went to the top division.
There were a lot of very good trainers in my way. Valery Vasilievich Lobanovsky. We met very often, and he let me in for all the training sessions of the national team, which were interesting to see. Probably, in his training work, he was ahead of everyone for many, many years.
- If you look back, are you satisfied with your career as a player - or could it be better, more interesting?
“It probably could have been better if I hadn’t made one decision.” It was, it seems, 1972. Before the Cup final, Konstantin Ivanovich did not put me in the semifinals with the Red Star, but I was preparing for this game. It was very disappointing.
I packed up and asked to be let go. I left the team for Kairat. Now I think that I was in a hurry. If I stayed, I could play some of the games that season.
- What significance do you attach to symbols and traditions?
- Great. In my opinion, there should be the following traditions: the club moving forward, the constant development of infrastructure.
Such traditions are in Kiev Dynamo. All players are selected according to the style that Lobanovsky once instilled: they are powerful, physically strong. And the trainers are selected in accordance with the traditions.
- You are considered a moderate conservative. How important was the way that you developed in Lokomotiv for ten years during your direct leadership? Began to identify with this club?
- There are always certain circumstances, and you have to leave, change your place of work. It was very difficult for me to go to the national team. And it was difficult after the team to immediately go to the new club.
I have nothing to justify. Of course, claims to Semin may be about the Moscow Dynamo. One thing I can say: I did not come to the team that fought for first places, but to the team that recently occupied the lowest places in the table. Yes, some moments didn’t work out, but I would repeat the purely football moves. And organizationally, it would work differently.
- It is clear why you left Lokomotiv - there was an invitation to the national team. What was going on in your soul at that moment? Didn’t think you would return to Lokomotiv?
“Of course I thought.” There were certain obligations that I should return.
- There was even a term - “business trip to the national team”.
- Yes. The leader, now the former Minister Fadeev, gave all this permission. But it turned out differently. I think it makes no sense to further develop this topic. All this is in the past, but you need to live today and move forward.
- What, in principle, over the past 20 years, in addition to economic stability, was our football lacking? Why, participating in seven qualifying rounds, Russia only four times made its way to the final stages, and even then did nothing there?
- I will not say anything new in this regard. I will say simple things. Firstly, the Soviet Union. Now unite the guys from Georgia and Ukraine in the national team of Shevchenko, Kaladze, and this team will undoubtedly regularly get into the final stages of the World Cup and European Championship.
Second: at some point, attention to children's and youthful football has weakened. Over the past few years, our youth team has just won the European Championship under Igor Kolyvanov, before, not even one of the teams had reached the final stage. And where can the influx of players come from? They are not there! Or they have no winning traditions.
A lot of negative phenomena appeared in the same children's and youthful football, a lot of dubious personalities around these guys who stop working, and money and business come to the fore.
I think that over time it will return to normal. Already coming back. Look at the great Football Academy program that the International Football Federation and Abramovich are doing. Build the fields. I helped build one of the fields in Orel when I was the coach of the national team. In this field, I have no doubt, in the near future a normal, good player will grow up who will play either in the top division or in the national team. And there are already thirty such fields built. Progress is observed in the Moscow region: new stadiums appear there. We went to open one in Krasnoarmeysk. There is now also a volleyball center. Sport is given a lot of attention. The athletics and hockey complex appeared in Krasnogorsk - absolutely fantastic.
But this is in our region - in Moscow and the Moscow region. And in other regions - show what, where it opened? But more athletes come to us from the periphery.
- When you started your coaching career - in the early 90's - the players were paid only money. Now, only having come to the football team, they get completely different. How does the monetary issue affect work with young people, with new players? Has it become more difficult to motivate them or vice versa?
- I think that the youth who are now engaged not only in football, but also, say, hockey, have a very high motivation.
You have a chance to become not only a famous player, but also a fairly wealthy, wealthy person. And this is a big incentive, and the money factor is a normal phenomenon, it is life.
Why does a singer who performs on stage get a lot of money, and a football player should get a little? Probably, our athletes should receive a lot. Their work is not less, but even more, and their career is much shorter than that of the same pop stars.
- If so, then why is there no result? And isn’t it scary that when people get big money at the age of 18-22, they lose their coordinate system: they have achieved everything, they have a house, a car, and there’s nothing to strive for.
- In this regard, a lot depends on the level of education, as well as on those people who are next to this guy - coaches, parents. In our lifetime, we have lost a lot of young guys who seem to have achieved something, and then there was no movement forward.
You don’t have to go far - the same Bulykin. At the age of 20 he started so brilliantly that it seemed that this would be a great center forward. But this did not happen. I believe that everyone who came across him is to blame, and first of all he himself. Probably, players should be accustomed to work.
- So this is our notorious mentality, which scared the same Guus Hiddink?
- Hiddink will probably face all our good and negative points. First, Hiddink knew where he was going. Secondly, he has a fairly high material incentive, an impressive contract. Therefore, he should have foreseen that approximately thirty players play for the main team in the Russian championship.
Today, no one plays abroad with us. Right? From here he had to carefully look before going. Honestly, he himself is uncomfortable with such euphoria. Everywhere, including in the press, it was said that he would come - and everything would immediately turn upside down.
What can he turn over? Probably they will listen more to him than to us. We all said the same thing: we need a prefabricated stadium. Of course, Bor is a great base, but it is so that the team could go there to rest during the recovery period. But we do not have the training base that is supposed to be: so that there are 7-8 fields, that all youth teams train there, so that the youth team train next to the national team.
I think that they can listen to him in this, because when a Russian specialist speaks - this is one thing, and when a foreigner - quite another. He can do this now, and he would like him to leave a good memory of himself in this regard.
- Did you like the first game under Guus Hiddink? Here Valery Gazaev criticized ...
- Valery is right, and I agree with him on many points. But here it is necessary to take into account the situations in which each of us was - and Gazaev, and Semin ... How many players for the match will be in full combat readiness, will there be injuries. Right now, quite a lot of players were injured - and the result did not work, the game did not work either.
When we played with Latvia, we had five injured. It was said that Semin chose the option of a defensive plan. Yes, there were no players! And in the next matches a lot will depend on which of the guys will be in what combat readiness. And even depends on the quantity.
There was no Kerzhakov ... I believe that Kerzhakov and Arshavin understand each other perfectly. Arshavin, after receiving a one-touch pass, knows where Kerzhakov is running and throws the ball into this zone. And now he did not succeed, there was a lack of understanding with the guys in the absence of Kerzhakov. Any loss for other teams does not play such a role as for ours. For our team this is a big loss.
- We recently talked with Alexei Smertin, and he talked about infrastructure problems, the problem of wage delays at Dynamo. What other factors influence the result?
- I think that there will be no disastrous result at Dynamo, it will be selected without fail. The team still has a set of very qualified players, and I hope that they will unite at some point - at the most difficult.
When Semin left, the first two games they fought, they fought, as we demanded of them, but then already the fervor before the "Saturn" faded away - again, who was in the least.
- So, does every coach need to be changed?
- Seriously, probably, there are a lot of incompatible people at Dynamo.
- It's about the players?
- I'm talking more about football players. They have a completely different mentality, each with different tasks.
Each team has salary delays. I always give an example: guys, Krylia Sovetov did not receive a salary for six months, but they somehow united. All the same, after all, the players will receive wages - they have written in the contract, otherwise they will sue, the dispute resolution chamber. And such a statement must be considered. This is recorded in the regulations of the championship of Russia. It’s interesting, by the way, but it’s not recorded anywhere that the coach with whom the same thing happened can submit his petition to this ward so that they can figure it out whether the employers offended or did not offend him. This is nonsense.
- Why is this happening, why the coaches will not unite? After all, we have a kind of coaching organization ...
- Now this organization is slowly uniting, and I think that our managers should introduce this item into the regulation.
Back to the Dynamo. Non-payment of salaries is a negative point. I also did not get paid, there were some period of delay. I suggested: let's work, they will give us our salary. And if we don’t work, then we won’t score points, and nobody will return them to us.
And now we are in such a situation. Of course, we worked very poorly in the preparatory phase compared to other teams - for the simple reason that the player could not come for five days, the same Derley had only ten trainings since October.
They said: Semin, why don’t you put Derley, he scored thirteen goals that year? But from October to March he conducted only ten workouts! Such is the gentle mode. And I can’t do anything, I can’t fine, because the players will say: first give your salary, and then fine.
Everything is interconnected. And this speaks of the club’s traditions. In a strong club, can anyone endure this? In a strong club, the player will be put in place within three seconds. Anyone! Because he goes against. In a weak club the players will be persuaded: you play ...
The same situation is in Wings of the Soviets. I read in the newspaper that Branko did not come to the installation. They will persuade. In a strong club, the contract would be canceled and the player sent home. Foreigners should clearly understand where they are coming, what are the rules here, and not try to establish their own.
- Did Dynamo pay you?
- Everything is always fine with the leaders.
- Do you agree that the quality of legionnaires has grown sharply compared to what it was five years ago?
- In separate teams. The quality of legionnaires in CSKA, Spartak, and Lokomotiv sharply increased. Tasks are set there, and players are invited for these tasks.
But as for the other teams, I would not agree with everything. By the way, the coach of our national team talked a lot about the fact that the legionnaires do not meet the level.
- It is probably wrong when the weak comes to a strong team, as it was wrong if Zidane arrived at Amkar.
- He will not play there anyway, because the task of Amkar and its infrastructure at the moment cannot motivate Zidane. Tomorrow will probably be motivated. In the meantime, no.
It will not seem like that to Zidane: they brought the shape wrong, cleaned the boots wrong, not such a shirt, few T-shirts and so on. This will annoy the player and lead to a negative. Something similar happened in Dynamo.
- You painted an image. But in reality, was this applicable to Manish, Koshtinya and someone else?
“Well, I don’t know Maniche, he wasn’t with me, I don’t know why he left.” And I know Coshtinho very well. He died for a simple reason: there were three very gross violations. I have no right to sacrifice my principles, for me all players are the same. If Koshtinya was outside the team, then in “Dynamo” would be a different situation. And Coshtinha was still with the team.
- You spoke about the human, game incompatibility of Dynamo players. At the beginning of the season you made some changes to the composition. Ovchinnikov came, Smertin came, people came, whom you well knew from Lokomotiv and not only. Was it an attempt to create some kind of core in Dynamo that you could rely on, or evidence that earlier in Dynamo the selection policy was carried out unclear on what principles?
- To begin with, there was already a limit. Further: there were very few Russian-speaking players in Dynamo. Probably quite experienced players have come who can determine the game. Although, in my opinion, at the first stage, they could not be clear leaders.
Players must make every effort to create unity. After unity, there are no victories. The efforts of the players were not enough - both Russian-speaking Dynamo and ex-locomotive, and foreigners, Portuguese.
Today, start from the beginning, maybe they behaved differently. They themselves are now confused. The coach at whom they stopped paying money left. Maybe they will unite. By the way, nobody released me - I left on my own and I think that this was done in the interests of the club.
- They said that you were planning to leave before the World Cup, before the match with Spartak ...
- They always said a lot, and such thoughts visited.
- What are your impressions of the World Cup?
- Brilliant.
- Do you always root for Italy?
- I can disappoint - now I was rooting for the French. Firstly, I was a fan of Zidane. Secondly, the French are now very impressed with me. This team is an age team, and I was wondering if age players can withstand the load of the World Cup.
- What are your plans?
“I'll rest for a month or two, no more.” And then it will be seen.
- May I have a provocative question?
- Anyone.
- If at the same time there were proposals from CSKA and Spartak, which one would you choose?
“What can they do if Valery works great there?” And look how Volodya Fedotov is working now! I am happy for them, they played such a match!
I think that everyone had to watch this match - and Hiddink too. As people, for example, two days later on the third, having left the national team, they play for the club, how they withstand the load. At the stadium to see this atmosphere - ours, Russian, extraordinary. Moreover, the fans were good, but the players were even better. Those foreigners who participated in this match are strong guys, you can take off their hat in front of them. So they came here to work, to give pleasure to people. Such foreigners are needed.
- Now a very powerful confrontation between CSKA and Spartak has begun. Although Lokomotiv is nearby, but ...
“I'm rooting for my friends now.”
- That is, there are no club addictions?
- No, I'm rooting for friends.
- Do you feel that coach Semin is still capable of much, is ready to surprise, show himself?
- Without doubt.
- Do you already have any suggestions?
- I’ll start to tell you now, and people will say: here, sitting, stuffing a price for myself ... I am resting now until November, watching football.
- By the way, there are people who, when they take a break from football, really take a rest. Can't you do it?
- I can not. Two weeks turned out - and that’s it.
- Is football a drug for you?
- Undoubtedly. Forty-one years — all the time with football. Coaching has been around for twenty years. There was practically no vacation. One season ends - you move on to another. Breeding and everything else goes on. Every trainer has this. Therefore, give a little rest, and then we will think.
Alexander Shmurnov, Kirill Dementiev