Today in Moscow in the third round of the Champions League, CSKA football players will meet with London “Arsenal” - the finalist of the last draw of this tournament. Since the fall of 2004, the army team competed in the League with Chelsea, clubs of this level did not come to Russia. However, the captain of CSKA Sergei Ignashevich, who gave an exclusive interview to Izvestia correspondent Mikhail Shpenkov, was not at all embarrassed by this fact.
According to the calculations of the coaches, to exit the CSKA group, it is enough to score eight points. You already have half. Will victory over Arsenal in Cherkizov solve all the issues?The main thing for us is to get into the playoffs. If for this it will be enough to play in the four remaining matches in the group in a draw, then I don’t see anything terrible here.
Tournament plans are more important than one victory, even over a club like Arsenal.
Valery Gazzaev recently said that he considers Arsenal and Manchester to be the best clubs in the Premier League, while Chelsea only puts it in third place. Do you have your own rating of British super clubs?I believe that the three named teams plus Liverpool make up the Big Four, in which it is difficult to distinguish someone by class. They, perhaps, only differ in style. And Arsenal in this sense is not quite a British team. Its players avoid long passes, do not lean primitively on other people's gates. Although I still still “Manchester” more like it.
Why?In my opinion, this club is the keeper of the best traditions of English football. He has an excellent management headquarters, thoughtful selection. And, in my opinion, there is a special atmosphere in his club stadium “Old Trafford”. Emotions are in full swing, but at the same time, the fans feel at home. Although I never went out on the field. I will not hide, playing in this arena is my dream.
What, in the shape of Manchester?No, why. In the form of the same CSKA. I always tried to really assess the situation. Therefore, before, I was certainly not eager to go abroad. Although employment options in the same England were. That's just not in the most famous clubs. But you want to not just play - win. Here with CSKA in recent years it turns out.
The more you win, the less incentive remains on the field?Yes, there is one. I notice for myself: after victories in domestic tournaments, emotions are not the same now. But still, this is not a reason to go abroad in search of a quiet life. It is important to set new goals and go towards them, even if they seem unreal to someone.
Are you talking about winning the Champions League?Why not?! When we went to victory in the UEFA Cup, there were few people in Russia who believed in our success. But, having experienced the joy of that gain, you have no doubt that you can go even further.
But the Russian team won so far with difficulty. By the way, during a recent match with Estonia after replacing Yevgeny Aldonin, you could become the team captain ...Are you talking about the episode when Aldonin, leaving the field, handed me a blindfold? Yes, I am among the players who can wear a blindfold in a specific situation. But then I felt that the team remained more experienced and authoritative player - Yegor Titov. And he rightfully ended that winning match as captain.
Fans of Spartak, CSKA’s main competitor, have probably appreciated your gesture. Does it matter to you?Has, if we are talking about objective, adequate people. But I try not to notice unsubstantiated reproaches against CSKA. Although this season there was something especially much of them. But I entered into a polemic on this score only when well-known players from other clubs began to speak out to us, whose words have a certain resonance. After all, we have a common cause - to play football. This is especially clear in the team you feel. Here there is no dispute, which club is more correct, does not arise.
Mikhail Shpenkov