There was a snowstorm in Khimki. Snow fluttered beautifully in the air, illuminated by stadium floodlights. I did not want to think about football in such weather at all.
But the players - nothing! They rather briskly moved on a snow-covered lawn with heating. And the coaching staff watched in perplexity as precipitation accumulated on the "grass".
- And how many degrees are there on the field now? - Goalkeeper coach Valery Kleimenov addressed the stadium employee.
“Eight,” he will answer, importantly lighting up.
- Eight?! - marveled Kleimenov. “Why then does the snow not melt?”
“These are the laws of nature,” the savvy employee answered calmly. - After all, the snow falls on the grass. Therefore, it does not melt.
- Like this? - taken aback by the coach.
“And so,” the interlocutor continued, obviously seasoned in such disputes. - Snow falls on the pile. And if he lay down on the field itself, he would undoubtedly melt ...
No one dared to object to this. If only because I did not catch the logic.
“You don't fool us,” someone said after a moment of confusion. - Last year we were engaged here at this time. There was snow all around, and the lawn was green. Probably do not turn on the heating at full power ...
“In general, it is always the case with us,” the Kleimenov suddenly struck. - Last year, the first training camp took place in extreme conditions. There was bad weather in Sochi. And we came to Croatia - so generally ran knee-deep in the water.
But the players did not pay attention to the snow, but played fervently. Goalkeepers Berezovsky and Rozhkov acted in the field. And potential recruits worked at their profile positions: Alexei Solosin and a young guy from the double. So far, they have not concluded a contract with Solosin. He's watching.
Berezovsky even volunteered to execute a penalty kick at the gate of a young competitor. That, despite the authority, the blow countered. The vis-a-vis rushed to finish, but, it seemed, ran into a colleague’s knee with anger. Fortunately, everything worked out: no fights, no injuries.
All this was observed by Mantas Samusevas. He stood in a civilized and frankly cold.
- And what are you not training?
- Injury. I received it in August. But still he continued to play. He went to surgery only after the season. I think by the new year I’ll enter the field.
“So you would rest yourself for now.”
- Uh, that's not allowed. One should always keep abreast of events.
Dmitry Parfyonov, it seems, was not at all embarrassed by the fact that normal clubs were still resting, and he was running into a cold.
“He rested normally,” he said. - Went to the Maldives. All liked it.
- And you have changed the club emblem. Bad sign?
- Wow! I will learn so much news from you ...
- This was done at the insistence of UEFA. You, consider, have already thundered on the whole continent.
“I don’t even know how to comment on this.”
- Football players are superstitious people. Will it be dangerous to play with the new emblem?
- Not emblems play football.
On such a chic phrase, the conversation should have ended.
And in the meantime, the training was over. The club’s director general Mikhail Shcheglov arrived. He immediately began to solve operational issues with the coaching staff. Vladimir Kazachenok listened to compliments from friends about a beautiful baseball cap with many “labels”. Athletes went out into the cold with wet hair, not at all worried about their health. Searchlights on "New Khimki" went out. Snowdrifts on the lawn have grown.
And why did they come out of vacation so early?
Alexey Shevchenko