Sayenko - the only legionnaire in our current football team - is now in complete order. After the resumption of the Bundesliga championship, three rounds passed. Ivan scored them twice, his “Nuremberg” took seven points out of nine possible, and the grandees “Stuttgart” and “Bavaria” were defeated twice, and the coach of the Mönchengladbach “Borussia” was fired. So no one was surprised that Guus Hiddink again called on Saenko to the Russian team. On the eve of the friendly match between Holland and Russia, Ivan Sayenko answered questions from the newspaper Gazeta.
- When will Guus Hiddink entrust you with a place in the starting lineup of the national team?
- I honestly say that I don’t bother with my head. Just trying to consistently play for my club. If Hiddink calls me regularly, then he needs me. Another thing is that the national team's scheme usually looks like 3-5-2, and Nuremberg, who is at home, away, plays 4-3-3. I am an extreme striker; if necessary, I always help the defense.
- That is, the whole catch in the mismatch of schemes?
- It seems to me that so far. In fact, a habit is a habit, but in the team I’m ready to play in the position of one of the two strikers or an extreme midfielder. In general, I’m waiting for my chance, and then everything only depends on me.
- Now you are like a white crow in the national team: the only legionnaire, you can speak directly to a coach without an interpreter (Hiddink and Saenko communicate in German. - “Newspaper” ) . How are relations with partners developing?
- There are no special problems. And of course I don’t feel any particular situation. After the defeat of Bavaria, one of the first to send a congratulatory SMS was sent by Jura Zhirkov. With many, I still played in the youth team. Since then, a very good relationship has been preserved.
- By the way, about the “youth team”. You were the captain of the team at Chernyshov, you scored goals decently, but in the end Russia didn’t make it to the European Championship, and the scandalous match in Denmark became the final chord of that team ...
- That return match, which decided everything for us, I do not want to remember once again. Then a lot of dirty was said about my partners. I’m not going to justify everyone right away, but I can say that the same Zhirkov repented a hundred times already (leaving the field after removal, Zhirkov in his hearts threw the shirt of the national team either as a judge or as a trainer to Chernyshov. - “Newspaper”). And I personally was very hurt by the words of Chernyshov, who left his post, and then decided at the expense of his former wards to whitewash his coaching name.
- You have already said more than once that you found your team at Nuremberg. And that coach Hans Meyer is absolutely “yours”. What is so good for a Russian footballer in Nuremberg?
- Of course, in Russia there is not much information about my current club. Nuremberg, by the way, is a club with more than a century of history. And throughout Germany, Nuremberg is simply called the Club. It’s in Russia that we have different “horses”, “meat” there ... And about “Nuremberg”, so respectfully - “Club”. Well, Hans Meyer is really “my” coach. When he ended up at Nuremberg, he told me that he had been following my performances at Karlsruhe, while he himself worked at Herth. We now have a very young and ambitious team in a good way, Mayer himself assembled it bit by bit, and the guys are fighting for this coach, as for themselves.
- Is there a feeling that with good appearances for Nuremberg and challenges to the national team, the interest in the person of Saenko in the Russian media has noticeably increased?
“Yes, that is certain.” Earlier, from Russia, journalists were very rarely bothered, and how could I be interesting ?! Everything is logical: who, for example, is interested in the performances of ordinary German players in our country? In Germany, of course, no one cares how Saturn, Tom or Shinniki are played in Russia, all these clubs will be told no offense. But now I’m in Nuremberg, the team is fighting for getting into European competitions, and I have complete inner confidence that everything will work out in the spring (at the moment in the Bundesliga table Nuremberg is in sixth position and it has the least defeat - after 20 rounds, only two. - "Newspaper").
- I agree with the opinion that now in Europe, Russian football players by and large do not need anyone?
- In general, yes. The Russian football school is quoted, of course, far below the Soviet one. Previously, established masters left for Europe and made a good career for themselves. Just recently Kerzhakov moved to Seville. Maybe he will become the first swallow ... But I once left 16-year-old in Germany, it was hard to break through, all the more so since the "well-wishers" constantly reminded how many similar careers of our guys broke without really starting. But I got something by the age of 23. And I’m not going to stop in any case.
- If tomorrow or in a week, for example, they call in Spartak or Lokomotiv, what will you answer?
- I’m already tired of answering: the Russian Premier League is not interested in the Saenko player at this stage of his career.