- Until the last day you were expected to study at the Higher School of Trainers. Change your mind?
- Now it’s not going to come to Moscow. Some family matters and problems interfere. If not for them, I would gladly have entered the Higher School of Economics. I still want to try myself in a coaching role. Or in some other football-related one.
- You can’t come to Russia - why not enroll in coaching courses in Spain?
“Because of the same problems.” Studying would have to devote all the time, to go to another city. And now I can’t afford it.
- Do you think about another profession?
- Not yet. He spent so many years in football that I can’t imagine myself elsewhere.
“So what are you doing then?”
“Nothing concrete.” We can say I'm waiting for offers. From Spanish clubs, Russian. How many cases when people finished playing and in three or four months became head coaches! Klinsmann, Zammer ... But Deschamps, when he headed “Monaco”, generally had a player’s contract with “Valencia”. But so far no one has contacted me.
- And, for example, were you called to the second Russian league?
- Not. There were no offers from Russia. For no role. The last time they called there after the European Championship, even as a player. To Moscow, to Dynamo. When they called from Dynamo, I even refused the contract with Alaves. But then he decided that after fifteen years abroad it would be hard for me in Russia. And stayed in Spain.
- When was the last time you came home?
- A year ago.
- With whom do you communicate there, in the distance?
- Mostly with the family. Sometimes we meet with Russian guys who stayed here at the end of their careers. With Onopko, Cheryshev, Popov, Karpin, Ledyakhov. Recently gathered in Madrid and won a veteran tournament. Beat Spain, Romania and Ecuador.
- Soon, the UEFA Cup will meet Spartak and Celta. Who will you root for?
- These are my native teams. Both are equally dear to me. Therefore, I will not root for any of them. As they say, let the strongest win.
- Who is calling you more often now: Spanish journalists asking about Spartak or Russian journalists about Celta?
- Spanish. So now I’m very closely following Spartak. In order not to look like a layman.
- After you and Karpin left Celta, the team rolled down. What is the reason for this?
- The usual story. In the Spanish championship over the past ten years, several provincial teams have shot: Celta, Deportivo, Mallorca, Villarreal ... Alaves even played in the UEFA Cup finals. Someone played at a high level for three years, someone - five. Real Sociedad was at its peak for two seasons. Deportivo managed to win the championship, someone was in the top three. All these clubs are united by the fact that at some point there they gathered good players and created strong teams that were able to fight with Real Madrid and Barcelona. But the leaders grew older and left, and the teams returned to their usual positions in the middle and end of the table.
- Sevilla will face the same fate?
- Not sure. Still, she, unlike Celta and Villarreal, is from a big city. And she has more opportunities. Judging by the transfer policy of Seville, the team will not play with one squad for several years. The club sold yesterday's leaders - Reyes and Baptista for good money, and bought young but very good players cheaper to help. This suggests that Sevilla is not a one-year team, but a serious club, they think about the future.
- Is Spartak Fedotov stronger than Spartak Starkov?
- I do not want to compare. Starkov coached Spartak for only a year and a half. This is a short time, and the team could not be done. It is impossible after this time to evaluate the work of the coach.
- But after Starkov’s resignation, Spartak began to play more spectacularly and efficiently.
- This is true. But do not forget that under Starkov the team took second place, and before that, three years floundered in the middle. And it’s too early to say that under Fedotov Spartak became stronger.
- How do you like the opening of the last Russian season, Roman Shishkin?
- I saw his game a couple of times. I don’t want to praise the guy. It’s hard with the young in this regard. Many examples when someone fired, then decided that he was great, and through the weather he played in the second league, coming on as a substitute. I myself started playing in Spartak at the age of 17 and I know how difficult it is at this age when everyone around you praises you.
“Heard the latest news: Cavenaghs sold at Bordeaux?”
“Oh, I've already said so much about the Cavenagi ... I don’t want to offend anyone.” But we did see how he played in Spartak. He played poorly and, of course, did not justify the money invested. People who saw the Cavenags in the games for the River Plate said that he looked very good in Argentina. And what does it feel like another player came to Spartak. Maybe he really instead of himself a younger brother sent to Moscow, but he remained in Argentina? In any case, I hope that in “Bordeaux” this Argentine will do better than in “Spartacus”.
Evgeny STATSENKO