- After Mozart’s disqualification and Kovac’s injury, only two oporniki remained in the team - you and Renat Sabitov. It is already known who will come out against Tom in the base?
- Not yet. Most likely, I will appear on the field, at least I will come out for a replacement. In any case, I will help the team. If a football player comes on as a substitute, he is considered a participant in the game on a par with those who came out at the base. At least in Spartak it’s so customary.
- There is an opinion that a good opornik should be an experienced player.
- I do not agree. You can take away balls and create pressure at any age. The main thing is that the opornik does not hesitate, then everything will be fine.
- Last weekend you and Mozart played for the double. Your participation was a serious strengthening of the team?
“I would not say that.” The game was made by young guys who played last time in a double. We are with Mozart just helped them. It struck me that the same guys who were when I played there remained in the double. For some reason, newcomers did not increase. Therefore, personally, it was easy for me to interact with them. I don’t know how Mozart.
- That ill-fated chain ...
- The fact of the matter is that it was not a chain, but a rope. On it I have a cross that my mother gave me. Stupid removal happened. The rules say that all metal objects must be removed from oneself so as not to injure other players, but tell me, how can I injure a person with a cross on a linen rope? Nevertheless, I had to think in advance about the consequences myself and remove it. The reserve referee, who checks the players for metal, is not to blame. If someone is guilty, then only me.
- Was this the first removal of your career?
- Yes, and I’m doubly upset! I'm not a rude player at all, but I have already served one disqualification. Nobody then remembers that I got a red card in the match against Zenit due to a misunderstanding.
- Didn’t it seem to you that the last two matches of Spartak and Zenit have been more exciting than the derby from CSKA? Perhaps Zenit has become a more principled rival for Spartak than the army team, including because of Vladimir Bystrov.
- Zenit has always been our principal rival. And then St. Petersburg residents began to declare at all angles that the championship was already in their pocket. And that they have already won that championship match, because we kind of had problems with the roster. Naturally, the ambitious Spartacists wanted to lower them from heaven to earth. Especially Spartak youth.
“Maybe they are not so strong?” Have you played with? Zenit for almost half the time and in the second match of 15 minutes - what are your impressions?
- Of course, a very strong team. I spent a lot of effort in the fight with them in both games. Oddly enough, in the second match, when I left in the ending, it was much harder for me than in the first match, when we won 3-1. By the time of my release in the cup match, we were already winning and my task was to contain the angry and angry Zenith. And so they went against us with drafts headlong, wanting revenge, and at the end of the match increased the onslaught. Thank God I did.
Vadim SINAEV