Vyacheslav Bykov: “I don’t think I lost this meeting”

The head coach of the Russian national hockey team Vyacheslav Bykov, in an interview with Sport Today, tried to find the reasons for the defeat and said that the whole team was trying to support Alexander Eremenko.

- Are you able to set up a team for the match for third place?

- Yes, we already talked after the match. The guys are professionals. They know what it is to lose and what it is to win. And they know when to raise their heads.

- But doesn’t it matter for hockey players what place is second or sixteenth? “The winner gets everything.”

“I don't think so.” We have been building a team for a long time. And we have exactly the team that fought on ice today. I have no complaints to anyone about dedication and hard work. I can’t blame anyone. We did not have a chance to score. In overtime, they looked decent and spent most of the time in the opponent's zone. But any mistake is unforgivable.

- What do you think of the violation of Bergenheim against Markov?

- Apparently, it was hard for him in Russia.

- Deliberately went to our defender?

- Intentionally? .. But the Finns in the first match played aggressively, on the verge of a foul. And so they started the second game. This is not to say that we were not ready for this.

- Can you somehow explain the mistake of Alexander Eremenko in overtime? Nerves?

- Sasha just wanted to finish the moment faster, he did not have the patience. And in the episode with the first goal ...

- Who will play in the match for third place?

- Perhaps, Vasily Koshechkin. We need to see how Eremenko will survive today. He feels guilty, although we do not blame him for defeat. On the contrary, we are with him.

- Only three hockey players stopped in the mixed zone. The rest do not respect the fans?

- Do not judge them strictly. They are very worried. They understand that they could not meet the expectations of the fans. But I can promise that regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's game, they will talk to the press.

- Can you restore the team by Sunday?

- Yes.

- How?

- I will talk.

- Do not you think that the Russian team is fatally unlucky?

“If I think about it, I can leave the profession.” Yes, we had a dream to be the first. But I'm sure the guys can raise their heads.

“Is that your defeat?” Or did someone bother you during the preparation?

- No, no one interfered with me and now no one interferes. We created the necessary conditions on the part of the federation.

- Is defeat of Finland your personal fault?

- You can always find questions to the coach. But I do not think that I lost this meeting.

“But still, what happened?”

- Today the guys tried very hard. And I have no complaints about the players. We were just out of luck with the realization of the moments.

Alexey Shevchenko


All Articles