). An SE columnist tells how the situation could develop.

Sergey EGOROV

The meeting of the board of directors of the St. Petersburg club did not officially have the task of choosing a new head coach. According to my information, the main item on the agenda was: “Strategy for the development of the club.” Zenit management prepared it, but in the end it was decided to finalize the document.

It is clear that the strategy also contained a sports component - perhaps it was also about the fact that special attention needs to be paid to home-grown football players, taking into account a) the remaining limit, albeit in the future for the next two years; b) UEFA rules for such players in the application for European competitions; c) the problem with the lack of locals at Zenit, which is sometimes felt in the mood of the public.

Sergey SEMAK. Photo Vyacheslav EVDOKIMOV/FC Zenit

After reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League, PAULO FONSECA attended a press conference dressed as Zorro. What else will surprise the Shakhtar coach? Photo by REUTERS

FONSECA

A very strange story has developed with. According to my information, the Dutchman was indeed a candidate, but even before the meeting of the board of directors the topic was removed from the agenda.

The specialist’s agreement with the blue-white-sky blues is for two years with the possibility of extension for another year.

In 2005, Semak left the army team, accepting an offer from PSG. In the same year he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports. From Paris, Sergei Bogdanovich first went to Moscow, where he also quickly became one of the leaders, and then moved to Rubin Kazan, with which he won the first championship title in the club’s history.

In 2007, having surpassed the bar of 100 goals scored in the Russian championships, he entered the Club of 100 Russian scorers of the Sport Express newspaper and the Grigory Fedotov Club.

In 2008, he returned to the national team, where he became captain of the team that won bronze medals at the European Championship. Member of the Igor Netto Club (for players who have played more than 50 matches for the Russian national team).

Semak played for Zenit from August 2010 to June 2013. Over three seasons, he played 72 matches with the team, scored 13 goals and provided 7 assists.

In June 2013, he accepted Luciano Spalletti's offer to join the blue-white-blue coaching staff as assistant coach. On March 11, 2014, he was appointed acting head coach of Zenit. Under his leadership, the team played two matches: the blue-white-blues lost to CSKA with a minimal score (0:1), and then beat Borussia Dortmund (2:1) away.

On March 20, 2014, Semak joined the coaching staff of Andre Villas-Boas. In September 2015, he led Zenit for six matches of the Russian Championship due to the Portuguese’s disqualification. After leaving, Villas-Boas continued to work on Mircea Lucescu's coaching staff.

In August 2014, he joined the coaching staff of the Russian national team, where he worked together with Fabio Capello and, after the Italian left, with Leonid Slutsky.

On December 30, 2016, he was appointed to the post of head coach of Ufa. The team finished the 2017/18 season in sixth place, which was the best result in its history and allowed it to qualify for the UEFA Europa League for the first time.

Football club "Zenith" congratulates Sergei Semak on his return to St. Petersburg and wishes him good luck as the head coach of the blue-white-blues!

The management of the St. Petersburg football club began to look for a replacement for Mancini after Zenit lost its chances of qualifying for the Champions League. The team is in fifth place in the standings, which allows them to participate only in the Europa League. This season, the blue-white-sky blues dropped out of the Russian Cup at the 1/16 final stage, losing to Dynamo St. Petersburg with a score of 2:3. In the Europa League, they managed to reach the 1/8 finals, losing on aggregate to the German Leipzig with scores of 1:2 and 1:1, respectively. By the end of the Russian Championship, Zenit was in fifth place in the standings with 53 points. It was previously reported that the management of FC Zenit is considering five candidates for the position of head coach. The list has not yet been officially announced, however, the media are already learning details about the alleged contenders. So, according to domestic and foreign publications, Italian Carlo Ancelotti or his compatriot Maurizio Sarri can take over the team’s patronage. Also among the contenders are Montenegrin specialist Miodrag Bozovic, currently head of Arsenal Tula, Russian Sergei Semak, head coach of Ufa, as well as Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who already coached the team from 2006 to 2009 and won the UEFA Cup with it. .

Mancini Failure: Poor Transfer and Difficulty of Understanding

Roberto Mancini took over Zenit in 2017. According to press reports, after signing the contract, he became one of the 15 highest paid coaches in the world. Before the St. Petersburg club, Mancini headed Inter, Galatasaray, Manchester City, Fiorentina and Lazio. The fact that Mancini would leave his post immediately after the end of the Russian Championship, on May 13, was known a month ago. This was reported by a reputable sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. On April 8, the coach flew to Rome and discussed signing with the Italian national team. Presumably, we are talking about a two-year contract with a salary of more than two million euros and a bonus in case of qualifying for the 2020 European Championship.

Alexander Kanishchev, a former Zenit player, said in an interview with Channel 5 that he considers Mancini a good coach. The reason for the bad game lies in the difficulty of understanding. The players did not feel the coach’s plans and did not give their all on the field.

Video: Channel Five

“The first mistake is a transfer one. If he recruited a team and, with his instructions, with his consent, players were bought, then it is obvious that these people did not produce results. At least for the first year of being on the team. He also failed to bring his football idea of ​​how the team should play. It is clear that he is dissatisfied with the game. And the team also did not produce what the coach wanted from them. No contact. It happens. Good coach. It just doesn't get results. I couldn't convey my idea to the players. But again, it is performed by the players. But if they fail, the coach is fired. I don't blame Mancini for the result at all. The players' fault. Guilt is a strong word, but the fact that they did not show all their capabilities on the field is absolutely certain. They didn't show themselves 100%. There was no dedication, no coherence, they were not united in the goal of becoming champions. Everything caught my eye. Just incompatibility", - summed up the ex-Zenit player.

Boris Rappoport, who served as head coach and sports director of Zenit from 2002 to 2004, assessed Mancini’s work much more negatively. The point, the footballer believes, is in mentality. Allegedly, the Italian professional looked down on the team’s players, and even did not fulfill the terms of the contract. After each game he left for his native Italy. In other words, I absolutely did not understand the mentality of the Russians.

Video: Channel Five

“Mancini underestimated the level of the Russian Championship. He wasn't ready. He was euthanized during the first months when everything was going well. When problems arose, he was not ready, in my opinion. There was no serious assessment of the opponent, no analysis of who we would have to play with. It seems to me that in the Russian Premier League, like in any other, you need to prepare for each opponent. Then, the second mistake - he turned out to be a very difficult person in relationships with people. I say that he did not understand our mentality, that we need to communicate with people differently. It seems to me that “footballer Mancini,” an extra-class footballer, was still firmly in him. And he looked down on his players: what are you compared to me when I played. And this prevented me from building normal relationships with the guys. Those mistakes that were made in determining the composition and inviting people. I don’t even understand how anyone can part with Dziuba and Shatov. Juliano left before that, having won well under Lucescu. And instead of them, invite players who, obviously for any fan, are of a lower class. I think these reasons led to a disastrous result. And instead of biting into his work, he took a different path. I don’t understand how a coach with a two-year contract could fly away after every game. There is talk that he is negotiating with the Italian Federation, although he does not have the right to do so. This should, without a doubt, be a closed topic. But when a football player hears that their coach hangs out in Italy after every game and conducts negotiations there, this in no way unites the team, does not in any way focus on the result. I'm surprised the club's leaders didn't put an end to this from the very beginning. He is at work, he has a long contract, he must fulfill its terms. The club took the position of an outside observer. In my opinion, this was the reason that the team has become practically uncontrollable over the past month and a half.”,” Rappoport said in an interview with Channel Five.

Dear Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti

Free coach Carlo Ancelotti will most likely be too expensive for Zenit, believes Alexander Kanishchev. It is known that in early May the Italian refused to accept the leadership of the national team from the Italian Football Federation. However, the Federation intends to find a coach by May 20. And this decision will indirectly affect who will lead the Russian blue-white-blue club.

According to media reports, the 58-year-old Italian is preparing to take over as Juventus coach. So the possibility that he will take the post of Zenit coach is not great. Ancelotti already worked at Juventus from 1999 to 2001. The Italian has worked with the teams Parma, Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, as well as Bayern Munich, which he left in the fall of 2017. The information that Zenit was not looking closely at Ancelotti was confirmed to Channel Five by former midfielder and TV commentator Alexey Strepetov.

Video: Channel Five

“He was offered the Italian national team, he said that he was a club coach. Of course, Ancelotti is great. He won everything. I think Carlo Ancelotti will stay in Europe. We don't need a famous coach, but an ambitious one. Hungry for victories, like football players. If he is like this, his team will play and win. This is proven by Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool coach who worked in Germany. He is proving his worth, a young and strong coach, he is already in the Champions League final. A coach who is starting to work, has already won victories, but has few trophies. Hungry for trophies. He will be pleased to win for Russia, to enter the Champions League, to win there in order to show his name in Europe. It's my opinion".

Star Maurizio Sarri

On May 13, the club’s deputy sports director Vyacheslav Malafeev announced the shortlist of candidates for the post of Zenit coach. There were only two names included. Current coaches: Ufa coach Sergei Semak and Italian Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. However, the day before, Sarri’s representative Alessandro Pellegrini conveyed his words to Sport Express, saying that no offers had been received from Zenit. The representative noted that the coach has a valid contract with Napoli and there is no sign of his leaving his post.

Football expert Alexander Kanishchev considers Sarri the best candidate for the post of Zenit coach.

Video: Channel Five

“Out of all the candidates listed, I would choose Maurizio Sarri. The man now heads one of the most serious Italian clubs. An active coach with a very good style, with the psychology of a winner. I would give my vote for him. Everyone else... Dick Advocaat is no longer an active coach. Already quite old. Ancelotti will be too expensive for Zenit. Top trainer. It's unlikely he'll want to. As for Mikhailovich, from my point of view, this is not a candidate that would suit Zenit. He is also a man who has not worked for a long time. As for the coaches working in our championships... Miodrag Bozovic is a coach in the middle part of the standings, but not in the top clubs of our Premier League. With all due respect, he is not at that level. Semak is also possible as an experiment. But I think he needs to be allowed to level up. And only then head a club like Zenit. This club requires results first. I don’t know if Semak is ready today. Perhaps Sarri is the most acceptable candidate.”

Dear Sergei Semak

Only Semak - the rest do not understand the Russian mentality, says Boris Rappoport. At the same time, Semak has the potential to lead the team to victory. In second place, whom the ex-coach sees in the place of the team leader is Dick Advocaat, a stranger to the St. Petersburg team, who has only one drawback - his advanced age.

Semak, according to the former head of Zenit, while working with Ufa, showed himself to be a very strong tactician who knows how to organize a team, and therefore he should be entrusted with leading the blue-white-blue.

Video: Channel Five

“I am a supporter of inviting Russians. Of these, only one Semak could lead Zenit. I have doubts. Several years ago, Zenit relied on foreign specialists. Although, frankly speaking, nothing serious was achieved. For the last three years we have not qualified for the Champions League. What nonsense in general, having such a budget, such infrastructure and everything else. This mess. I would trust Semak. Many say that Semak will not cope. And who will guarantee that one of the foreign specialists with big names will cope? I would trust Semak."

"Older" but proven Lawyer

The Dutch football coach is an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, as well as an honored coach of Russia. He first headed Zenit in the summer of 2006. And in 2010 - the Russian national team. Dick Advocaat left after Euro 2012 when we lost 0-1 to the Greeks. As a result, Russia took third place in the group and left the tournament. On May 12, the press secretary of the Zenit football club, Anton Makarenko, said that Advocaat’s candidacy for the post of head coach was not being considered.

However, the ex-Zenit coach believes that Advocaat was abandoned early. “Like a real man,” he rallied the team perfectly. He did what Mancini failed to do.

“In recent years, I have become convinced that things have not worked out with foreigners. If we talk about who they want among foreign coaches, Advokat is the best choice. Despite the age. Everyone knows him here, he knows everyone. And there is only one munus - he is quite an old man. Although Lucescu, who is two years older than him, was recently here. The lawyer is no stranger to the city. He had excellent results here. If I were them, if Semak is not a viable candidate, I would invite a lawyer. There is a certain problem that new players are bought for every new coach. Zenit needs to analyze all this. There was Villas-Boas, there were some players, Villas-Boas left - they began to be removed. Lucescu came and recruited an incomprehensible group of people. During this time, there are practically no players of our own. Due to the fact that each coach is given a task to achieve results as quickly as possible. Why do I have a plus in the direction of the Lawyer? Every one of the people who comes here, they don’t know Russia. Our mentality is generally a fog for them. They begin with greetings and end with funerals. The lawyer is closer to us, to our people. He's Dutch. This guy is normal. If Semak doesn’t suit you for some reason, although I think he can handle it, then of all the others it would be Lawyer.”, Boris Rappoport said in an interview with Channel Five.

Miodrag Bozovic first person

The Montenegrin specialist, currently heading Arsenal Tula, the day before flatly denied his possible participation in the fight for the post of head coach of Zenit.

“I don’t want to say anything on this topic. Rumors are rumors, but if you believe me, no one talked to me. Some people may like to mention my last name. But it didn’t happen that someone called me and I talked to someone.”, - the publication quotes him "Sport Express" .

Who else?

However, an offer may arrive at the very last moment to any of the applicants. Alexey Strepetov believes that you should not limit yourself to the list of media outlets. He also completely excludes the possibility that Bozovic will be invited to the post of coach.

Video: Channel Five

“Bozhevic, with all due respect to him, is not a high-task coach. No offense meant. A coach may even appear who is not on the list of five. We know that Wenger is out of work. I do not rule out that he will be the one to head Zenit, and I will be pleasantly surprised by this. If he comes to our city, it would be very, very interesting to see his work at Zenit St. Petersburg. There is Lawyer, there is Spalletti. We know these people very well. A sincere person with an open soul is a Lawyer. And, of course, Luciano Spalletti, who while working at Zenit, gave us two brilliant seasons. There are no questions at all about Luciano Spalletti as a brilliant specialist. The board of directors and club president Alexei Borisovich Miller have a wide choice. And now they must not make a mistake. All candidates are worthy. The club management must choose a direction. Either we are an elite team with stars, or we are a team for the future, which will also fight, but solve other problems. That is, give the same Sergei Semak a boost, don’t ask the full program. He needs a season or two. It’s hard to say whether the club’s leaders will agree to this. What we have now is that we have a very interesting team. Why it didn’t work out is a question for the coaching staff. Zenit simply failed in the second part of the Championship.”

Today Sergei Semak arrived at a meeting of the Zenit board of directors. So, perhaps, the answer to the question that is now tormenting all the fans of the St. Petersburg team will appear in a few hours. However, we should expect unexpected suggestions from management.

Aniya Bataeva

The best is Fonseca, but they will choose Semak: who will become the new coach of Zenit

We will move towards the right result and identify the best and strongest specialist,” R-Sport quotes Malafeev as saying.

And after the victory over the Khabarovsk team, the club’s management from the banks of the Neva, through the mouth of its millionth fan Ivan Zamankov, named all five candidates - in addition to Semak and Sarri, they were Paulo Fonseca (Shakhtar), Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) and Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina national team) ).

Voting among users of the social network VKontakte unexpectedly became a way to “determine the best and strongest.” Everyone can vote there. Regardless of club preferences.

Later, the press secretary of the St. Petersburg club, Anton Makarenko, announced that the list would be reviewed by the board of directors and, most likely, reduced.

SERGEY SEMAK, 42 YEARS OLD

Citizenship: Russia
Team:"Ufa"
Debut*: 03/01/17, “Ufa” - “Anzhi” (1:0) - Russian Cup
Achievement: 6th place in the RFPL in the 2017/18 season

PROS

The most likely candidate, in whose services the St. Petersburg leadership has been interested since the moment everything became completely clear with Mancini. On Monday, May 14, he visited the Gazprom office.

Even as a football player, Semak showed himself to be a very smart player, who gained his strength not through technique and talent, but through hard work and intelligence. Therefore, he was always loved by fans, no matter where he played. The only team on his resume so far, Ufa, appears the same way - modest, but efficient and tactically well-trained. This is exactly what the current Zenit lacks - daily painstaking work for the benefit of the team, without the accompanying noise and regular self-PR.

In addition, Semak is not a stranger to Zenit - since 2010, not a single blue-white-blue championship has been achieved without his participation. In 2010 and 2012, he won RFPL gold on the football field, and in 2015 - from the coaching bench, where he helped Andre Villas-Boas.

Zenit head coach Sergei Semak, after a closed meeting with fans at the Petrovsky stadium, spoke about the past event and upcoming work, but did not specify the future of the players or name the names of the new coaching staff.

How was the meeting with the fans?
- Initially, the meeting was planned in Udelny Park, but then everything changed. The guys asked to drive up for five minutes, I said there was no problem. There is time now. It's nice to see the fans' attention. I understand perfectly well that I am at the very beginning of the journey. It's hard to say anything except that there will be a lot of work right now. This is a step forward in my career.

- What was the conversation about?
- General phrases about the team. About what the fans would like to see.

- Did you easily agree to Zenit’s offer?
- It doesn’t happen easily, especially in such a situation. Any decision is difficult. However, if you take on something, you need to try to do it to the maximum. The appointment took place quickly, with elements of surprise.

- Who will be on the coaching staff?
- It’s too early to talk about this. There was a lot of information, but most of it was not true. We will resolve issues with the team and training camp in the near future.

- Alexander Nizelik, who worked with you at Ufa, can join your headquarters at Zenit?
- Naturally, he is among the possible candidates.

- And Kerzhakov?
- No, I didn’t talk to Sasha about this. I don't have this information.

- You first came to negotiations about two weeks ago. What happened during these 14 days?
- I don’t know what happened these days. We had a conversation. The Zenit management voiced their position that I was one of the candidates. Then there was another meeting, but it was not specific. Last night the conversation went in a different direction.

- Many players will return to Zenit, including Dzyuba and Shatov. Do you have any idea about their future?
- You will find out everything very soon. I have all the information on the players: who is and where they are. Zenit had many players on loan. Very soon you will find out who will go to the training camp and who will not.

- When will you have your first training session?
- As planned. Medical examination on June 15th, departure for the first training camp on the 17th.

- There was a lot of talk that Igor Denisov would return to Zenit.
- I can’t say anything about the players. There was little time. There's a lot to work on and a lot to weigh. Igor Denisov is a top player, one of the strongest in his position. Any coach likes his game.

- What goals were set by management in terms of results? Champions League and first place or building a new team?
- Now we have a lot of players under contracts, we need to sort this out, and only then talk about a new team. Regarding the tasks, the management will announce them closer to the season. Of course, Zenit must fight for the championship and play in the Champions League.

- Was there a conversation about the sports department? Will Vyacheslav Malafeev, Oreste Cinquini stay? Will there be a new athletic director?
“There was a conversation about everything, but it takes time to analyze everything before making decisions.”

- We understand that you can’t say anything about the players, but there is one football player who...
- Messi?

- No, Miguel Danny said that he was ready to devote several more years to Zenit, that he would be glad to return. Are you considering his candidacy?
- We are considering all players who can help our team.