Semak fell short of Putin
At Roberto Mancini’s farewell press conference, he was asked if he would take Sergei Fursenko, who has good connections in FIFA and UEFA, with him to the Italian national team; some vague remark followed. They say that I am leaving Zenit for personal reasons, but I have not yet negotiated on the issue of working in the national team. Although for some reason, back in March in Milan, everyone knew who would lead the Squadra Azzurra. And long-time team captain Domenico Criscito, who said goodbye to the St. Petersburg club in tears after the match with SKA-Khabarovsk, when asked whether he would like to play in the Italian national team under the leadership of Mancini, answered: “Of course! Mancini is a great coach. I will try to prove my worth to him. The players are to blame for the fact that Zenit’s current season has not worked out.”
But Zenit's top managers are in no hurry to admit their mistakes. Moreover, they turned the process of finding Mancini's replacement into a real circus. The shortlist of successors was announced not at a press conference or on the club’s website, but in the ear of the fan who received the prize for the millionth visitor to the St. Petersburg Arena this season. This five included Maurizio Sarri (Napoli), Paulo Fonseca (Shakhtar), Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina national team), Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) and Sergei Semak (Ufa).
Immediately after the leak of secret information, a fan vote was organized in the Zenit group on social networks. There is no other way to call it a circus. Are any St. Petersburg fans following the success of River Plate in the Argentine championship? Does anyone seriously believe that after working with Lionel Messi, Sergi Aguerro and Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentina national team coach will be able to achieve results with Alexander Kokorin, Artem Dzyuba and Anton Zabolotny? In his right mind, would Sarri agree to negotiate with Zenit, having offers from Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund?
St. Petersburg fans know practically nothing even about Fonseca, who reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League with Shakhtar and married a club translator, having respectively learned the Russian words necessary for educational work. Naturally, Semak won the vote, although not reaching Vladimir Putin’s performance in the Russian presidential elections. On Monday, the head coach of Ufa arrived at a meeting of the board of directors of FC Zenit. He talked with management for an hour and a half, but, as he assures, there was no talk of signing a contract. What were they talking about then?
Solutions of a “simple fan”
As if in contrast to the Zenit bosses, the leaders of Spartak at their board of directors analyzed the reasons for the failure of the “red-whites”, who, however, won a ticket to the Champions League, and left Massimo Carrera as head coach. What decisions were made at the Zenit board of directors were not announced on Monday. Instead of really taking up reforms in the club, eliminating system errors, the bosses had a nice conversation with Sergei Bogdanovich Semak. Next up is communication with Paulo Fonseca and his personal translator?
I would venture to express the opinion that the fall of Zenit, which for the third season in a row, with the largest budget in the Premier League, cannot get into the Champions League, is not so much to blame for the players and coaches as for system errors. All decisions are made by “simple fan” Alexey Miller, who has a lot of advisors. And all of them are not responsible for the result. It is not possible to choose the vector of development of the club and a competent specialist who can follow it as president or general director and be responsible for what is happening in the club. Instead, we see a real circus with a terrarium of like-minded people in the arena.
Dmitry ZELENOV
"Zenith" was the most principled and consistent supporter of the course towards foreign coaches. St. Petersburg actually set this trend by inviting a Czech in November 2002 Vlastimila Petrzelou.
Over the next 15 years, Zenit was led by the Dutchman Advocate, Portuguese Villas-Boas, Romanian Lucescu, Italians Spalletti And Mancini. The approach did not change even in short periods Anatolia Davydova in 2009 and the same Semaka in 2014. They were not going to cooperate with them for long. The first one held his place while we negotiated with Spalletti, the second acted until the official signing Villas-Boas. “Zenit” and a high-status foreign coach seemed to be inextricable concepts.
And why would they abandon the foreign course if it one way or another (in combination with other measures) produced results? At Petrzhele Zenit moved up to second place Advocate brought victories in the championship, UEFA Cup and European Super Cup, Spalletti turned St. Petersburg into the hegemon of Russian football, the team under him showed the most powerful football in the country.
It seemed that we needed to take another step to reach the long-awaited level of the leading teams in the Champions League.
But it so happened that with each subsequent Spalletti coach Zenit moved away from this goal. Villas-Boas still managed to win the championship and qualify from the Champions League group, Lucescu already finished third, well Mancini- fifth.
The system has failed. And obviously in several directions, because the level and status of the specialist did not allow Zenit to be pulled back to the top. Neither the super-fashionable one at that time could do this. Villas-Boaso, not the most experienced Lucescu, nor modern Mancini.
Purpose Semaka suggests that in St. Petersburg they chose the second option. And it seems that the turnaround is confident and long-term.
Semak came to Zenit as an independent and mature coach, they signed him, if not a cosmic one, but a full-fledged contract (according to our data, a million euros per year plus bonuses). In the end, Semak won the competition. You can feel whatever way you like about the “casting of coaches” that Zenit arranged (the names of the candidates were announced almost in reality show mode), but it is obvious that at first the management did not have a common opinion. AND Semak, who during the negotiations told how he sees the future of the team, eventually convinced everyone.
It is clear that status and coaching achievements do not allow Semak come to Zenit on your own terms. His contract has no reservations, failure to complete the task (and Zenit always has one - first place) may raise the question of resignation. But the term (2+1) Semak allows you to look into the future with confidence. There are a lot of interesting things ahead - both for him and for the club.
Had one of the most disastrous seasons in recent history. For the first time in ten years, the team was left without medals in the Russian football championship, where it finished only in fifth place. It was worse only in 2005, when the blue-white-blues remained sixth.
A year ago, the management of the club from the banks of the Neva spent millions on transfers and inviting a famous Italian to the post of head coach. The bet didn't work. Mister was unable to prove himself in the Russian club and went to pull his country’s national team out of the swamp.
Tired of spending that did not live up to expectations, Zenit decided to invite a Russian specialist to the post of team coach. The club was headed by Sergei. Apart from emergency measures in the form of a three-month arrival at the post in 2009, then working with a double, then
Zenit will have a Russian coach as a full-fledged coach for the first time since 2002.
The agreement with 42-year-old Semak is for two years with the possibility of extension for another one. The young specialist noted that working with the famous club is an honor and pleasure for him.
“Of course, it was a great honor for me to even be among the candidates for this position, and to receive an invitation is very honorable and pleasant.
At the same time, I understand how difficult and difficult it will be, there is a lot of work ahead, I need to immediately begin my duties and slowly put in order the issues that exist now,” Semak said.
The specialist spent the previous year and a half at Ufa, which became the first club where he worked as a head coach. Under his leadership, the team from the capital of Bashkortostan entered the Europa League for the first time in its history, finishing sixth in the completed RFPL season. The team got a ticket to the European tournament after the Russian Cup winner Tosno failed to pass licensing in.
“Today I am very happy. I would like to thank Ufa, which gave me the chance to gain concrete experience.
Well, my family and I are happy to return to the city that has become our home,” Semak said.
Semak’s career is going almost perfectly.
He made his debut as a player very early and became one of the few athletes who managed to score a goal in the elite division of Russian football under 18 years old.
After a season at Asmaral, Semak spent 11 years at CSKA, becoming a true red-blue legend of the club. Having scored the famous hat-trick against PSG in a Champions League match, the footballer received an invitation to the Parisian team, where he was unable to fully express himself, usually remaining in the reserves. Then there were two seasons at FC Moscow, and three at Zenit.
With teams from St. Petersburg and Kazan, as well as with the Moscow army team, Semak became the champion of Russia.
Currently, he is the only one who managed to win the RFPL with three different clubs.
Semak’s performances for the Russian national team deserve special attention.
It was Sergei who was the captain of the team that won bronze medals at the 2008 European Championship.
At that tournament, Semak performed a very difficult goal pass through himself, after which he scored the only goal against the Greek national team, and the meeting ended in victory for the team with a score of 1:0.
The athlete also scored one of the most important goals in the history of Zenit. In 2012, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League against Portuguese side Befniki, he gave his team the lead with a backheel kick. True, the blue-white-blue still lost on the sum of the two meetings (3:2, 0:2).
After finishing his playing career, Semak worked on the Zenit coaching staff from 2013-2016. Once he was even the acting head coach of the St. Petersburg team; under his leadership, Zenit played two matches - they lost to CSKA in the national championship (0:1), and then defeated the German Borussia in the return match of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League. from Dortmund (2:1), which was not enough to reach the quarterfinals (the St. Petersburg team lost the first match with a score of 2:4).
Semak also has experience working with the Russian national team, on whose headquarters he was a member in 2014-2016. At first, the specialist was an assistant, and then Leonid Slutsky.
“Zenit” will be the specialist’s first serious call. The last two coaches of the blue-white-sky blues, Mancini and the Romanians, did not stay in office for more than a year. All that remains is to wait and watch how things go in the “execution” position for the first Russian specialist in many years.
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He leaves, who will replace him is unknown. A budget trainer, ready to work with those who are given? Another top manager who will completely reshuffle the team?
There is no certainty that the team will remain: he wanted to return Zenit to the status of the best club in the country, but the expenses were not justified. The season is close to a complete failure.
When there is no understanding of who will manage the club and who will manage the team, it is extremely difficult to predict the future of the players. We are only identifying the main issues that will face the new Zenit.
12 players on loan
Of these, only Alexander Ryazantsev’s contract ends; the remaining 11 players can return to the club. Something will need to be done: leave it or add it. It is advisable for the new coach to participate in this process. Colossal work.
- Luis Neto, Fenerbahce
- Ivan Novoseltsev, Arsenal
- Evgeny Chernov, “Tosno”
- Ibragim Tsallagov, Dynamo
- Hernani, Saint-Etienne
- Oleg Shatov, Krasnodar
- Christian Noboa, Rubin
- Arthur Yusupov, Rostov
- Robert Mack, "Paok"
- Artem Dzyuba, Arsenal
- Luka Djordjevic, Arsenal
Goalkeepers and defense
I was already planning to leave Zenit several times, but at the last moment I decided to stay. 27 years old, the status of the second goalkeeper - something needs to change. Most likely, in the summer Lodygin will decide to leave for playing practice.
The captain, who wants to return to his native club Genoa, has already announced his departure from Zenit. The Italian refused to negotiate a contract extension and will leave as a free agent. The loss of the captain, the leader, the most goal-scoring defender of Zenit in history, who can play both on the flank and in the center of defense, is very serious.
He will miss the first part of the next season and has damaged his crosses. Recovery time is 6-9 months. Ivanovich will definitely remain, but the center of defense will still need reinforcement. Although everything depends on the vector of development. Perhaps they will bet on the schoolboy Skrobotov.
Zenit – Dynamo. 2:1. Ilya Skrobotov
It is doubtful that the new Zenit will need, whose transfer cost the club two million euros. During the season he received only 160 minutes of game practice and could hardly count on more in St. Petersburg.
His contract expires in June and he will turn 35 in August. It seems that Zenit and the player want to extend the contract, but this has not happened yet.
Midfield
I came to Zenit under Mancini and won’t want to stay. Back in February and March, Football Italia wrote that the Argentine wanted to leave the club in the summer. Now other media are writing about this, citing Russian sources. There is a demand for Paredes in Italy and he is likely to actually leave. Zenit will bargain desperately, but it is very difficult to contain a player who wants to leave. According to Whoscored, Criscito and Paredes are Zenit's best players this season.
Arsenal – Zenit. 1:1. Leandro Paredes curled the ball into the goal from a corner!
Just as the Argentines came, one after another, they can start and leave. Once Paredes leaves, they will start looking at the exit. They don’t shine anyway, but what happens if they start thinking about leaving? They've probably already started. They all communicate very closely.
Attack
It will only begin to take shape in the summer. He should be back up by August, but he will definitely need some time early in the season. Getting back into shape after crosses is very difficult. The new coach will not immediately be able to fully rely on the leader of the team’s attacks.
He scored against Zenit and alienated the club that pays his salary from the Champions League. He seemed to prick Mancini, but at the same time he touched the fans and the management on a tangent. Who will like this? How to come back after this?
Mancini was disgraced.
The Italian coach burst into St. Petersburg with a dashing goal from Daler Kuzyaev and super football from Sebastian Driussi. The stands were inspired: the new president brought a champion manager who reveals Russian youth and chooses the right foreign players. There is a gorgeous stadium all around. Ahead is a warm-up victory in the RFPL before a comeback to the Champions League. We'll grab another European Cup on the way. Finally everything will be fine. Yeah.
Mancini eliminated the foul aftertaste from Lucescu's attack. The prolific Argentine forward turned to the second-rate Argentine diaspora, and such a haphazard use of Kuzyaev’s talent is difficult to imagine even under substances. The turn was finally completed by the castling of Dzyuba on Zabolotny. The latter also added fuel to the trolls - with his debut goal in a useless () match against the comatose SKA. If anything, Erokhin even put poker there.
But the club's response to the disaster was extremely adequate. Fursenko prevented hostilities by early dismissal of Roberto, and chooses a new coach together with the people. Zenit announced the shortlist of candidates through the millionth fan at Krestovsky - it’s beautiful. And then, who from this list should be entrusted with the team. This is forward-thinking.
Sergey Semak
pros. Sergei Bogdanovich is a self-evident choice. Zenit does not need trophies and high-profile transfers: first they need to wipe the dirt off their own emblem. The once most soulful team in the league turned into a money bag. Our own students and just Russian guys leave the team with scandals, and mercenaries take their place. Fans have forgotten when a football player made his way into the first team straight from the academy. The club formed a strange connection with politics. The only bright spot is Tymoshchuk's hairstyle on the bench. If Semak appears next to her, her good image can be restored.
There is no doubt about his humanity and guidance. Sergei will find a common language even with the cormorants at Krestovsky. He will not harm or merge prematurely, like Lucescu and Mancini. He won’t put the Russian guy under dubious foreign players and will definitely fit in with the team in front of the judges. Zenit knew that the fans would choose Semak and made the right move, appointing him as if through the hands of the fans. With him, there will be no shame in rooting for the St. Petersburg team again. This is the most important thing right now.
Minuses. But, probably, Semakov’s Zenit will have to survive through defeats. The result of the young coach at Ufa is extremely worthy in terms of price-quality ratio. But managing a roster with pampered stars with the goal of “win it all” is another matter. This requires either hyper-talent (like Zidane) or experience. Semak has neither one nor the other. But again, are victories really that important?
Probability of appointment: almost certainly
pros. Zenit is such a failure with foreign coaches that taking on a new foreigner means starting a cold war with the fans. But Sarri is almost the only coach in the world whose authority will make St. Petersburg residents forget about passports and citizenship for at least six months. His schemes at Napoli are openly admired by Guardiola and Mourinho, and his name can attract truly great players to Krestovsky. For example, Mertens or Jorginho.
Minuses. Maurizio is insanely expensive. He boldly hinted at his desire to leave Naples, automatically forming a queue of superclubs for his work. Chelsea is trying more actively than the rest - to win the Italian away from Abramovich, you need to shell out a really dangerous amount of money. In case of bad results (no one is immune), it will be impossible to explain the numbers in Sarri’s contract. Then the Cold War will turn nuclear.
Probability of appointment: first candidate after Semak
Jorge Sampaoli
pros. In the 2016/17 season, Sampaoli and Conte brought back the formation with three defenders. The Argentine's Sevilla entered the Champions League, and the coach's shares jumped sharply. Jorge was immediately recruited by the Argentina national team. Surely the last World Cup for Lionel Messi is a serious matter. Sampaoli's quality is also proven by the fact that the Andalusians went downhill after his departure. This year, Sevilla's peak was defeat by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
Minuses. The Argentine's talent is undeniable. But there is no fundamental difference in class between Sampaoli, Spalletti and even Mancini. The choice of Jorge is another attempt to get trophies in the shortest possible way, and not to build a long-term project through thorns to the stars. If Fursenko again follows the carpet strategy, then Sampaoli may not leave Russia after the World Cup.
Probability of appointment: very unlikely
Paulo Fonseca and Marcelo Gallardo
Minuses. These characters have no clear advantages. What could be dumber than luring the Shakhtar coach almost immediately after Lucescu? Call the no-name from River Plate for the crowd of faded and unloved Argentines. It’s pointless to describe further. Let’s just hope that these guys aren’t actually on the St. Petersburg shortlist. And their names in the voting are another self-irony of Zenit. The blue-white-blues are in perfect order with her.
Probability of appointment: tends to zero
