“Smolov was ready to come to CSKA this summer. Fedor Smolov - about Krasnodar, CSKA and the Russian national team Fedor Smolov in CSKA

Smolov: you need to score 50 goals to become Superman

Fedor Smolov, in the “Championship” editorial office, answered questions from readers and journalists via video chat.

Full video version of the interview with Fedor Smolov

“I seriously considered the option of CSKA”

In 2015, he turned from the hero of Internet memes into one of the best football players in the country. And this is not sarcasm at all. Therefore, we decided that Smolov is an excellent candidate for an honorable mission. Fedor became the first football player to take part in an online video chat, which all subscribers of the “Championship” group on VKontakte could see live. Of course, the point is not only in the fact itself, but also in the sincere, bright answers of the forward. By the way, for starters, Smolov received a prize. Also extremely prestigious.

– Fedor, congratulations. You became the best player in the RFPL in November-December 2015. Is this your first personal award?
- Maybe yes. It's nice to win it. Thanks to our partners. Without them I would not have received this award.

– Our reader Sergei Korolev asks a question: “Over the last year, only you and Dzyuba have improved so dramatically. Everything is clear with Artyom. How did you achieve this?”
– Thanks to Alexander Fedorovich Tarkhanov. At Ural he allowed me to do what I thought was necessary on the field,

I didn’t limit anything. Plus, there was a transfer to Krasnodar, where players of a very high level are gathered. The whole team is playing well, and thank God that I am part of it.

- Now, the new generation has conditions for development that are many times better than yours. Do you agree?
- Yes, 100 percent. Our main problem is children's schools. There are no normal conditions for training. In Saratov I played in sneakers; there was no grass on the field at all. When you run, you immediately have a column of dust on you; it even remains on your teeth. Thanks to Galitsky for creating an amazing academy in Krasnodar.

I know that the guys there take away their phones and only give them out for three hours in the evening. They carefully ensure that nothing distracts from football.

- Are the players of the main team also monitored?
- By the way, yes. “Krasnodar” is very strict about restoration. On your locker hangs a list of procedures that you must undergo. And only after that you can leave the base.

Seriously, otherwise they won't let you out. The gates are closed and that’s it. Open only with doctor's permission. One time I really needed to leave urgently. I asked Khashig, he let me go, although he was very dissatisfied. “This is the first and last time,” the general director warned.

- What impression does Galitsky make?
- A very well-mannered, kind person, madly in love with the club. He keeps an eye on all the little things – our training sessions are recorded on video. So he watches them live! When he arrives at the base, he can talk to anyone about very deep football topics. He doesn’t get away with general phrases.

Sinitsyn said that he argued with Galitsky about the correct way to take a penalty: guess or react to the blow. Have you had similar conversations?
- Yes. Galitsky and I discussed the role of the forward when crossing from the flank. Sergei Nikolaevich believes that in such a situation a missed goal is the striker’s fault. I spoke in the “yes, but” format... “We are interchangeable, it may not be me at the apex of the triangle” and so on. But it’s impossible to argue with Galitsky (laughs).

– Informed reader Alexey asks: “Is it true that you went to a magician or shaman to overcome a goalless streak?”
- No that's not true.

– And one more question on the same topic. Is it true that Victoria Lopyreva restarted your football career?
“I think it’s more of a coincidence.” My rise in the game came just at the moment when our relationship ended. There are no reasons for this. It just happened that way.

– Vanya Fedorenko asks: “Why did you choose Krasnodar?
– I have already said that I consider Krasnodar the Russian Barcelona. I am impressed by the team’s play, the club’s policy, how the president approaches the matter, and in general how the work is structured. If all Russian clubs strive for this, our championship will become better.

- Alexander Novokhatsky is interested: “How did you react to the words of CSKA General Director Roman Babaev that in the “army team” camp you would sit in the reserves?”
- He knows better. This is a value judgment of the subjunctive mood. Nobody knows what could have happened. If he thinks so, please. I'm glad I ended up in Krasnodar.

– Have you seriously considered the option of joining CSKA?
- Yes.

– Did you consult anyone?
– Yes, with parents and agents. They just couldn’t come to an agreement with CSKA, and I ended up in Krasnodar. Nothing to regret.

“I arrived at the training camp, there were no boots”

– Stepan Zakharov asks: “What is Oleg Kononov’s coaching trick?”
– Everything can be seen in the game. Oleg Georgievich asks us to play on the attack. Plus, a very big emphasis is placed on combination football.

– Reader Arkaim has some information.
- Insider?

- Apparently. Question from Yekaterinburg: “Have your boots stopped disappearing in Krasnodar?”
– In Yekaterinburg there was a case that the boots disappeared. Everything is fine in Krasnodar so far, everything is with me.

– What happened in Yekaterinburg?
– There was no specific person in Ural who was responsible for the boots. They were put in a special box, which was carried by the administrator. We gave him a bonus. I definitely remember putting the boots in the drawer. The administrator promised to check everything. He said that the box would not open during vacation. However, when I arrived at the training camp, there were no boots.

- Did you conduct an investigation?
- Well, what an investigation. How will you find it later?

– Is this the first time something has been stolen from you?
– There were cases in the boarding school. Something was stolen from everyone there once a week.

- Seriously?
- Yes. The boarding school generally had its own special feature. When guys of a certain year of birth were dismissed, and the rest were given a couple of days off, then it was necessary to immediately hide all their things somewhere. I think it's something like this in all schools.

– Did you catch those who stole?
“They caught one, but I didn’t find him.” The guy got a lot of trouble from the whole team. After this he had to leave the boarding school.

“Shirokov told me: you scumbag, I’ll go to the airport with the car.”

– Ilya Baykov asks: “Why did you decide to radically change your image?”
– I’ve wanted to try it for a long time. I asked my hairdresser. He says: “No, it’s impossible to change your color at once.” Then I thought: “Okay, then I won’t.” And recently I met a person who told me that it is possible to carry out the procedure in an evening.

– Do you like the result?
- In general, yes. But now I'll shave everything off. My father didn't like it very much. I promised him that I wouldn’t show up to training like this.

– How did your current girlfriend react?
- She liked it. In fact, she told me that you can change your color in one evening.

– How did the partners react?
– Opinions were polar. Some said it was normal, but most... If in a mild form, then: “Why did you do that?”

-Who mocked the most?
- Roman Nikolaevich Shirokov. On the day I posted the first photo, a message immediately came from him: “Gay, scumbag, I’m going to the airport with the car.”

– Ronaldo said that he would like Messi’s left leg. What would you like from both of them? (Glory to Baikalsky)
– From Messi - left, from Ronaldo - right.

- “Fedor, what track do you listen to before the match?” - Semyon Kholodov finds out.
- Semyon Kholodov? I think I know him. In fact, it depends on my mood: sometimes I listen only to rock, sometimes I listen to rap. There is no such thing that any particular track is constantly scrolling. Remember, there was a tennis player - I think he was Greek (talking about the Australian Kyrgios. – Note from the “Championship”). He lost and blamed it all on Drake because he listened to his song before the match. Like, the track didn’t set it up properly.

– Do you have any rituals before games?
- Eat.

- It's a secret?
– I’m always the last one to get off the bus.

– So the coach is the last to leave?
– The point is that I am the last one out of the number of football players. I remember there was a funny story at Dynamo. Petrescu was always the last one to get off the bus, but Misimovic hid behind a seat. Petrescu looked - there seemed to be no one. Came out. And only after him was Misimovich. Petrescu got angry: “Why are you? You know I’m the last one out.” He was like: “Yes, I was tying my shoelaces, I just didn’t see.”

“I assembled the main cast for Lopyreva”

– A reader with the nickname antonio64 asks: “What was the most memorable gift that Krasnodar fans gave you?
– Most of all I remember one of their banners. It was written there: “Why Superman when there is Smolov?”

– How many goals do you need to score to be considered a superman in 2016?
- Don't know. Probably 50 pieces.

– Do you play video games? (Ilya Azarko)
– Yes, hockey on PlayStation and Counter-Strike sometimes.

- Why not football?
– Everything seems to take a long time there, the gates are far from each other. In hockey, a smaller rink means more action.

– Victoria Lopyreva, as a football manager, won the Russian Cup, the championship and the European Cup faster than you. How so?
“I assembled the main team for her, so she won everything.”

– What kind of football manager was he?
– 2015. It looks like Arsene Wenger is on the cover.

– What team did you play for?
- For Ural. I lived in Yekaterinburg then.

“There is no point in sending a child to football at 7-8 years old”

– Alexander Pugachev asks: “Do you look for tricks from current football players?”
– I rarely finish, so I don’t pay much attention to it.

- Come on, Smolov’s dribbling is not bad.
– Sometimes dribbling happens on a whim. The legs do the feint themselves. I don’t go into a match thinking about what trick I need to make.

– They say that Berdyev harshly stops it, even if in training a football player plays with his heel.
- Yes, I heard about it too. There is no such thing in Krasnodar. Only among ourselves we tell each other, they say, it would have been easier not to make a feint, but to pass the ball.

– Mikhail Melik-Guseinov asks: “Do you follow the regime on vacation?”
- Certainly.

– What do you have to give up?
- From nothing. Everyone decides for themselves what they need. If nothing stops you from playing football, then you can do whatever you want.

– Do you have problems with excess weight?
- No. Both my mother and father are thin. This is the constitution of the body.

– Did you run while on vacation?
- Yes.

- Where?
– In Dubai on a treadmill. We also played volleyball and football every day and went to the gym.

– Was there a football company with you on vacation?
- Yes. Roma Shirokov, Sasha Samedov, Pasha Mamaev, Seryi Ignashevich... In general, all of us.

– Our reader Ilya Kazakov asks: “If it weren’t for football, what would you work as?”
- Oh, that's a tough question. I don’t know, I can’t answer it. My parents paid great attention to my education. We agreed with my father that if I didn’t succeed at Saturn, then my dad would help me get into a good university.

- What would you like to do after finishing your career?
- (Smiles.) I want to become vice president of Prosport Management (the company that manages the affairs of Smolov and a number of football players of the Russian national team. – Note from the “Championship”). Why not? Agency activity is a promising direction.

– Is it possible to break into big-time football if you started playing only at the age of 13? (Radmir Aitbaev)
- Yes, sure. If you have talent, it doesn’t matter when you started studying. I believe that at the age of 7-8 there is no point in sending a child to football. We should start at 9-10. And before, children don’t understand whether they want to play or not. The main thing is that the child himself has the desire, but forcing it is stupid.

“I will go to Europe with great pleasure”

– Question from FC Krasnodar fan Roman Gladkikh: “Messi said that he didn’t even dream of five Golden Balls.” What did you dream about as a child?”
– I dreamed of becoming a professional football player. Thank God it came true. I also always wanted to win the Champions League with Milan. I have had this dream since childhood.

- The current Milan can only save it. Things are really bad there.
- It’s a little hard, yes. At least they didn't lose to Roma. I already thought that Mikhailovich would be fired.

– Why do you suddenly gravitate towards Milan so much?
- Funny story, actually. I was about six years old. Father was watching football. I approached him and asked: “Who is playing?” He replied: "Milan." Back then everyone only had black and white boots. And only one George Weah has red ones. I said: “He will be my favorite football player, because he is the only one in red boots.” Since then I have been a Milan fan.

- “Would you like to play under the leadership of Berdyev?” – Roman Lepyavkin, FC Rostov fan. Apparently, he is asking for a compliment to the club.
– This season, “Rostov” surprised us more with the result, but in terms of the game, “Ural” looked very decent. To be honest, I would like to play under the leadership of Kurban Bekievich. All the guys who worked with him speak very highly of Berdyev as a specialist. So yes, it would be interesting.

– Even Shirokov responds well?
- Yes. He said that as a coach Berdyev is very strong. They had an incomprehensible story there at Rubin, but overall there was no negativity left.

– Question from Sasha Naumov: “What are the forecasts for the European Championships in France?”
– Forecasts are a thankless task, but I am more than confident that the Russian team will perform with dignity.

– What would be a failure if not the absence of the playoffs?
– 0 points for 3 matches.

– So 1 point is no longer a failure?
- What are you talking about, real success? (laughs).

– You have already played for Feyenoord. Do you want to try yourself in Europe again?
- Undoubtedly. If there is an opportunity, I will leave with great pleasure. This summer I had no options abroad. Even though I was a free agent, by and large, who is watching Ural?

Will DiCaprio ever win an Oscar?

– Many people ask: “Which European championship would you like to play in?”
– At the moment, Germany is the most attractive championship. We played with Borussia - we were pleased with the level of the teams and the attitude towards football in the country.

– Are you familiar with the Dutch championship?
– As Andrei Voronin said: “The only one who did not play in Holland is Smolov.” I still have good impressions. Great league for a young attacking player. There are all opportunities for development there. Teams play without defense at all. The Dutch championship is very useful for young attacking players.

– Was it difficult to get comfortable in Holland?
– Yes, a different mentality. Russians are very different from Europeans. Immobile said in an interview that the Germans are very cold people. Even he, an Italian, lacked communication. I had the same thing in Holland when I was 20. Everyone came to training, worked out and left. Outside of football there is no friendship among the players.

– Reader Sergei Kotyushkin recalls your long-ago interview. In it you reasoned: “Will I jump to the water from the window of my apartment in Rotterdam?”
– It was like that, I lived on the 11th floor. But there was a decent distance - about 20 meters to the water. It seems to me that it was really possible to jump.

– You said that in Holland they play crazy attacking football. In Russia, who plays this kind of football? And who is purely defensive?
– Defensive – “Rostov”. We played them twice - it was very difficult. Berdyev built the game on defense.

- How?
- Through discipline. You can see how everyone retreats back into two clear lines - eight people are defending. In every game, the team sits down when they lose the ball. And the most reckless one... Zenit spends a lot of time in front, we also try to play attacking football. Again, “Ural”, judging by the first part of the season.

– If you had the opportunity to talk to a famous person, who would you choose?
– Probably Lewis Hamilton, Wayne Gretzky and Leonardo DiCaprio.

– Have you already seen his new film “The Revenant”?
- Not yet. They say it's a good movie, right?

– He has a lot of good things, but still no Oscar.
- He will get it someday.

– What would they ask DiCaprio?
– I would ask: “Are you worried that they won’t give you an Oscar?”

– Why Gretzky and Hamilton?
– I wanted to name Ayrton Senna, but he is no longer alive, so I chose Hamilton.

– Hamilton wore makeup like you.
- Yes, he spied on me. As for Gretzky, Wayne is simply a legend. Scoring points for 51 games in a row is super cool.

“Garnet put an ax in Schildenfeld’s place”

Weirdest/interesting/unusual legionnaire you've played with? Tell me a story (Maxim Arsenevsky)
- Misimovich. He is both a strong football player and a good guy. He joked all the time, very funny! Well, I already told the story about Petrescu.

- Have they ever made fun of you?
- At Dynamo, if someone saw a funny, absurd thing from a partner, he would specifically hang it in the center of the locker room. Vladimir Granat usually did this. So, one day he hung up Voronin’s red moccasins. Andryukha was dissatisfied: “What are you young?!” We swam, or what?!”

I also remember that Roma Berezovsky took a lot of things with him to the match. We just need to leave the most necessary things at our locker - well, boots, shin guards, everything. And Roma put everything together. And Garnet and I once gave him a box of water, and basically forced half of the locker room. The unfortunate administrator came in and asked in horror: “Do we have to take all this, or what?!”

When Schildenfeld first came to Dynamo, Garnet bought an ax and put it in the Croatian’s place in the locker room. Gordon reacted calmly and laughed. Well, not very technical football players are called “axe”...

Kevin Kuranyi actually rolled Boris Rotenberg’s car into the center of the training field. I took the keys and drove quickly... Then there was a training session open to journalists. And suddenly the car is standing right on the lawn (laughs). Silkin sees this and shouts: “What are you doing? Borya, what are you allowing yourself to do?!”

- “Fedya, if you had one day left to live, how would you spend it?” – Telly Meshkov is interested.
– I would jump from a balcony in Rotterdam and see if I made it to the water or not.

– Did you teach your girls to play football?
- No.

- And they – you?
- It happened.

- What did they say?
– Comments from the series: well, you can’t score? Even I would have scored!

- “What sports are you interested in besides football?” - Ivan Bolsunovsky.
- Hockey.

– Are you watching or playing?
- I'm watching. I tried to play a couple of times, but now I don't practice anymore.

– Are you more interested in the NHL or the KHL?
– More NHL. And in the KHL I follow my friends. I communicate well with Dima Kugryshev, plus the Saratov guys Kuteikin and Platonov, and also with Ilya Kovalchuk. I look at the results - who won, who scored points.

– Who do you root for in the NHL?
- For Chicago.

– How does the mode allow you to watch NHL matches if they start at 3:00 am?
– Yekaterinburg was convenient in this regard. There is a two hour difference from Moscow. I woke up in the morning and the NHL was just finishing the game. I went to training and watched.

- “Fedor, which top-level player would you like to play together with?” – Sasha Kalinkin’s question.
- With Messi, of course.

- So he will score everything, and you will have nothing left.
- What do you mean, he passes so much! Same Neymar. Just run and get open behind the defenders. The ball will fly right into your foot.

– Is there a football player in Russia with whom you would like to play in the same club?
- With Dzagoev.

- Why?
– I played with him in the youth team as a child. Alan was very comfortable. He sees the field well and passes well.

“Laughed at jokes made at myself”

Let's get serious: they say that in most cases success consists of 10% talent and 90% hard work. Can you set these boundaries for yourself? (Andrey Zubov, Arkhangelsk)
- Hard work is more important. I know examples of incredibly talented guys who have achieved nothing. We had one guy from Yekaterinburg, he played in “Lokomotiv”, he simply tore everyone apart among the children. He looked even stronger than Dzagoev, against “Real” he outwitted his opponents in batches and carried the Madrid team around.

But he didn’t take football seriously, he didn’t intend to work hard, everything came too easily to him. So I achieved nothing.

The same Dzagoev is an example of ideal symbiosis. He is very gifted and always works at 200 percent. Alan, as a child, gave his all to football at every training session.

- So what is your distribution of talent and hard work?
- 50 to 50.

- How have you changed during that period that you didn’t score and that many fans laughed at you?
- Changed my attitude towards some things. Including criticism and public opinion. Then only the one who has no mouth did not laugh. But what happened tempered me, made me stronger.

- What helped you not to pay attention?
- At first it was impossible not to pay attention. Because they wrote a lot and everywhere. There was a choice: either close all social networks, or survive. I deleted Twitter, but, in fact, chose the second option.

-Have you laughed at any jokes directed at yourself?
- Certainly! I have no problems with self-irony. There were really funny jokes there.

- But you do understand that by changing your image, you again made the audience skeptical?
- I did what I wanted. But he didn’t deliberately intend to attract attention to himself.

An honest question from Artemy Arsenkin: “Fedor, you are just the new Cristiano... First Lopyreva, now Shelia. When is the wedding? Or will there be a new supermodel? Sorry if it's so direct and harsh. I’m sure I’m not the only one interested in this issue.”
- The wedding is not planned yet. Just like the new supermodel. Now everything is fine.

- How did you meet the new girl? Everyone has already seen that.
- It’s trivial - on the Internet, through a social network. We couldn’t meet for a long time, I was either on the national team or in Krasnodar, and she lives in Moscow

Fed, hello. Listen, tell me, please, where do you get your hair cut? I want the same hairstyle (well, I just won’t dye my hair). (Black Star)
- “Where do you get your hair cut - I’ll never go there?” (laughs). In fact, I've been getting my hair cut by the same hairdresser since I was 14 years old. I even fly to Moscow specifically to get my hair done by her.

“With Capello it was like being in a camp”

– Alexander Novokhatsky bursts into our conversation: “Slutsky has changed the national team a lot?”
- Changed it, a lot. I think that it was largely due to the atmosphere that he brought to the team that we managed to achieve the very desired result.

– What kind of atmosphere became under Slutsky?
– He communicates with all the guys on equal terms: with jokes, without severity. It's not like do whatever you want. There is no permissiveness, but looseness has also appeared. I don't know, it's hard to put into words. It just felt comfortable and cozy.

– Was it uncomfortable before?
- Yes.

- Is it true that Fabio Capello owes you a trip to a restaurant?
- Yes. But I myself did not take part in the dispute. It was during the winter training camp, a bet between Capello and FNL President Igor Efremov. Fabio said that I wouldn’t score more than five goals during the spring part of the championship. Efremov accordingly bet that I would score. If my performance is in order, then Capello pays for dinner for me, Efremov, the president of Ural Ivanov and any of my companions.

By the way, in Dubai we sat at a large, common table, where there were enough football players. So Sasha Samedov, when they brought the bill, just said: “That’s it, call Capello, let him pay!” Don Fabio was also in that hotel.

- Did you talk to him after his dismissal?
- No. But he told me one important thing: “Work, stay after training and never feel sorry for yourself.” When I'm having a hard time, I always remember this phrase from Capello.

- Did Capello really forbid the football players a lot?
- Yes. It felt like we were all in a camp. Not counting the fact that we were talking about adults... In the hotel it was forbidden to go outside, use certain stairs, cards were made for specific floors, even coffee was forbidden to be ordered into the room.

- Why? Is this a crime?
- So I don’t know... There were no explanations. You can sit in the lobby until 10 pm. But no room service.

In principle, it is difficult to convince Capello. He sees the advice as an attempt to question his authority as head coach. Capello has two opinions - his own and the wrong one. So it’s really hard to find a common language with him.

“I can have a snack at McDonald’s - what’s wrong?”

Recently, former NBA point guard Steve Nash, together with the owner of the Phoenix Suns, bought a controlling stake in the Spanish Mallorca, and Axel Witsel invested in the Belgian airline. Are you currently thinking about sources of income after finishing your career? (Igor Shchi)
- Think. But now there is a difficult situation in the country, a crisis. Friends from higher structures advised me not to rush, it would be a difficult year economically. So the adventure is dubious.

My father is in business. I invested in commercial real estate.

-Have you ever cried on the field? From resentment, from happiness? (Ivan Manin)
- This season after the match with “Mordovia”. I ruined the killer moment at the end, I was very worried... Even as a child, my team won the tournament, but another forward scored two goals and overtook me in the list of scorers. All the guys were happy, and I was crying (laughs).

- Reminds me of the behavior of Cristiano Ronaldo, who seems to only care about his own success, not the team.
- By the way, I don’t like this style at all. I was a child, but when Cristiano swears at Arbeloa because he scored himself and didn’t leave the ball to him... Strange.
Or, pay attention, Cristiano is not particularly happy about his partners’ goals. Unless Marcelo, they are friends.

- I remember you “took” a goal from Bystrov in Anzhi.
- I apologized to Volodya right away on the field. Bystrov is quick-tempered and knows how to swear. But I told him: “What can I change now? Guilty.” Volodya, in his own style, muttered: “Well, I understand, I understand...”.

The other day, Henrikh Mkhitaryan admitted that on a personal level, he was greatly helped by a book that Thomas Tuchel recommended to him: “The Inner Game of Tennis” by Timothy Gallwey. What book are you reading now? (Igor Shchi)
- I recently bought “The Brothers Karamazov” by Dostoevsky. But there wasn’t enough time on vacation - volleyball, football and so on... In general, my favorite work is “The Master and Margarita”. I also really love “Demons”.

- Which dish from Dagestan cuisine do you like best? (Khadzhimurad Khidirbekov)
- Miracle and Khinkali. Chudu is an analogue of cheburek in Dagestan.

- Do you eat chebureks at the station in Moscow?
- In Saratov, I ate constantly. As a child, the classic was to “throw a cheburek or a hot dog” at the station and move on. But in the last five years I haven’t tried cheburek in Moscow. But I can go to StarDogs for a hot dog. I also sometimes have a snack at McDonald’s - what’s wrong?

- Do you have higher education? Do you plan to receive it if it is not there? (Alexei)
- According to the documents there is (laughs). But it’s hard to combine with football; I studied by correspondence. Now I am a “coach of a children’s and youth school.”

In general, I plan to get an education. I think in the field of management. Hotel (laughs).

- How should 2016 end for you to be satisfied?
- I want silver at the European Championship and gold at the Russian Championship.

- That is, the team will lose in the final?
- I think no one will be upset about silver (laughs).

This match is, of course, one of the most interesting on the tour. I would also highlight the match in St. Petersburg between Zenit and Rostov, it will start a little later.

The match in Khabarovsk between SKA and Moscow Spartak ended in a draw today.

After 4 defeats in a row, the chair under Akhmat’s head coach, Kononov, is clearly shaking. On the other hand, if Akhmat breaks his bad streak today, the credibility of the coach can be partially restored.

The army's defense and goalkeeper are fine, as always. Dzagoev is in very good shape, he scored a super goal against Young Boys...

And I like the head coach of CSKA much more than Slutsky. This CSKA is clearly weaker in composition, but plays much more boldly. Slutsky’s cowardly tactics have always repulsed me personally. Don’t forget that this is under Doumbia and Moussa, I no longer remember Wagner Love... And Goncharenko has a tip... Chalov... I hope that Fedor Smolov, if he moves, will be to CSKA, and not to Zenit ... Although, I understand that Zenit’s possibilities, if it wants Smolov to pair with Kokorin, are much higher. And Mancini is unlikely to break the new Kokorin-Driusi combination.

Of course, CSKA is the favorite, but Akhmat is a strong club and we’ll see... I admit that Akhmat’s players will be under nervous pressure today, given the close attention they are now receiving from the leadership of the republic, and Ramzan Kadyrov in particular.

By the way, Kadyrov, like all those who love martial arts, including me :-), watched the much-hyped Mayweather-McGregor fight. And here is his comment!

“Floyd Mayweather Jr. wins early in the Las Vegas ring! He records his fiftieth victory! Conor McGregor is defeated. Mayweather clearly demonstrated that a true master is capable of effortlessly, artistically defeating an opponent, capable of turning a fight into a colorful performance, stretching it out over many rounds for the sake of the viewer, although he could have ended it at the very beginning. Of course, it’s difficult to call a fight a sport in its purest form.”

Well, now football! :-) May the best man win.

General Director of PFC CSKA Roman Babaev spoke in detail and honestly about the composition, transfers, attendance and prospects.

Despite the fact that CSKA did not buy anyone in this transfer window, interest in the “army” cuisine still remains heightened. We agreed to talk with the general director of the club Roman Babaev a long time ago, but the interview was postponed each time due to his busy schedule. But when we finally met and talked, we learned a lot of new and interesting things.

We started, of course, with congratulations. For the first time in the 11 times that CSKA participated in the group stage of the Champions League, the team started with a victory. Despite the fact that the composition was the weakest in recent years. Babaev did not argue with the last thesis.

At least in terms of names - Wagner, Doumbia, Musa, Honda, Elm - we used to look brighter in attack,” says the general director of CSKA. - It is a fact. But there is no need to look for a cause-and-effect relationship between the composition and the victory. This is nothing more than a coincidence.

- What final result of CSKA in this Champions League will surprise you?
- If we manage to repeat our best achievement - reach the quarterfinals. In the current circumstances, this is an excellent result for any Russian club. In our case, this will be doubly pleasant, because apart from CSKA, none of our teams reached the 1/4 finals in the modern Champions League format.

Do you think it’s realistic to have such a level of expectations with the current CSKA squad? Without a bench and without a good striker?
- If you don’t wait and don’t believe, why play at all? In previous drawings we could have counted on a better result, but for a number of reasons we took fourth place. Although remember our rivals in the group - these were not the last teams in Europe. In the current situation, we do not consider an attempt to leave the Champions League group futile. A favorite on paper is not always a favorite in reality. Yes, we don't have an experienced striker. I don’t draw parallels, but the Spanish national team also comes out to play without a forward and destroys the Italian national team. Yes, we would like to see Wagner in his best form in the team. But what is the point of discussing this topic if there are those who exist. The team and coaching staff are objective and calm about the current situation. We try to make the most of it.

“I liked the meme about CSKA after 30 years”

- Could CSKA buy someone this summer?
- From your own funds, most likely not. We considered options of renting or signing a free agent. But feints with the return of Doumbia from Roma or the transfers of Natkho and Eremenko cannot occur systematically in every transfer window. For this to happen, many factors must coincide, which do not always depend on the club. But the coaching staff and shareholders considered it pointless to take players for the sake of numbers.

CSKA needs quality players, at least comparable to those already on the team. It was not possible to find such free options. But I don’t see a catastrophe in this. With a reservation regarding the striker, our squad is complete and combat-ready. This is proven by the results of past seasons - three golds and two silvers. It’s not just that we didn’t acquire anyone during this transfer window. It’s great when there is an opportunity to update the roster and take great players from Latin America and Europe, but when it is not there, it does not mean that the team is not able to fight.

- Have you seen a funny meme about the composition of CSKA after 30 years?
- I saw (smiles).

- How do you like him?
- I like it. A sense of humor helps a lot in such a situation. We constantly discuss these topics as a team, and I am pleased with the guys’ reaction. Many would probably give up their oars, seeing that there is no reinforcement, but this does not apply to our guys. The slogan of our fans “Don’t retreat and don’t give up” is a message to action for the team. Many results, including the victory over Benfica, were achieved largely due to character and experience.

Considering the first match in the group, CSKA has already earned at least €16.2 million in the Champions League. Why can’t they be spent on buying a forward?
- The shareholders invested huge amounts of money in the implementation of the stadium project and, like everyone else in the country, found themselves in a difficult economic situation. I'm not even talking about the devaluation of the ruble. 70% of the club's expenses are in foreign currency, because these are the salaries of the players. At the same time, 70% of the club’s income comes from rubles: tickets, sponsors, and so on.

- CSKA did not convert salaries into rubles?
- No. How can you explain to Vitinho that he will receive a salary in rubles when, figuratively speaking, he does not even know what kind of currency it is?

- Fine. But the Russians know: Ignashevich, Akinfeev, Berezutsky, Dzagoev.
- But such an approach would be dishonest. There is only one team on the field. Should we have told the guys that in terms of salaries, the principle of “one for all and all for one” no longer applies? In other financial matters, the players largely cooperated. It would be possible to convert salaries into rubles if only Russians played in CSKA. Of course, it would be possible to “bend” the legionnaires, but, firstly, this is not our method, and secondly, it is difficult from a legal point of view. That is, a football player comes to us for a conditional €1 million a year, and now he will receive 500 thousand, since the exchange rate has changed.

So, the money received in this Champions League will be very useful in repaying the loan. What if CSKA had not passed AEK or Young Boys? Would the club close?
- We would have to find additional sources of income.

- Which?
- Lending, sale of football players, etc. The fact that we have retained the main squad, with the exception of Tosic, is a kind of success of the transfer window for CSKA. We also managed to extend the contract with Fernandez until 2022.

Tosic refused to lower his salary at CSKA. But it is unlikely that he gets more at Partizan than he could in Moscow - even taking into account the relegation?
- I think he gets less.

- Why didn’t he stay at CSKA then?
- There were no financial disagreements with Zoran. But he had to come to terms with the status of a reserve player due to objective reasons: a change in tactics, age and the consequences of injuries. Both Tosic and the club thought for a long time about continuing cooperation. Zoran, by the way, had interesting options with big salaries in China and other Asian championships. But he decided to play consistently in his homeland rather than chase money. Considering how much Tosic did for the team, we wanted to send him off with dignity. I think Zoran will come to Moscow more than once - cooperation on the basis of football is also possible.

“There were offers from the Premier League regarding Golovin - we agreed to wait”

- CSKA’s coolest asset is Mario Fernandez. Why is he still on the team?
- If you have noticed, the guys always leave CSKA with great reluctance. Even Musa had doubts when the offer from Leicester arrived.

- Are you seriously?
- I won’t say that he thought for a long time, but Ahmed considered the option of staying.

- How do you explain this?
- The guys are getting used to a good, one might say, family atmosphere, and to success. In the case of Mario, the situation is the same, he is comfortable here. But this does not mean that Fernandez will definitely remain at CSKA until the end of his career. In addition, his agent has never approached us with the words: “There is an offer, the football player wants to leave.”

What about Golovin? Spartak head coach Massimo Carrera recently came to visit us and he said bluntly: “I’m surprised that Golovin is still playing in Russia.”
- There were proposals for it.

- Where?
- From England, including one top club. But Sasha and I thought it was premature. In addition, the proposed conditions, in our opinion, were significantly lower than the market ones. In my opinion, Sasha himself agreed and took everything adequately. Sasha is at the very beginning of his career, and if he continues to play as he is now, then offers will come. Even Musa’s example is indicative - the qualities that allow you to be a top player in Russia are not always enough to enter the Premier League from the bench. There is a risk of being left behind.

- How much time does Golovin need to mature?
- At least until the end of the season. We will play at least five more Champions League matches, and I hope that we will fight for the RFPL prizes. Every match is very valuable for Sasha and gives him the necessary experience for a possible move to Europe, where every game is like in the Champions League. So I admit that the transition could happen as early as next summer.

- What is the situation with Dzagoev? Alan often talked about wanting to go to England. Doesn't this scare you?
- It just makes me happy. If a football player sets himself such an ambitious goal, he understands that scouts will look at him under a microscope. Such specialists do not focus on a couple of successful matches, but consider the player’s entire career. Although Alan never needs additional motivation - he always gives the team everything he can.

- Are you sure to separate from Olanare in winter? As it seems from the outside, the football player has exhausted all credits of trust.
- If we didn’t know how he could play football, we could give up on him. Remember how dignified he looked on his first visit. Although you need to understand that he came to CSKA for free. Of course, Aaron's recovery process took a long time. However, doctors warned about this. The striker will be given chances before the winter, and then we will make a decision about his future. I am glad that against this background young people are trying to cope with the responsibility that has fallen on them. The club has always paid great attention to school. By cutting the transfer budget, we did not take a single ruble from the CSKA Academy.

“We wanted to rent Musa, Wagner or Doumbia”

- Let's now talk about who could have moved to CSKA, but did not. As far as we know, CSKA tried to bring Musa back this summer.
-You have the correct information. We talked with Ahmed, but, as I already said, such feints cannot always work.

- Why didn’t it work in the case of Musa?
- It seems to me that Ahmed is now in a depressed state, and he really wants to prove that he is worthy of playing in the Premier League. Specifically in the Premier League, and not just in England, for example, in the Championship. Therefore, he also rejected the option of renting to Hull City. I am very worried about Musa - in my opinion, he is the most adapted player to European football to come out of the RFPL recently.

Wagner and Doumbia score for their clubs Alanyaspor and Sporting, respectively. Were they not considered as a possible strengthening?
- We looked at them and talked to the guys’ agents.

- AND?
“We would surprise ourselves if we brought Seydoux back for the third time.” Although we talked with Sporting. The Portuguese had just signed a contract with Doumbia, where he finally started to succeed. It's logical that they don't want to let him go.

- What about Wagner?
- The Turks did not consider the option of renting their top scorer. Now both Wagner and Doumbia could not be returned without serious financial arguments. Probably, if we had the money, we could just buy a striker. But now we see that something beyond good and evil is happening in the transfer market - illogical amounts are absolutely not tied to the market.

- Are you talking about the transfers of Neymar and Dembele?
- Not only. The worst thing is not that Neymar and Dembele cost 222 and 105 million, but that players worth 2-3 million cost about ten, and we felt it ourselves. To buy a football player of the level of Wagner or Doumbia, you need to lay down about € 20 million minimum. Of course, you can buy a 17-year-old guy for 5-7 million and wait, but in this case there are no guarantees.

“Smolov was ready to play for CSKA - Krasnodar refused”

- How much is CSKA willing to spend on a transfer? Maximum?
- Under current conditions - not at all. In the future, our psychological ceiling is € 10-11 million, which is our record.

- Is the record a purchase for Fernandez?
- And Vitinho. The amounts paid for them are approximately comparable. Doumbia cost significantly less.

Does CSKA not regret that they refused to buy Smolov two years ago? Now it has risen in price considerably. And it would also be a wonderful asset.
- Firstly, it also cost a lot back then. Secondly, at that moment we were negotiating the lease of Doumbia, and these are also costs. It is clear that we did not pay anything, but Roma reduced the amount they had to pay us. Therefore, there was a choice: Smolov or Doumbia. I think no specialist would have chosen Fedor then. Although we understood that Smolov was a very good football player, who at that moment was simply going through a difficult period. But we made a choice in favor of a scorer who had just left us.

- Let's summarize: do you regret anything?
- I regret that then it was not possible to sign both players – Smolov and Doumbia.

- Could you rent Smolov this summer?
- We did not hesitate to consider any options. And this one too. Moreover, there were good chances to sign Smolov for six months, until winter. Fedor was even ready to lower his salary in order to move to CSKA.

- But?
- Krasnodar was not ready to let him go. At the same time, I cannot say a word of reproach to the management of this club, which refused us. Actually, in the first match after this decision, Smolov scored a double against Dynamo and showed that he is a great professional.

“Dzyuba would not fit the CSKA playing model”

- At Zenit, Dzyuba does not have a permanent place on the field. CSKA does not have an experienced and high-quality striker. You might find each other. Or was this option unacceptable from an ideological point of view?
- Most likely, yes. If CSKA can still consider that the confrontation between clubs is not so important when it comes to sporting tasks, then we cannot ignore the opinion of the fans. The success of a football player largely depends on how he is received by the fans. But this was not the only reason.

- And what else?
- We felt that Dzyuba did not quite fit our gaming model. And, of course, high salaries.

- Is it possible for Roman Eremenko to return to CSKA after the expiration of his disqualification period?
- We have never given up on Roma due to image losses. Anyone can make mistakes, and we supported him until the very end. Another question is whether he will be able to return to his previous level after disqualification. If the desire is mutual, his return may well occur.

For a long time, CSKA, which has not changed for years, had a solid margin of safety, on which the team won trophies. Don't you feel like it's the end of this season?
- The fact that the team does not change from year to year is a stereotype. Vasin appeared in the defensive line, who had hardly played for CSKA before, but is now useful. In midfield and attack - Vitinho, the same Golovin, other young people are catching up. Now the most pressing problem is the attacker, and strategically the defensive line. If our veterans, who are still the best defenders with a Russian passport, end their careers at the same time, we will resolve this issue. Another thing is that at the moment I do not see an adequate replacement for Ignashevich and Berezutsky in Russia. So, we’ll probably have to pay attention to foreign football players.

- Since you mentioned Vasin, did the club somehow communicate with him after the mistakes he made?
- The philosophy of the club and the atmosphere in the team are very important to us, so Vasin did not hear a word of reproach. Surely the coach sorted out his mistakes, but we didn’t make any complaints against him. At some point, he became a hostage to the situation, because he also brings a lot of benefits.

“Rumor about the sale of the club? We are used to such stuffing"

- Do you have an understanding of when CSKA will be able to buy players?
- Nobody sits idly by. But first of all, we need to close the dollar loan for the stadium. When we registered it, a dollar cost 30 rubles, now it’s twice as much. We don't consider this a disaster. Even many big clubs in Europe start cost-saving measures after the stadium is built. We hope that revenues for the stadium will begin to grow. Although office space at the stadium, again due to the crisis and decline in business, is difficult to sell, as are VIP boxes. European football, and Russian football in particular, is absolutely inadequate in terms of the ratio of income and expenses. Today, the maximum income from television rights that an RFPL champion can receive is about $5 million. This amount is barely enough to cover the annual salary of two or three leading players on the team. If we could improve our football financially, it would be better for everyone.

- Is there a forecast when CSKA will be able to close the loan?
- The loan is valid for 10 years, but, of course, this is not directly related to transfers. It is quite possible that we will be able to buy someone this winter. We are guided by the budget, and that is why we are the only ones in Russia who have not had any problems with financial fair play. As for the loan, the first years are the most difficult, but we are grateful to the management of VneshEconomBank, which helped us implement this project and is cooperative on many issues. Recently, our stadium received an award from the Moscow Government as the best construction project in two categories: both, in the opinion of Muscovites, and according to the assessment of a professional commission. This is a very rare combination when the decision of two juries coincided.

- How did the club react to the information that appeared that CSKA could be sold?
- We are already accustomed to such stuffing, so we did not react in any way.

- How much is club president Evgeniy Giner involved in club affairs now?
- Evgeniy Lennorovich spends every day at the club, coordinating all strategic decisions - transfer issues, contract extensions, budgeting, etc. He has his finger on the pulse.

“CSKA has the most loyal pricing policy”

- CSKA has big problems with attendance. Do you see this as the club's fault?
- Yes, that’s why we work and try to improve the situation literally with every match. Yesterday, for example, there was a meeting dedicated to the match with Rostov, where we considered not only technical issues, but also requests from fans.

- What kind of appeals are these?
- They are different. If this concerns the stewards, we communicate with them; if they complain about the catering, we contact the food operators. I myself have seen improvements in the services. For example, we promptly responded to comments regarding pricing policy. The economy is extremely important for us, unlike other Russian clubs that have well-known sources of funding. And yet, we met the fans halfway and lowered ticket prices, although this required approval from VEB on the business plan. Now you can get to a Champions League match for 700 rubles, and buy a season ticket to the Russian Championship for 4,000 rubles. Of the leading clubs, this is the most loyal pricing policy.

We have to fight for the fans. There is a feeling that CSKA has long lived with the philosophy: “We are cool, they have to follow us because we win. And we don’t need to fight for new fans - let the old, but proven ones be with us.”
- I don’t agree with you. I have been working at the club since 1999, and all this time no one sat idly by, waiting for the fan to come. Some stadiums had unsolvable problems, such as logistics in Khimki. But there we worked with Khimki schools in search of a new audience. Now we are working with other schools and universities - for example, Moscow State University. We are trying to establish connections with fans and talk about new products on social networks.

- What kind of products are these?
- For example, like the “Champions Club”, where for a small fee fans can have an interesting and tasty time before the match and during the break. This will not generate income for the club - we expect to break even. So far we cannot solve certain problems - for example, heating the stadium during winter matches. Nevertheless, I really want the fans, as Goncharenko said in one of his addresses, to get off the couch and come to the stadium. Now in Moscow everyone is accustomed to maximum comfort, but this is still a trip to the stadium to see your favorite team, and not to the cinema.

“Success is a place that will allow you to get into the Champions League”

- Some CSKA leaders have not given interviews for years. Do you think this is normal? Doesn't this make the club lose interest in it?
- This question does not apply to working with fans. Yes, every athlete is a media personality, and they must understand that their job is not only to go on the field, but also to communicate with journalists. But I don’t think there is a cause-and-effect relationship between attendance and interviews.

We're not even talking about journalists. For example, at Lokomotiv, Miranchuk roasts meat with fans after winning the derby over Spartak, and Semin plays football with the fans. And CSKA coach Viktor Goncharenko gives about two interviews a year.
- If we compare with Chelsea or Manchester United, we are behind. But, for example, none of the Russian clubs hold meetings with fans the way we do. With us, everyone can apply for it - at least 30 thousand. We try to be open, but maybe the problem is that it's not publicized enough.

- Maybe the club should invest in a strong marketer who will help CSKA attract people to the stands?
- We attracted the best marketing companies in Russia, ordered research, but it didn’t work. You can at least cover the whole of Moscow with red and blue billboards - it won’t help. The fact is that after the collapse of the USSR, the culture of pain was lost. Now there is a stereotype that it is dangerous, low-status and unfashionable. And we, like other RFPL clubs, are trying to break this stereotype. Make a free entry? Super managerial move. We can also draw attendance figures, as other clubs do. But I don’t want to deceive anyone. Now our attendance is 16 thousand out of 27 (another 3 thousand are VIP boxes), but this is still lower than we expected. One way or another, work is underway to bring fans back. I think that we have some of the best programs on club television: “On Horses!”, “I am the presenter of CSKATV.” I don’t want to say that we are the best, but the fans still don’t come. But this is a two-way street. The audience should be prepared for the fact that the stadium, especially in winter, is not the most comfortable place. Although equipped with warm food courts and the same “Champions Club”, I hope they will help us.

It has become fashionable to root for Spartak, especially after the last championship. Why has it never been fashionable to root for CSKA, despite the many trophies the team has won in recent years?
- Do you remember the attendance at the Opening Arena immediately after its construction. She was far from perfect. Now their situation has leveled out, and the championship has given them an impetus. We have an audience: we see it on social networks, it’s almost 2 million subscribers. If at least 1% comes to the stadium, that’s the same 20 thousand. We have significantly improved the quality of service at the stadium in the first year, and this is not the limit. By the way, in terms of safety, we have made a huge leap - look at the number of fines for illegal actions of fans. There are almost none. When we decided not to have a barricade in the fans' stands, we were called crazy. But our fans behave with dignity.

Speaking about CSKA, we also see reasons for positivity. No other club currently has such a number of successfully playing students. The fact that there was such a wave - Golovin, Chalov, Zhamaletdinov - is the merit of the former youth team coach Alexander Grishin?
- And him too. But it is wrong to single out one person. This is the work of the system. Here there is the contribution of the breeders, who at one time considered the guys, the academy staff and the coaches of the youth team, who gave them a football education, and Leonid Slutsky, who began to pull the guys to the base, and, naturally, Viktor Goncharenko, who believed in them and became regularly released in the composition.

- Let's now summarize the season. Which place will you be satisfied with in the 2017 championship?
- We will be absolutely satisfied with the first line in the table. But we need to be realistic. A place that will allow you to qualify for the Champions League group, preferably directly, will be successful (over the past 5 years, CSKA won gold three times and silver twice. - Note from the “Championship”). I’m sure the guys will make every effort to ensure that CSKA again has a decent result at the end of the championship!

Interviewed by Danila Ignatov and Denis Tselykh.

Roman Babaev: “Smolov was even ready to lower his salary for the sake of moving to CSKA”

General Director of CSKA Moscow Roman Babaev spoke about the situation with the transfer affairs of the army team, noting that midfielder Alexander Golovin could leave the team next summer.

– Could CSKA buy someone this summer?

– From your own funds, most likely not. We considered options of renting or signing a free agent. The coaching staff and shareholders considered it pointless to take players for the sake of numbers. CSKA needs quality players, at least comparable to those already on the team. It was not possible to find such free options,” Babaev said. “But I don’t see a catastrophe in this.” With a reservation regarding the striker, our squad is complete and combat-ready. This is proven by the results of past seasons - three gold and two silver. It’s not just that we didn’t acquire anyone during this transfer window. It’s great when there is an opportunity to update the roster and take great players from Latin America and Europe, but when it is not there, it does not mean that the team is not able to fight.

– CSKA’s coolest asset is Mario Fernandez. Why is he still on the team?

– If you have noticed, the guys always leave CSKA with great reluctance. Even Musa had doubts when the offer from Leicester arrived. I won’t say that he thought for a long time, but Ahmed considered the option of staying. The guys get used to a good, one might say family atmosphere, and to success. In the case of Mario, the situation is the same; he feels comfortable here. But this does not mean that Fernandez will definitely remain at CSKA until the end of his career. In addition, his agent has never approached us with the words: “There is an offer, the football player wants to leave.”

– What about Golovin? Spartak head coach Massimo Carrera recently said: “I’m surprised that Golovin is still playing in Russia.”

– There were proposals for it. From England, including one top club. But Sasha and I thought it was premature. In addition, the proposed conditions, in our opinion, were significantly lower than the market ones. In my opinion, Sasha himself agreed and took everything adequately. Sasha is at the very beginning of his career, and if he continues to play as he is now, then offers will come. Even Musa’s example is indicative - the qualities that allow you to be a top player in Russia are not always enough to enter the Premier League from the bench. There is a risk of being left behind.

– How long does Golovin need to mature?

– At least until the end of the season. We will play at least five more Champions League matches, and I hope that we will fight for the RFPL prizes. Every match is very valuable for Sasha and gives him the necessary experience for a possible move to Europe, where every game is like in the Champions League. So I admit that the transition could happen as early as next summer.

– How much is CSKA willing to spend on a transfer? Maximum?

– Under current conditions – not at all. In the future, our psychological ceiling is 10-11 million euros, which is our record.

– Does CSKA regret that they refused to buy Smolov two years ago? Now it has risen in price considerably. And it would also be a wonderful asset.

- Firstly, it also cost a lot back then. Secondly, at that moment we were negotiating the lease of Doumbia, and these are also costs. It is clear that we did not pay anything, but Roma reduced the amount they had to pay us. Therefore, there was a choice: Smolov or Doumbia. I think no specialist would have chosen Fedor then. Although we understood that Smolov was a very good football player, who at that moment was simply going through a difficult period. But we made a choice in favor of a scorer who had just left us.

– Could you rent Smolov this summer?

– We did not hesitate to consider any options. And this one too. Moreover, there were good chances to sign Smolov for six months, until winter. Fedor was even ready to lower his salary in order to move to CSKA.

- But?

“Krasnodar was not ready to let him go. At the same time, I cannot say a word of reproach to the management of this club, which refused us. Actually, in the first match after this decision, Smolov scored a double against Dynamo and showed that he is a great professional.

27-year-old striker Smolov in the prime of his life, and we believe he has a wonderful future. Including financial. The contract, under which Fedor receives $2.5 million per season, is valid for another two years. The amount of compensation specified in it for the club (compensation for an early break) is $30 million.

Club owner Sergey Galitsky- a long-liver of the Forbes list with a personal fortune of about $7 billion. His authority in domestic football is supported by serious achievements, and his reputation is impeccable...

What other arguments are needed for the player to hold on to his work with his hands and feet, providing the maximum possible return (which is what Smolov, in fact, has been doing over the past two years), and for the club to stand behind the player?

And yet, rumors that , are gaining momentum, acquiring all the signs of authenticity along the way.

Muromets

The career of Fedor Smolov is unique and amazing in its own way. One of the most talented players of his generation, he, like Ilya Muromets, rested on the stove until he was 25 years old. Having made his debut with Dynamo Moscow at the age of seventeen, over the next 8 years Smolov changed 4 clubs and, God forbid, scored two dozen goals in official matches during this time.

Dynamo player Fedor Smolov during the 6th round match of the Russian Football Championship between the Moscow and Dynamo teams. 2008 Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko

And in 2015, when many had already given up on him, he moved as a free agent (that is, for free) to Krasnodar and finally blossomed. In the Russian Championship alone, Fedor scored 38 times!

During this period, Krasnodar strengthened its position among the leaders of Russian football, finishing 4th in the national championship twice in a row and reaching the 1/8 finals of the Europa League. But towards the end of last season - on the whole quite successful for the southerners - there was a strong feeling that the club had hit a ceiling in its development. To reach a new stage of progress, it needs new challenges.

A normal work situation that simply takes time to resolve.

Motives

Smolov does not have this time. Smolov is now in perfect health, but he is already 27: he has 5-6 years of active career ahead, hardly more, and in order to leave a mark on football, he needs to act now. “Act” translated from football into Russian means brightly presenting yourself at the highest level.

In a year, Fedor will most likely have such a chance (at the national team level), but everything he has to do before the 2018 World Championships is no longer interesting to him. It happened, happened, passed.

Smolov, like his Krasnodar, needs a new challenge: the fight for championship gold and participation in the Champions League. In Russia or in Europe - the question is secondary.

Related to this topic is probably the topic of the terms of a personal contract. According to this fundamental indicator, Smolov is at the end of the second ten among all RFPL football players.

The highest paid RFPL football players (data from the Sports.ru portal at the beginning of 2017):

1. Javi Garcia(Zenit) - 4.5 million euros

2.Vedran Corluka(“Lokomotiv”) - 4.5

3.Branislav Ivanovic(Zenit) - 4.1

4. Alex Song(“Ruby”) – 4

5. Yann Mwila(“Ruby”) – 4

6.Igor Denisov(“Lokomotiv”) - 4

7.Quincy Promes("Spartak") - 3.8

8. Manuel Fernandes(“Lokomotiv”) - 3.8

9. Artyom Dzyuba(Zenit) - 3.6

10. Luis Adriano("Spartak") - 3.5

17-21. Fedor Smolov("Krasnodar") - 2.5

Sergei Galitsky is a zealous owner; he never participates in the “football arms race.” In other words, Smolov cannot count on an improvement in his contract in Krasnodar. At the same time, there are clubs in Russia that are ready to solve the urgent problem. There would be a desire.

"Spartacus"

The list of mutual sympathies, if you do not take into account various undercurrents and hidden intrigues, is undoubtedly headed by the Russian champion Spartak. There are several reasons for this.

The position of center forward, in which Smolov plays, is one of Spartak’s personnel problems that require solutions. Ze Luis, Luis Adriano, Lorenzo Melgarejo- none of the “pure” Spartak forwards last season, as they say, convinced (2, 5 and 2 goals, respectively). At the same time, strengthening competition for the Champions League is an absolutely necessary condition. In turn, the 6 matches of the League group tournament guaranteed by the regulations is the minimum that attracts Smolov to Spartak.

The owner of Spartak will improve the Smolov contract Leonid Fedun, of course, is able to: since Luis Adriano was invited for 3.5 million, then the order of magnitude more effective Smolov costs no less.

On the other hand, Spartak, as far as is known, has not yet had substantive contacts with Krasnodar regarding Smolov: it seems that it is not ready to pay 30 million compensation, and Galitsky, in turn, is not ready to work to strengthen the competitor. Moreover, his relationship with Spartak is, let’s say, not the most ideal.

But business is business, and working in the transfer market is a subtle, delicate science: neither the fact of negotiations, nor even more so their details, are ever advertised. There is still enough time before the transfer window closes (the market closes on August 31, applications for the Champions League must be sent to UEFA on September 1), and anything can happen. From the obvious to the incredible.

"Zenith"

Last season's bronze medalist, Zenit, is as active as possible on the market, and, as usual, it has a ton of money (even taking into account financial fair play). Peter is able to pay the costs of Smolov’s contract and offer the best Russian forward more than decent personal conditions. Certainly no worse than Artyom Dzyuba (3.6 million euros) and Alexander Kokorin (3.3).

At the same time, Zenit really talked to Krasnodar regarding Smolov (football Krasnodar has no contradictions with St. Petersburg), which is confirmed by several independent sources. Although the clubs themselves vehemently deny the fact of communication.

But the St. Petersburg version is twice rejected by the logic of life.

Firstly, the Zenit attack group is already overloaded: to Dzyube With Kokorin added in summer Dmitry Poloz and a young Argentinean Sebastian Driussi. If Smolov is also included in the plans, someone from the quartet will have to part with. Rumors are circulating on the sidelines about a possible exchange using the formula “Smolov = Kokorin + 16 million,” and this option seems outwardly quite logical. And then there’s another “but”: is Krasnodar really interested in forward Kokorin, with a heavy contract and a damaged image, who scores a teaspoon per hour?

Secondly, Zenit is only a participant in the Europa League, and this is a well-trodden route for Smolov.

Abroad

The ideal option for Smolov would be to move to one of the decent European clubs. Until recently, Borussia Dortmund had bids for Fedor: in the winter the transfer was already, as they say, in the works, but it still fell through. The reasons, as usual, are not disclosed.

“I waited a very long time to move to Borussia, negotiations were going on throughout the transfer window,” Smolov said in an interview with Championship.com. — I was very upset when it didn’t work out. And then there were the Chinese, who are hard to refuse. They offered more than 10 million euros a year, plus there was an official offer to Krasnodar. And they most likely would have agreed, since my contract stipulates the amount of compensation. But I understood that if I agreed and took this step, the likelihood of getting to Europe in the future was reduced to almost zero.”

So far there is no clear interest from Europe in Smolov, which was also facilitated by the unsuccessful performance of the Russian team at the Confederations Cup. There is talk about options in Turkey, but since Smolov refused the big money in China, then it’s ridiculous to talk about Turkey. Even if they call him to the most popular Fenerbahce with a great friend of Russia Wild Lawyer at the head.

Injury

In the control match between Krasnodar and CSKA (1:1), which took place on July 9, Smolov was injured: a sprained hamstring. This means that the forward will miss the start of the season: treatment will take about three weeks, and Krasnodar’s first match in the new RFPL championship is scheduled for July 16.

But the most interesting thing is this. Information came from Smolov’s entourage immediately after the match that Krasnodar’s medical headquarters refused to conduct an in-depth examination, citing organizational problems. The club coldly ignored this “bomb”, and Smolov confirmed it on social networks by retweeting the link to the publication accompanied by a sad emoji.

The story is more than strange, leading us to assume that the relationship between the player and the club has definitely fallen on hard times...