Emiliano Rigoni, who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg along with his four compatriots, dreams of being on the final list of candidates for the Argentine national team, drawn up by its coach Sampaoli. "Messi is the best footballer in the world and it is important that he feels good," says Rigoni.

Living in Russia is a shock for any Latin American. Emiliano Rigoni thought so when he agreed to accept the invitation of Zenit from St. Petersburg. And I was finally convinced of this in August last year, landing at Pulkovo Airport. Summer was ending, and the 25-year-old native of Cordoba (Argentina) had to adapt to a new world for him. And so he was left alone, thousands of kilometers away from his family, awaiting the imminent birth of his son, which he learned about via WhatsApp.

“It was very difficult at the beginning, my wife was pregnant and we decided that she would stay at home. I hoped that I would be able to fly to the birth, but at that time training was in full swing: we played on Wednesdays and Sundays, as the team participated in the Europa League. Football often puts you in such situations, and you have to accept it. I gathered my will and accepted the challenge of fate. And Giovanni saw his son only a month later,” says the midfielder in an interview with the Clarin newspaper. And he didn’t have to be near his son to replace the bib while his daughter Francine was chatting nearby, playing with her dad’s mobile phone.

Rigoni, a left-footer, played for Belgrano, but the peak of his career came when he played for Independiente. So he realized the dream of his father, Sergio, a fan of the Red Devils (the team's nickname), and then wanted to achieve his own goal: to play in European football.

“Leaving my home club was very difficult in my best moments. After all, I wanted to leave on good terms. “I was very aware that Ariel Holan needed me, but if I make a decision, it means I’m sure of what I want to do,” says Rigoni. — I dreamed of Europe. What better thing could I do after such great success at the Independent? I had to think about the future of my family. My coach thought it would be difficult to replace me, but in the end the team continued to play very well."

"Clarin": Osmar Ferreyra, nicknamed "Malevo" (Predator), who played one season for the Moscow team CSKA, always said that it was very difficult for him to adapt to this country. How is life going for you in Russia?

Emilio Rigoni: Now I can already say that everything is going very well. The first six months were terrible because I was alone, without my wife Luciana and without my children. I was dying of boredom. In winter it is always cloudy here, it dawns at nine in the morning, and by four in the evening it is already dark. When I got up from my usual afternoon nap, it was already dark, and I still had the whole day ahead of me. And I have never been so cold before. The temperature dropped to 29 degrees below zero. I couldn't go outside. And since my body was accustomed to the Argentine time zone, I could not fall asleep. I turned off all the lamps, but sleep did not come. I just wanted to bang my head against the wall.

— Is language an insurmountable barrier?

— To tell the truth, I don’t communicate with others that much. Russians are cold and not very sociable... Most often we get together with other Argentine football players and go to shopping and entertainment centers. Where we buy something, they speak English. I didn't teach him, but I can explain myself. Knowing only the basics of English, I learned to communicate in it. In any case, I won't get lost. But when they address me in Russian, I cannot understand anything.

- So you feel better when you are in the company of Argentine friends, including Matías Kranevitter, Leandro Paredes, Emanuel Mammana and Sebastián Driussi. Do you have a permanent company?

— Yes, and we also included the Italian Domenico Criscito. Lea speaks Italian because he played for Roma, and Tano understands Spanish. So we accepted him into our group.

— Were you able to eat Argentine “asado” (national dish) here?

- Just a few times. Only when our relatives came and brought us meat from Argentina. This is the only way we can prepare real “asado”. We don’t know where we can get good meat here or where it’s best cut. There is a big risk here, and we don’t want to make a mistake... Well, occasionally we try a little “fernetta” (bitter herbal liqueur).

- Do you play cards?

— Yes, but I’m not a big fan of cards and I don’t know how to play. So, when my comrades start playing cards, I start preparing mate or writing poetry. Although sometimes they agree to play with me, and we sit down to poker or blackjack.

— What is the level of play in the Russian league?

— Football here is not as sticky as in Argentina. There is no such pressure on the opponent, no kicking, no constant bickering... Our football is very aggressive. Here he is more tactful, more organized and technical. Famous players often get into arguments, but overall the league is more competitive than I thought.

— Olan contributed to your development. What did Roberto Mancini, an international coach, give you?

— Ariel had a great influence on me during the most intense moments of my sports career. He gave me freedom of action and instilled confidence in myself. He was able to understand me and I am very grateful to him for all this. I appreciate his lessons, which still benefit me today. He gave me more than any of the previous coaches, and I was able to take advantage of it. Therefore, it is now easy for me to adapt to Mancini’s requirements. He has his own ideas regarding football, but in general, in terms of the intensity of training, team work now is not much different from what I was loaded with at the Independent.

— St. Petersburg is a very beautiful city. There are many places worth visiting, tourist routes along the city's canals and the ancient Hermitage building, which now houses a large museum. But it takes a lot of time to get to know all the sights.

Context

— It would be a shame, being in Russia, not to play at the World Cup. I think that not everything has been decided yet, and therefore I continue to make certain efforts to get into the team. I am a great optimist and do not lose hope for the best. I set myself the goal of getting into the national team and I will fight for it.

— You played in the national team at the most critical moment of the qualifying competitions, but during that decisive game for qualifying from the group in Ecuador, you sat on the bench. How did you cope with these moments?

- Under great pressure from fans and the press. The situation for our team was very difficult. We needed a victory so that the results of the games against Venezuela and Peru would depend only on us. But we didn't succeed. Unfortunately, at the last moment we made things difficult for ourselves. When Ecuador scored against us a minute before the end of the game, I almost cried on the bench. But in the end we became the best of all. I will never forget how we celebrated.

— What did playing for the national team mean to you?

- It was very unexpected. I still experience very strong feelings. Five days have passed since my arrival in Russia; I had not yet found an apartment and was living in a hotel. And suddenly I receive an invitation to play for the national team in qualifying matches. The first thing I did was call my father. We couldn't believe it. Then, figuratively speaking, I returned to earth. Yes, training next to Messi is priceless. In a very short time I learned a lot.

- And now, how do you feel? Are you fit enough to play in the national team's qualifiers?

— Personally, I feel great. Playing at Zenit with my fellow Argentines makes the situation much easier. This allowed me to improve many aspects of my skill. The one-on-one play, the technique, the manner of taking the right place on the field in the second half... They play faster here than ours.

— Are the national team players really reluctant to accept newcomers?

— There are a lot of wonderful people there. Everyone treated me with great sympathy. This perfectly characterizes famous masters. I was new, but everyone treated me very well. I contacted everyone.

— Russian journalists asked you which football player you would choose for your team, and you named Dybala. Anyone would think that they should have chosen Messi first.

— We have known Paulo since childhood. He played for Inferiores when he was in high school, and I played for Belgrano. We are from the same province, we have a lot in common, and a particularly close friendship developed between us when we had the chance to play together for the national team. Paulo is a wonderful, world-class player. I like watching him play and learning from him. We're friends and it would be great if we could play on the same team with him.

— Will it be unfair if you don’t play at the World Cup?

— I don’t want to discuss the coach’s possible decisions, but still I showed myself well enough to get into the national team. She has a very good trainer. He's special. And only Sampaoli can make the final decision.

— Dybala said that it is very difficult for him to play with Messi. Do you think the same?

— His words were misunderstood. I think they're just two different players. You can try them in combination, or build a different game system. Messi is the best footballer in the world and it is important that he feels good. We should help him in the game, but we should not give him all the responsibility for it.

— There is one video filmed in Cordoba in which little Emiliano Rigoni says that he is a fan of the River team and that his ideal is Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet...

- I must explain this. When I was little, my ideal was David Beckham. For his technique, for the way he hit the ball... Then Messi appeared and pushed Beckham aside. And when I just started watching football, Chacho was playing at the River club, throwing cigar butts on the field anywhere... I liked his play. As for the River game video, it was made by my mother Sylvia. When I was 4 years old, my dad sent her to the center to buy a uniform for the Independiente club. Mom returned empty-handed, because the stores had uniforms for all the clubs except this one. Well, or so she told dad...

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

The Argentine diaspora in the St. Petersburg club should soon increase: the blue-white-blues are close to acquiring the Independiente midfielder. We tell you what kind of football player he is.

Expensive summer purchases immediately began to pay off. In Khabarovsk he became the best on the field. In the home match, everything was decided by a double. And very soon another bright Argentine will have a chance to prove himself in all his glory - .

According to his agent Juan Cruz Ollera, the parties have already agreed on everything. The key point was the personal participation in the deal of the head coach of the blue-white-blues, who called the player twice.

THANKS GRANDFATHER

Rigoni cannot be called “young and promising.” He turned 24 in February. That is, he is older than both Paredes (23) and Driussi (21). However, much less is known about him. The reason is obvious: unlike his compatriots who had already moved to the Northern capital, he was never associated with and.

Rigoni comes from Cordoba and until last year played exclusively for the local team. Emiliano was brought to the club by his grandfather. On the midfielder’s left hand is the inscription el padre de mi viejo (literally: “my old father”). Every time Rigoni scores a goal, he kisses the tattoo. “In everyone’s life there are those who guide them on the true path. For me, my grandfather was such a person. To him and only to him I am grateful for everything I have achieved. And I always remember him,” said the player.

"RUSSIAN" COACH

Having gone through teams of all ages at the Belgrano academy, in 2012 Rigoni reached the starting team. The coach of the sky blues, whose uniform almost completely coincides with Zenit's, then worked Ricardo Zielinski. The specialist has Polish roots, but from a young age the nickname “Russian” firmly stuck to him. Fans of Belgrano and other clubs where Zielinski appeared love to play on this detail. For example, they called the team’s climb up the table the “Russian Revolution.”

Belgrano fans play on Ricardo Zielinski's nickname: "Russian Revolution".

Zielinski gradually brought Rigoni into the starting lineup. In 2012, the guy with the main team was just training, in 2013 he began to come on as a substitute, and since 2014 he played almost regularly from the first minutes. The midfielder stood out for his speed and technique. Zielinski used him on the right flank of the attack, only in exceptional cases sending him to the left edge. In total, from April 2013 to November 2015, Rigoni played 74 matches for Belgrano, scored 8 goals and gave 6 assists.

BOTH RIGHT-HANDED AND LEFT-HANDED

In 2016, Rigoni was promoted. With all due respect to Belgrano, to whom Zielinski played nice attacking football, this is a very modest club. At best - average. Not like the 16-time champion of Argentina and 7-time winner of the Libertadores Cup, who bought half of the rights to the midfielder for 1.5 million euros.

Rigoni began to defend the red colors of the titled team under the guidance of - now a coach. It was he who began to use the player much more widely. In addition to the usual right edge, Rigoni began to often appear both on the left and in the center - and without loss of quality. Very quickly the midfielder became a crowd favorite. Emiliano started right off the bat - he scored in the first match for Independiente against... Belgrano. The match ended with the score 1:0. In total, during the first season in the new team, Rigoni scored 5 times and assisted his partners 6 times.

Perhaps, Emiliano's main trump card helped him to settle in so successfully - his amazing ability to play equally well with both his right and left feet. As the footballer himself said, in early childhood he was left-handed, but the first coaches decided to “remake” him. The result was a sight to behold: the old was not spoiled, and new things were added.

HOT SPRING

Last fall, Independiente went into a slump. Gabriel Milito, who replaced Pellegrino, restructured the team's game to a more primitive one. The role of the wing midfielders was sometimes only to provide crosses to the two big strikers. The results left much to be desired. Rigoni's personal statistics, coming out on the left, were also zero.

In winter, River Plate tried to take advantage of the opportunity and lure Rigoni. The Argentine media were full of headlines about an imminent transfer, but Independiente categorically refused to let the player go to a direct competitor. And for good reason! Because in the spring, with the appearance at the head of the team Ariel Holan the midfielder returned to his favorite right flank and began to produce results again: from March to June he scored nine times, and his team lost only once (to the future champion Boca Juniors) and rose to 6th place.

"HE NEEDS FREEDOM"

It is not surprising that after such a shock period, demand for Rigoni sharply increased in Europe. Lisbon offered 9 million euros, but was refused. Nothing worked out for the one who threw fishing rods through Daniel Bertoni- former Violets player, Independiente legend, 1978 world champion.

My old friend, the vice-president of Fiorentina, called me from Italy. Giancarlo Antognoni, asked about Rigoni,” Bertoni said in early July. - I told him that he is a very talented player. And that he has the most important ability for modern football to shoot brilliantly with both feet. Speed, dribbling - he has it all. But when the opponent defends tightly, problems arise. This is not his element. Then I sent a more detailed report to Florence, but immediately clarified: Haaland intends to build a truly strong team at Independiente and will do everything to ensure that Rigoni stays.

And Zenit, it seems, has made an offer that is impossible to refuse.

Nevasport continues to introduce you to summer transfers of Russian championship clubs. All team acquisitions and losses are in our weekly review.

Rigoni in Italy. Photo: Atalanta official Twitter

Emiliano Rigoni - from Zenit to Atalanta

The number of Mancini's Argentine landing party at Zenit was reduced. Rigoni never managed to take advantage of the chances that Sergei Semak provided him. Now, in the fight for foreign positions in the squad, the attacking midfielder is openly losing to other Zenit foreigners. Rigoni did not score a single goal for the club in 2018. Yes, and last season it was spectacular, for the most part, only in the Europa League. And right now Zenit’s number one goal is obviously winning the national championship. The decision to provide Rigoni with playing practice is logical. The Argentine will spend the current season on loan at Atalanta, and at the end of it he may remain in Bergamo. Zenit has received a million euros now, and for the player's buyout they will receive another 15. Considering that Rigoni was acquired for 10.5 million euros, this could turn out to be a good deal.

Denisov went to Krylia Sovetov. Photo: Lokomotiv official website

The 31-year-old defender left for Samara until the end of 2018 and will help the Wings on loan. Since his appearance in the “railroad” team, Denisov has been the main defensive player for four seasons. However, under Semin, he lost his place in the starting line. In order not to marinate the deserved player, they decided to let him go on loan. But for a short time. You never know what can happen.

Sapeta no longer polishes the shop in Rostov. Photo: Rostov official website

Alexander Sapeta - from Rostov to...

Once a promising player, the European youth champion was now no longer needed by Rostov. Sapeta joined the Don club last winter and did not play very often. And this season he stopped making the squad altogether. The result is termination of the contract and unclear prospects. Although, of course, a Russian passport can help. And I’m still at such an age that the opportunity to restart my career has not yet been missed.

Krylia newcomer Sheydayev. Photo: official website of "Wings of the Soviets"

The Zenit graduate received another chance to prove his professional suitability in the Premier League. In recent years, Sheydayev has played in Europe with varying degrees of success - for Trabzonspor, Zilina and Qarabag. And so he ended up at a tryout in Samara, and they believed in him, offering him a contract for a year. A whole colony of former Zenit players gathered in “Wings” - Kornilenko, Kanunnikov, Bashkirov, Zinkov, Tkachuk. In general, the Samara team doesn’t have much competition in attack right now, so Sheydaev will have game practice.

Paul Anton moved to Krylia. Photo: official website of "Wings of the Soviets"

The Romanian started the season as an Anzhi player, but the Samara team got it for free. Earlier, Anton left the Makhachkala club, with which he had an agreement that he would be released if there were options to continue his career. The 27-year-old football player has already become the ninth new player for Volga this off-season.

One level below

Three players left Zenit-2 - captain Ilya Zuev, central defender Thomas Rukas and defensive midfielder Ilya Kamyshev. It is reported that parting with the players is the decision of Zenit deputy sports director Vyacheslav Malafeev. Perhaps this has something to do with the team’s results in the FNL, where it ranks last, having suffered seven defeats in seven matches.