Striker of the Moscow “Dynamo” Fedor Smolov communicates with the press rarely, but aptly. His strained relationship with the media has long been known even outside of sports journalism. The figure of Smolov remains one of the most discussed in Russian sports, and his interviews are replete with revelations and vivid quotes. What is the secret of the public's unquenchable interest in Fedor?
In an interview with Nobel Arustamyan, Smolov quite openly discusses topics and problems that have long become a symbol of all Russian football — crazy salaries, failed transfers to the top clubs in Europe, impudent youth and the importance of making the wrong choice in the life of an athlete. Fedor eagerly talks both about the astronomical cost of his wristwatches and about the mistakes of his youth. And all this against the backdrop of mediocre results.
Yes, the 33-year-old striker has won two Cups and one Russian Super Cup in a long career (all with Lokomotiv Moscow). Is this a success? So the striker almost failed the last season — ninth place with Dynamo, departure from the Russian Cup from the modest Togliatti Akron, 10 goals (six of them from the penalty spot). It is unlikely that the management and fans counted on this when they took their status player Cherkizov. But, as Fedor admits, he himself expected more from himself and is dissatisfied with the past season. This open recognition of one's own problems does credit to the football player, because, let's face it, self-criticism is not the strongest feature of our players.»It's easy to plead guilty to yourself and the team if you spend hundreds of thousands of rubles on caviar in a restaurant!» — a completely understandable, but not entirely justified reaction of a part of the public. Occasionally, footballers lash out at fans with anger in response to criticism for allegedly not corresponding to the result and efforts of the salary, pointing to the fact that they do not assign such fees to themselves.
Plus, it is important to understand: football players like Smolov are not just athletes, but a whole brand. The work on building a recognizable image lies not only in the sports plane. It often takes more effort than training, and does not always give the final result. Fedor and his team managed to create a strong brand. Hence the recognition of the player at the federal level. He can afford to play badly, but they will discuss him anyway. Good words or bad — a secondary question.Of course, in terms of regalia, Smolov is far from the icon of British football, David Beckham, but in terms of building an image and influencing the public (at least in a local sense), they are more than similar. Often, Beckham's family life was discussed louder than his titles at Manchester United and Real Madrid. And if David made a mistake on the football field, which is the inevitable fate of any player, it immediately became a meme and was assigned to him forever. So it is with Fedor: he is still remembered for the fatal penalty in the quarterfinals of the home world championship, and most of the outside public knows him as a companion of Victoria Lopyreva.
It was nice to get Smolov's sharp opinion on the degradation of Arsen Zakharyan, arrogant behavior of young football players and the raison d'être of the Russian national team. This is really rare to hear from active players, and here you also need to say thank you to the interviewer. We once again saw and heard that Fedor has his own point of view on everything and, unlike many, does not hesitate to convey it. He is not afraid of the condemnation of the audience for the pretentiousness of the outfits, the inadequacy of spending and excessive narcissism. No, this is just a person who is ready to talk on all topics. And he will be at the top of the discussion, like his colleagues Artem Dziuba and Alexander Kokorin. It's okay, it's just our football.