Last season, the football club «Sochi» could not repeat the «silver» success of a year ago and became tenth in the Russian Premier League. In an interview with a correspondent, the president of the Sochi club Boris Rotenberg told why he did not consider the invitation of Kurban Berdyev a mistake, explained why he did not want to invite Alexander Kokorin to the team again, and also answered the question of whether he wants to work with his son Boris Jr. .
— Boris Romanovich, first I would like to start with topical issues of motorsport development in our country. Last week, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held, within the framework of which there was an active discussion of the prospects for new formats of competitions and the promotion of sports in Russia. What did you manage to do at the SMP Racing booth?
– An agreement on strategic partnership between SMP Racing and the Games of the Future project was signed at the forum. The contract assumes that SMP Racing will become the organizer of the first figital car championship, which will be held in Sochi in 2024 during the World Youth Festival. The main part of the international multisport tournament «Games of the Future» will be held in Kazan in 2024. jpg»/
– Also, as I understand it, a new stage in the development of the domestic simulator awaits us.< /strong
— Yes. It will feature licensed international circuits, world brand vehicles, historic vehicles and racing prototypes. This will meet the expectations of not only professional racers, but also car enthusiasts. We expect that the simulator will become the basis of the domestic game development industry, the organization of sports training for cybersportsmen, the improvement of road safety, the development of career potential and the attraction of talents. In this direction, we are closely cooperating with the President of the Russian Automobile Federation Viktor Nikolaevich Kiryanov, who helps to regulate the rules of the road and sports events. It is also worth noting that these simulators are universal for motorsport, they are suitable for any discipline — drifting, karting, formula, off-road, truck and so on. In addition, they do not have age restrictions, children with disabilities can train on them.
– Boris Romanovich, now a few questions about FC Sochi. The team did not have a very good season. Don't you think that Kurban Berdyev's invitation was a mistake?
— No I do not think so. Kurban Bekievich and I worked before, cooperated. I knew what kind of coach he was, and I invited him, because he is a strong coach with charisma, who built and made good football, when he became the champion of Russia with Rubin twice in a row. But it so happened that he could not rebuild. When we agreed on everything, I asked him that he, as a venerable coach, should make a tough team out of the team. This is what (Vadim) Garanin could not do with his gentleness. The training camp was over, but I saw that another football went in the championship matches, not the one that I saw. I wanted to see modern football, when everyone attacks and everyone defends.
— So Kurban Bekievich returned to his old methods?
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— He began to rebuild the team completely. It's a long road and you don't know where it will go because it's football that doesn't exist anymore. This is an outdated scheme, an idea. We talked, and calmly, without offense, he left.
— Did Berdyev have any penalty?
— No, in general There was nothing. There were agreements, purely comradely relations.
— Will you set specific tasks for the team for the next season? Place in the top five, for example?- We have to go out and win every match, and then look where we are heading. Each game is a separate championship, you go to the finals, regardless of who you play against. This ending is over — go to the next one. And so on. Set some tasks in advance … We did this last year, so what? However, it depends on many factors. We have a good team, we have a good physical preparation. So let's see.
— What is the credibility of Dmitry Khokhlov?
— It all depends on the game. For me, this is original. If there is a good game, it will give a result. There is a picture, there is speed, there is stamina, there is a quick pass — that means there will be a result. But this is football, everyone prepares in their own way. Let's hope for the best.
— How hard was it to part with the veterans of the team — Soslan Dzhanaev, Joaozinho and Ibragim Tsallagov?
— Career tends to end. We are on excellent terms with them, thanked for the years that we worked together. We are all perfectly fine. As for Joaozinho, I suggested that he stay on the team as Khokhlov's assistant. He is a very positive and non-confrontational person, always smiling, creating a good climate in the team, at the same time he is a very technical player. Age shows that he is already a little short, but he told me that he wants to try to play somewhere else. When he comes out, he is enough for 20 minutes right with a bang, a feast for the eyes. But we need to give chances to the young, otherwise we will get stuck at this age. For us, the rejuvenation of the composition is now the most important thing.
— How many positions do you plan to strengthen in the summer?
— You will see soon. We have already closed some positions, the team will change in many ways.
Is Ivan Ignatiev definitely in Sochi?
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— Everything depends on him (smiles). He is a very fast, technical and promising striker. Let's see.
— They write that Alexander Kovalenko will go either to Lokomotiv or to Zenit.
— I have not heard this.
— Alexander Kokorin is now available on the market, having played a great season in Cyprus. Do you think about his return?- Sasha behaved in such a way that when he was supposed to stay at Sochi, he left. And now I will not return to what was. He had perspective. If he had stayed in Sochi, he could have got into the national team. He scored so many goals, but money decides, it turns out, everything. But there is something else in life. Football players believe that they have a short sports age, that now they need to quickly snatch, but you need to understand that life goes on, it does not consist only in sports.
— Vladimir Fedotov had a successful season in CSKA. Are you happy for him?
— Silver, Cup of Russia won, they are great. A very strong team, a good squad is recruited. He chose CSKA, what is there to understand? This is a football market.
— Your son, Boris Jr., is developing his career at Lokomotiv. Are there any plans to invite him to Sochi and work together on the same project? he chooses it himself, breaks through as best he can. He is a very talented guy, he has a good higher education, he is a candidate of pedagogical sciences, he graduated from graduate school. He passed all the exams, in his free time he was engaged only in studies. He takes everything so seriously, so I think he will always have the result. He is still young, his whole life is ahead, let him achieve results. Then no one will say anything.
— As long as FC Sochi has existed, so many have been saying that this is a Zenit farm club. How do you feel about these conversations?
— You see that it is not so that we go out, play and win. These are speculations based on the fact that I have a good relationship with the management of Zenit. This is undoubted, but this does not mean that we are a farm club.