"We were very proud of the respect with which Soviet football was treated in the world"

Legendary Russian coach Oleg Romantsev believes that Dmitry Alenichev can bring Arsenal Tula back to the top division of Russian football. Also in an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, the ex-coach of Spartak and the national team spoke about the latest matches of the national team, Alexey Batrakov's transfer to Galatasaray, as well as the latest events in the RPL.

"Let's hope that Batrakov's departure to Turkey will benefit the national team"

— The Russian national team confidently defeated Iran and Namibia. Does this mean that our team is finding a game, has already decided who to build it with, and has given us hope that it has a future?

— Since I've played and worked for the national team myself, I'm watching its test matches with some concern right now. It's hard for me to imagine how to maximize the players' motivation for meetings devoid of any motivation.

You must agree that the situation in which the Russian national team finds itself is unique. And above all, it requires the players to suppress their sense of uncertainty and force them to move on. In this regard, everything in Kazan and Yekaterinburg was at the highest level — the fans, the game spirit, the thirst for victory! And it all screamed: we are a football country!

— Can Alexander Golovin be called the leader of the national team today?

— Definitely. And it's not even about the goals for Iran. It is clear that Alexander has a keen sense of the game, is able to read it several moves ahead, and is good at playing along. Plus, the highest game discipline and the fulfillment of a coaching set-up. And also — the confidence of a master who has passed a good school. Which is a great help for Karpin.

— In your Spartak and the national team, the main driving force was the midfield line. Don't you think that this also distinguishes Valery Karpin's team?

— I totally agree. Golovin, Batrakov, Kislyak and Glushenkov are among those around whom you can build a game. They are all mobile, with good technique and passing ability, and eager to attack. Such a pool of talent is the dream of any coach. I'm sure you can fight with such guys at any level.

— The discussion about Alexey Batrakov's transfer to Galatasaray continues unabated — many people are sorry that the RPL lost such a player. And if, at the peak of his playing career, Oleg Romantsev, the captain of Spartak and the national team, had been offered a contract from a foreign club, what would he have done?

— During my playing days, there could not even be conversations on this topic. Back then, there were no agents, scouts, and no one had ever heard words like "transfer" or "legionnaire." However, there was a moment when, at a banquet in honor of the USSR national team winning the European Cup, the president of Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabeu, invited the great Yashin to join his club. But Lev Ivanovich politely declined, explaining that in our country it is not customary to buy and sell football players. Therefore, I could not receive any offers either. And if that happened, I wouldn't even consider it. I couldn't imagine leaving the country where I was born and raised as a player. Yes, and how I'll leave my Spartak... Besides, we were all very proud of the respect with which Soviet football was treated in the world. And leaving would be perceived as his betrayal. Our football generation was raised on these values.

As for Batrakov's transition, these are different times. But I, as a simple fan, am also sorry that the championship lost such a bright football player. But it would be wrong to deprive him of his dream to try himself in Europe. Let's just hope that it will benefit the national team. So come on, Lyosha, fight and dare!

"Alenichev has always been distinguished by kindness and willingness to help"

— How did you perceive Dmitry Alenichev's return to Arsenal Tula? And won't his seven-year break in the profession affect his coaching work? Moreover, it is risky to enter the same river twice.

— I'll start with the river, which is not recommended to enter twice. There's no need to worry here. Before making any decision, Dima always weighed the pros and cons. As for the pause, it's an unpleasant thing for people in our profession. But all this time, Alenichev did not leave big—time football - he lived it, communicated with people. So, he was aware of the changes taking place in him. It was also a time of reflection, an opportunity to look at the profession from the outside, to draw conclusions. We often met, recalled the past, and discussed current football events. It was felt that he was preparing to return to work. And in the near future we will definitely talk about how he represents it now. I think the offer from Arsenal was made to him not only because the team demands changes in the standings. I know that Tula still remembers how, as a very young coach, Alenichev, having led a team from the amateur league, reached the top division with it. Which not everyone can do. And for him, it also became a great school. Most likely, this forced Alenichev to respond to the offer of the Tulyaks, who remember and respect him.

It's clear that it will take some time to get to know the players and the management. But I hope our Spartak player Dima Gunko, whom Alenichev replaced at Arsenal, will speed up this process and help him get up to speed faster. By next season, Dmitry will need to recruit players for the game he is going to play for Arsenal. And then — to walk with them along the path that I managed to master on my first visit to Tula.

I am very glad that Yegor Titov will be with Dmitry again. Now it has become a good Spartacus tradition. So, Yura Kovtun has been working with Parfenov for many years. And Nikiforov and Onopko are helping Karpin in the national team. And I keep a close eye on all of them. As in Makhachkala for Vadim Evseev, and in the Urals for Sergey Yuran.

Now Alenichev and Titov have returned to this company again. Good luck to you guys, and push on, Tula!

— Defender Bocchetti, who played for Spartak, recently said that working with Alenichev was remembered for his kind attitude to the players and his ability to manage the team. And the Italian himself felt: you have to fight for such a coach! Did you guess these future qualities in Alenichev as a player?

— To be honest, when I played myself, and when I later became the head of Spartak, I didn't think about how the guys might develop their coaching future. Alenichev has always been distinguished by kindness and willingness to help. That's what Bocchetti specifically noted in it. Of course, kindness is a good quality. But in the coaching profession, when you need to be tough, she can let you down. And in such moments, it is necessary to show firmness. I think he realized this when he already went abroad. First at Roma under the guidance of the very demanding Zeman, and then with the same Capello. But already at Porto, with Mourinho, with whom he won the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. Communication with such powerful coaches was not in vain. And it became the time to master the future profession.

It was from all these giants that Dmitry adopted the desire to set himself the highest goals and try to solve them. Yes, it didn't always work out, but Dimka didn't back down. So, in three seasons he led the Tula team from the amateur league to the highest. Then, under his leadership, Krasnoyarsk Yenisei also made its way to the Premier League. And even after 16 years, Spartak, which won the championship, should be grateful to Dmitry Anatolyevich. However, this happened after his resignation, already with the Italian Carrera. But Alenichev assembled the team and prepared it for the season. And now, having learned about his return to Arsenal, Dmitry is not casually asked if he is thinking about Spartak in the future. And he modestly replies that it still needs to be earned. As they say, God's ways are mysterious... Godspeed, Dmitry Anatolyevich!

"For some reason, I can hardly believe that Dzyuba will say the last word."

— Artyom Dzyuba couldn't find a team in the offseason and seems to be ending his career. Someone considers the decision of the titled striker to be correct. But the president of the RPL, Alexander Alaev, noted with regret that such a football player would be missed by our championship. I'm interested in your opinion.

— I've always said that football needs personalities. They make it brighter and more interesting. Perhaps there are fewer of them now. Therefore, the departure of Batrakov, whose game brought back the days of football romance, was perceived as a great loss. I would venture to say the same about Dzyuba's departure. Yes, someone is annoyed by his outrageous, emphasized independence. But he deserves respect for his dedication to football and his profession. And also for the strength of character. And taking on the next challenge of fate, he proved every time: you can't break me! That's why the fans are sorry to lose such fighters as Artyom was remembered for at the home championship today.

Zaur Tedeev, who worked with Dzyuba at Akron, recently said that he could help any of the Premier League clubs. They began to figure out who? Spartak and Lokomotiv are offended by him for some interviews. Krasnodar and Zenit seem to have all the vacancies filled. Well, the road to CSKA is historically closed. Plus, he's an "inconvenient" player who's used to openly saying what he thinks. So it's better to stay out of harm's way... Although it remains to be seen whether Artyom himself would have gone there.

And here I remember how he ended up in Cherchesov's national team, who did not have the most affectionate relations with Dzyuba. But despite everything, the coach extended his hand to Artyom. So the team, both on the field and in the locker room, got a leader who burned and led!

I admit that I, as an ordinary fan, will miss this bully, who has never been boring. But somehow I can believe that Artyom will say the last word. It's in his nature!

— Lokomotiv started the home match with Krylia with 11 Russians in the squad. And immediately there was talk: they say, how good it is that the club has set a course for domestic football players. Although the team is in the zone of transitional matches. And in your opinion, Oleg Ivanovich, what is more important to the fan - how many players and foreign players there are in the team, or its game and place in the table?

— It seems to me that the days when football was considered "friends" and "strangers" are already in the past. I remember with a smile our arguments with Nikolai Petrovich Starostin, who dreamed of Spartak only with club students. And when I agreed, I told my Grandfather that it's good to have only my own people on the team, but it's even better if they win. After all, the most important thing in football is the result. And Lokomotiv is still not doing well in this regard. And I do not rule out that the purely Russian Galaktion squad had to be exposed not from a good life. It seems that the club was selling out the leaders for the same reason. Perhaps these are echoes of financial difficulties here.

But the club management says that there is no such problem. In the meantime, Lokomotiv is trying to climb out of the bottom of the table. And the fans don't care much about the topic of "their own — not their own in the squad." I've always believed that if a foreigner in a team lives by its laws, is loyal to it, and fights for the honor of the club, then he belongs. An example is the Brazilian Robson, who played for Spartak in the late 90s. It was for this attitude that he was respected in the team and loved by the fans. And he got a place in the squad not because he cost the club a lot of money, but because of how hard he worked in training and fought in the game. I knew that this was the only way to earn the coach's trust.

I remember Dasaev telling me, after he left for Sevilla, that he immediately realized in Spain: if you want to play in a new place, be a cut above the locals. I think Batrakov has already felt this. The main thing is that he does not falter or swim from the first steps. As for Lokomotiv, which is left without him, the team is facing a difficult season. And it is already clear that she will have to solve completely different tasks than in the previous championship. But I don't see Alexey's fault in such a turn of fate for Lokomotiv.

— After the home draw with Akron, there was talk that Krasnodar was shaking. Do you think this is the cost of psychological fatigue of a leader who has never lost a championship, or a sign of self-confidence? After all, they had also surprised with a draw with Krylia before that.

— It is clear that against the background of Krasnodar's strong start, many people were surprised by its draws with the second-tier teams. And my fans are also worried. The reasons here can be very different. But this is not the result of overconfidence or underestimation of the opponent. The bulls always fight only for victory. Therefore, a half—hearted game is not for a team of already seasoned fighters. Take, for example, the win away from Spartak, where at first the Southerners were inferior in the score. And the way they confidently broke into the season without the departed Spertsyan and the injured Cordoba, once again confirmed the character without which they do not become champions.

A couple of passing draws can be attributed to the current tournament misfires, from which no one is immune. But their surprise speaks to the authority and respect with which teams from the leadership category are usually treated. And although the loss of such points is an unpleasant thing, there is also a positive point in this — a reason for Murad Musayev to shake up the team, giving it a new gaming impulse. I have no doubt he knows how to do it.