On the way of Dziuba: why renting in Sochi can be the salvation of Kokorin’s career

The rent of striker Alexander Kokorin in Sochi was the most discussed event in the winter off-season of the Russian Premier League. More recently, the striker was considered in Zenit as a player of the main clip, whose return was eagerly awaited after his release from the colony. On Tuesday, he became the ninth player in the St. Petersburg club, who went to the Black Sea from the banks of the Neva.

The transfer was unexpected for both the fans and the player himself. His agent and stepfather Kirill Loginov claimed that Kokorin was not going to leave the lease and did not sign the corresponding agreement with Sochi. At the same time, Zenit head coach Sergei Semak also made it clear on social networks that he would not want to let the player go.

Nevertheless, the assessment of this event is best given in terms of how it can affect the player himself. Although Kokorin himself may not approve of the decision of the club's management, it is possible that for his career in the current circumstances, a change of scenery can be extremely useful.

Some four months ago, Kokorin was in a Belgorod correctional colony, not having the opportunity to train as part of a team and even just maintain the form necessary for a professional athlete. In this state, the footballer stayed for almost a year, complaining about problems with sore knees. If among the experts there were optimists who claimed that Kokorin would still return to big football, then they made a reservation - it would take a lot of time, and it would be better to postpone returning to the top club to a later date.

After his release, Kokorin only conducted training with the main team under the leadership of Semak and took part in the first winter training camp in Qatar. In order to immediately play in the “Zenith” and help him arrange the championship, this may not be enough. When a player misses more than a year due to a serious injury, he needs to go through the intermediate stage for a full return. Kokorin is in a very similar position, and renting in Sochi can just become such a lifeline.

We must not forget that Zenit is a club that can afford wide rotation in each position, and the role of striker is no exception. The team has already gathered such powerful forwards as Artyom Dziuba, Serdar Azmun and Sebastian Driussi. In the near future, Malcolm should return to duty, and because of a knee injury, he spent less time without football than Kokorin. A 28-year-old player may simply not be able to compete in such a company. Options with the transition from the center of attack to the flank are unlikely, as the requirements for physical fitness will increase.

Now you can evaluate Kokorin’s form only one at a time in a friendly match with Al-Uvainakh, in which the striker scored three goals and assisted Dzube. Of course, this is a good indicator, but it should not be misleading, given the weakness of the opponent. Against this background, Alexander demonstrated speed, and strike, and technique, as opponents in many ways simply allowed him to do this. So it’s too early to talk about the full return of the attacker to his level, shown in the fall of the year before last.

Artyom Dziuba could tell about the beneficial effects of short-term leases. Before the World Cup, he fell out of favor with Roberto Mancini and was forced to spend the second half of the season in the Tula Arsenal. Of course, then Dziuba had neither health problems nor form, but at Zenit his prospects at that time were as vague as Kokorin’s now. Dziuba withstood this test with dignity and not only confirmed that he remains one of the leading strikers of the country, but also made his way to the national team for the World Cup. Kokorin did not go to the national team until his detention, but the upcoming Euro 2020 may well motivate Alexander to prove himself well in Sochi.

The fact that in the Sochi club, which occupies the last line of the RPL standings, Kokorin will receive a lot of playing time and a guaranteed place in the squad, there is hardly any doubt. If the striker is sure that he is really in good shape, then it will not be difficult for him to win the competition against Dmitry Poloz and Anton Zabolotny, their recent Zenit partners.

In addition, Sochi will have to spend one more game in the spring due to postponement of the match with Orenburg, as a result the club will have five meetings in 20 days. In these conditions, the value of Kokorin as a football player capable of strengthening the team may increase.

There is another important factor - in the summer, Kokorin ends a contract with Zenit. It will be easier to extend it and get more favorable conditions, or at least keep the old ones, if you go out onto the field in a Sochi T-shirt and not sit on the bench in the shape of a Zenith. In addition, other clubs, in the event of a successful performance by Alexander as part of the RPL debutant, may also be interested in strikers.

The fact that renting can help Kokorin restart his career agrees former Zenit player Alexei Igonin.

“If Alexander will play in Sochi in the first team, then, of course, the move will benefit him. Because at Zenit, it seems, they are not sure that there is a place for it at the base. As you know, it’s better to play than to sit on a bench. It is very difficult to say in what form it is now - it is very individual. On the one hand, a lot of time has passed after the injury, on the other, Kokorin has not had practice for a long time, ”Igonin told RT.

At the same time, leaving Zenit will mean that Kokorin this year will no longer be able to compete with the team for the gold medals of the Russian championship. But the return to professional football is sometimes more important than any titles. In addition, Kokorin is only 28 years old, and at this age he may well survive the new heyday of his career. So, according to Igonin, in the future, the option of moving the forward to the club, which will fight for the titles, is quite possible.

“I think Sasha may still be in the top club. In the same "Zenith". As for Europe, here, I think, there is no question of grandees. Perhaps something would have happened earlier, when he was at the peak of form, but now time is lost. In general, in this regard, a lot depends not only on the capabilities of Alexander, but also on his desire. As we see, players who have achieved something in the Russian championship are often in no hurry to go abroad, ”Igonin outlined the prospects for Kokorin.