"What you are doing is a shame": how the meeting between Lokomotiv and the fans turned into a pick between Kiknadze and the fans

Semin's absence and Lisakovich's signing

Lokomotiv's meeting with the fans turned out to be extremely eventful. Football fans expected from the event a tough pick between the railway fans and the club's general director Vasily Kiknadze and waited for it.

However, there were enough other interesting moments at the Lokomotiv stadium, where the meeting took place. Firstly, the players and the coaching staff received silver medals at the end of the last RPL season. At the same time, the former mentor of the red-greens, Yuri Semin, was not present at the arena. The head of the club's board of directors Anatoly Meshcheryakov promised to send the specialist an award and noted that at the moment the team is headed by another coach.

It was also announced that the 22-year-old striker Shakhtar Soligorsk Vitaly Lisakovich has moved to Lokomotiv. The Belarusian signed a four-year contract with the red-greens and received the 88th number.

In addition, two other newcomers to the team, Vitaly Lystsov and Zhasur Zhaloliddinov, were introduced to the fans. The transfer of the first turned out to be special, because the defender is a pupil of railway workers. In communicating with the fans, he did not hide that he was happy to return.

“I can say that my whole football life has been training near this stadium and dreamed of being here. As you can see, dreams come true, you just have to work and strive forward. I hope everything will be fine, "Lystsov said on the air of the Lokomotiv YouTube channel.

In turn, the Uzbek midfielder admitted that he wants to learn a lot from Alexei Miranchuk, and also stressed that he will have to work “twice as much” at Lokomotiv.

The fans could not help asking Miranchuk himself about his possible departure for the Italian Milan.

“So far there is no specifics, there are some intentions, but no one has spoken to me personally ... I am at Lokomotiv and happy. I want to play football, help the team perform well in the Champions League and stop dissatisfaction with the second places, ”Alexey answered.

And Fyodor Smolov, who returned to the team from a loan in the Spanish "Celta", stressed that the information about his transfer to the Turkish "Fenerbahce" does not correspond to reality.

Finally, Jefferson Farfan, with whom the club did not renew the contract, seized the moment to say goodbye to Loko fans.

“I wish the team only success. Lokomotiv will forever remain in my heart. It was a wonderful 3.5 years, they literally put me in armor here. Then I matured and hardened. Nobody can erase this time from my memory, ”said the Peruvian.

"I will not leave and will make this club the strongest"

However, the most interesting thing began when Kiknadze took the floor, to whom most of the organized fans of Lokomotiv announced a boycott after the decision not to renew the contract with Semin. Since then, active fans have limited themselves to derogatory chants against the management and leave the stadium at the 20th minute of the matches. So it was in the meeting for the Super Cup, in which the railroad workers lost to Zenit - 1: 2.

The first complaint against Kiknadze was the increase in prices for season tickets, which was necessary in order to "heat the stadium." However, according to fans, nothing was done. Another fan, complaining about Semin's departure from the club, compared Kiknadze to the former president of Lokomotiv Olga Smorodskaya, who was also in conflict with the fans, and read a poem that was not very pleasant for the general director.

Kiknadze reacted to this speech as harshly as possible and threatened that in case of a repetition of a similar situation, the team would "get up and leave." In response, the tribunes chanted a call for the CEO's resignation. This was followed by another question about Syomin.

“As if you don’t know where he went. I explain to you where he went, a long time ago and for the umpteenth time. I want to say to those gathered here. I can hear you shouting: "Kiknadze, leave the club." I will not leave and will make this club the strongest. But what you are doing, in my opinion, is a shame, ”the functionary replied.

Kiknadze stressed that fans can shout whatever they want at him, but they do not make decisions and cannot seriously influence the club.

“Shamefully for eight matches you got up and left in the 20th minute and left the team without support. Only one thing is heard: "Remove Kiknadze, remove!" What is your merit in the good performance of the team? " - added the general director of Lokomotiv.

The functionary also reminded the audience that only the board of directors of the club can make the decision to remove him from the post, but he does not see the prerequisites for this.

Perhaps the only question for Kiknadze, which had nothing to do with his pick with the fans, concerned future transfers. According to the general director, two or three more newcomers may join the team.

“Don't ask when, the transfer window is long, until mid-October. Much has to do with the tactics of negotiating, but one or two gains, I think, await the team in the near future. Perhaps, within the next week we will announce the strengthening, ”Kiknadze promised.

"We play for you, but only hear:" Leadership, guidance "

Lokomotiv footballers in this situation took the side of the general director. Many of them complained that the fans, carried away by the conflict with the leadership, forgot about their main task - to support the team. For example, this point of view was expressed by Smolov. 

“I get the impression that you are not interested in us. All questions and all attacks addressed to Vasily Alexandrovich, who is part of the club and the team. You've all come now, everyone shakes for something different, ”the striker complained.

And according to midfielder Dmitry Barinov, it was the fans of Lokomotiv that were not enough to equalize the score in the match for the Russian Super Cup with Zenit.

“Yesterday, when the score was 1: 2, you had to drive us forward, and we would have taken the Super Cup. Sorry, this is my opinion. I would like to appeal to all the fans: we respect, appreciate, love you, but why such an attitude towards us? We didn't deserve this. We are footballers, not management. We play for you, but only hear: "Leadership, guidance". Drive us forward, we have a difficult season, Champions League. I'm talking about yesterday's match. Honestly, I heard a couple of chants in support, the rest is about leadership. Do we deserve it? Where are we here? " - the footballer was indignant.

And the team captain Vedran Chorluka emotionally answered the question whether the team has ambitions to enter the Champions League playoffs.

“Do you think we have no ambition? Think we didn't want to leave the group in the previous two seasons? We have ambitions and always will, we want Lokomotiv to be at the top. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, ”the Croat assured.

It is curious that the new head coach of Lokomotiv Marko Nikolic in such an electrified atmosphere was practically forgotten by the fans. The specialist spoke only a couple of times.

In particular, he was asked how the railroad workers will play now. In response, the Serb stressed that in the match against Zenit, his players were in possession of the ball more often than their opponents and struck more shots.

“We need to do everything to make the football shown by the team more stable both in attack and in defense. Sometimes we will act as "number two", and sometimes - go ahead. In an amicable way, we need time, but we do not have it. Matches will take place every three days. The team must learn a new style of play step by step, but the result is also important to me. If these two factors start to coincide, it will be great, ”Nikolic summed up.