“The rival does not know who to fear more in our squad”: what Cherchesov and Dziuba said before the match Russia - Belgium

“We need to satisfy our sports ego.”

On the eve of the qualifying match of the Russian national team with Belgium, head coach Stanislav Cherchesov spoke about the preparation of the team, and also answered the question about the possible return of CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.

- Are you satisfied with how the national team gathered in Sochi?

- Yes, everything went as we planned. We liked the field, the weather was good.

- Could the team strangled to play under the roof of Gazprom Arena?

- We specially conduct the November match here, because you never know what the weather will be like. And the roof is only for our benefit. It seems not stuffy, but this question is better answered by Artyom Dziube, who often plays in St. Petersburg.

- Midfielder of Monaco Alexander Golovin trained on an individual program. What can you say about his condition?

- He tried to train with us, including today, but he has problems that will prevent him from going to the match with Belgium.

- Is it expected that Alexey Miranchuk or Zelimkhan Bakaev will take his position?

- We have time to think, try different combinations. But we believe in all football players. Tomorrow is a difficult game, and we need to decide how to organize everything so that everyone can prove themselves.

- Is it nice to think that not only Dziuba, but also other players score in the team?

- Of course, it’s good that nine players scored in our qualifying round. This is a plus, because we are not dependent on one or two players. In addition, this creates problems for an opponent who does not know who to fear more. Therefore, it is necessary to diversify the game.

- If Guillerme is the number one goalkeeper in the national team, then who are number two and three?

“I have no favorites.” Both Soslan Dzhanaev and Anton Shunin are in good condition. We do not have the basic structure, there is only a starting one, since everyone is equal. Guilherme will defend our gates tomorrow.

- Is it true that you persuaded to return to the team of Igor Akinfeev? Does the team need him?

- We never talked with him about this topic. Last seen on August 22, at the opening ceremony of his tournament. On October 13, Igor congratulated us on the victory. That's all our communication over the past six months. As for the second question, Akinfeev ended his career after the home world championship. We discussed his decision, and he said that there was no question of return. At the moment, nothing has changed, so I see no reason to say anything else.

- Is it right to evaluate the game of the national team in the match with Belgium?

- We play with the favorite of the group. It is important for us to show what we have planned. You need to clearly understand what to work on. Yes, this is a serious rival, and we created our own comfortable situation for ourselves. Tomorrow's game will solve local problems, not global ones. But this is a sport, and everyone wants to win. And we need to satisfy our sports ego.

- Around the new form of the Russian team goes a lot of talk. What do you think of her?

- There are nuances that need to be finalized. But our team did not discuss this topic at all. By the way, at the beginning no one liked our current form either. There are always questions that will be answered without us. And the team will perform in the clothes that we will have.

“Must be a single mechanism”

Forward Artyom Dziuba appreciated the form in which the leader of the Belgian national team Eden Hazard is, and spoke about the atmosphere in the national team.

- In the first game, one of the leaders of the Belgian national team Eden Hazard caused Russia a lot of problems, but now he is not in better shape. Will this be your advantage?

- They also say about Cristiano Ronaldo that he is not. And he comes to the national team and draws a hat-trick, and again everyone starts shouting about his greatness. Hazard has not yet managed to adapt to Real Madrid, but the situation in the national team is completely different. There he is a star and the main striking force, there he feels much better. And they have a whole scattering of such players. Therefore, do not wait for Eden to give all his best.

- From whom else in the national team of Belgium can we expect danger?

- They have all the top-level players. You can expect trouble from everyone. But we have a game plan, from which we will build on.

- Recently, it has become more comfortable for you to play for the national team?

- We have a good, solid team, there is the trust of a coach, an amazing atmosphere, due to which we manage to score a lot. There are goals that we strive for. To play for the national team is a great honor. Everyone is happy to come here, miss the team. I am a striker, acting on the edge, and should score more than the rest. I hope that it will be possible to do this with different teams.

- How would you rate your fitness?

- Some sores have accumulated in everyone, fatigue has accumulated. But this is not an excuse. We are fueled by the necessary energy in the team. Indeed, in the matches of the championship of Russia, football players do not just play football, but fight.

- What can you say about replacing Golovin? Are you more comfortable playing with Miranchuk or Bakaev?

- To be honest, I was very upset when I found out that Golovin and Denis Cheryshev would not be, because this is the backbone of our team. I hope those who come out will prove to be no worse. But you can’t talk about with whom I am more comfortable, and with whom it is less comfortable. The main thing is to properly perform their functions on the field. We must be a single mechanism, so no one should fall out. All players go out together, act for each other. To stand for the team must be earned. Therefore, no one chooses who and what is convenient, who is friends with whom.