- You made your debut in the Russian national team only in 30 years. Even by the standards of beach soccer, this is a respectable age ...

- It's really late, but it happened. Still, in Russia until recently, beach soccer was not the sport that has been practiced since childhood. Many people try themselves in big football, and in the “beach” they are closer to 25. As for me, before I had to combine sports with work, priorities were set somewhat differently. And when I got to Spartak, I realized that everything was going well. Slowly began to progress, and the national team head coach Mikhail Likhachev drew attention to me.

- A year and a half after your debut in the national team, you became the top scorer of the national team at the World Cup.

- My successful performance is largely due to the fact that I found my place in the four. For the second year now I have been playing in the national team with the same partners: Alexei Makarov, Anton Shkarin and Andrey Novikov. This is my dream-tim. They would ask who I wanted to see instead of them in the four, I would refuse any Brazilian, because I know what to expect from the guys. My goals are not so much my credit as to our quartet. I just played on the edge and scored.

- In beach soccer, refereeing is constantly discussed and the World Cup was no exception. Was the arbitrators level so low?

- They seek to develop the sport all over the world. This applies, including judges. One could not go far and take three or four brigades from Russia; the level of arbitration would be disproportionately higher. And it so happened that people did not know the simplest rules. In addition, BSWW requires judges to blow whistles with minimal touch. I do not understand this.

- Is VAR able to help beach soccer?

- This is rather a philosophical question. Of course, the system helps to correct judicial errors, but its introduction with us in the near future is unrealistic. It is expensive, impractical and impracticable for our sport. I'm afraid it just won’t pay off.

  • Zemskov about his appearance in the Russian team

- After the World Cup there is a feeling that the level of national teams is growing?

- It's hard to say, because I have been in the national team for the second year. But rather, yes. On the example of the UAE and Senegal, with which we fought, it was clearly visible.

- Where do beach soccer go, in your opinion?

- I think in our sport they are trying to create brands from some football players. This, for example, is about Gabriel Gori, Santos Jordan Alejandra, who played with us in Spartak last year, Ozu Moreira. These are people who are trying in every possible way to promote, although I do not detract from their football merits. Take the "Golden Ball" at the end of the tournament. It was Moreira who received it, although he spent the match for bronze with Russia extremely unsuccessfully, and did not score an important penalty shoot-out in the semifinals with Portugal. That is, the BSWW are trying to create their Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

- Aren’t you afraid that you yourself will become such a “brand”?

- No, I think BSWW knows how old I am. The ambassador from Russia now is Boris Nikonorov. I think he copes with his task as a media person in addition to being a great football player.

- Can we say that the “brand” is made of the goalkeeper of the Russian national team Maxim Chuzhkov? After all, on the eve of the World Cup they gave him the Golden Ball as the best goalkeeper in the world.

- He was nominated three times for this award, and, in my opinion, in all cases deserved to receive it. In 2017 and 2018, he “pulled out” most of the tournaments, both in the national team and in the club.

- You scored 56 goals in 47 matches for the national team. What milestone are you striving for?

- The number 100 is smiling at me at the moment. Why not? I also like that the number of goals for the national team is more than the number of matches. It will be great to continue to move on such a schedule in the future.

- Before the start of the World Cup, they could have suggested that you could distinguish yourself 10 times?

- Why not? Still, six matches are quite a lot. In addition, we were waiting for a meeting with the teams of the UAE and Senegal, as it seemed to me then, not the strongest.

- You are one of the main masters of the strike team through yourself. How did you learn this?

- In childhood, he was engaged in acrobatics. I recall how, as a boy, I wrote down on the cassettes "Champions League Diary", since he was walking quite late. And in one of the matches, the Fiorentina football player scored a cosmic ball through himself. Just blissed out at this goal and broke a couple of sofas at home, trying to break through the same way. Then the love of somersaults was born. And then I came to the “beach” and realized that it’s quite possible to beat like that, and this is not fopping, but an effective technique.

- Has your coordination since childhood been so good?

- Probably. My dad was also very athletic and played with me anything. He did literally everything and welcomed my hobbies to acrobatics. Of course, it paid off. Agility has been laid since childhood. Although, in my opinion, anyone can learn how to strike through themselves, there are enough examples.

- When we switched to beach soccer, how difficult was adaptation to this sport, for example, to unpredictable bounces of the ball?

- I started with the championship of the Moscow region, where I wasn’t beaten through myself. The goalkeeper just threw the ball in my head, and I nodded towards the goal. As for the rebounds, they still remain a problem for me.

Chunky players with a low center of gravity have an easier time. I’m more comfortable when the shell reaches me through the air. Dribbling and handling the ball below is a bit of mine.

- Why are mini-football and “beach” things going so well in Russia, unlike big football?

- Rather, it is in mine football. He and in the 90s of the XX century in the country was at a chic level. A beach in many ways began its development with an eye on it. Although physical exercises and team interactions at one time brought Nikolai Pisarev from big football. And from futsal, tactics and the drawing of standards came. So the physically and tactically prepared Russian team was formed, which won everything that is possible.

- How did you get to beach soccer? After all, they started in big football as a goalkeeper.

- At some point I ended my career, although I still think that I could have acted differently. On the other hand, if I had stayed, there would not have been all the successes in the “beach”. When finished, friends from my native Korolev invited me to play for an amateur beach soccer team. But to stand at the gate there I was wildly bored, and I decided to try myself in the attack. Then they learned that the championship of the Moscow region will be held in Mytishchi, went there, everything worked out. Thus formed the club "Elmont", which is currently playing in the Super League.

- Remember what was the first salary you had in beach soccer?

- In the "Elmonte" were premium. And the first salary, when I got into the Super League, amounted to 25 thousand rubles a month.

- How to take business seriously when they pay that kind of money?

- It's all about professionalism. I know a lot of talented guys who ended their careers at 25. Although I myself tied it up with big football out of fear of remaining in poverty, if it doesn’t work out. But you can safely combine sport and work. In beach soccer there are many such examples. Take the same Dario Ramachotti, who scored three goals for us in the World Cup semi-finals. He said that he had gone into business, and when the opportunity arose to go to the World Cup again, he returned. But it is clear that all top football players have good contracts, some pay extra to national federations, someone lives off of clubs.

  • Zemskov about salaries in beach football and retirement

- How long does the training take?

- Most often they last in cycles. We train five to six days a week. You need to understand that sand - The substance is heavy, and you can get tired of it very quickly if you work without days off. And this year there were many tournaments with the national team; almost four months did not appear at home.

- Do not you think it is unfair that salaries in big and beach football are so different?

- This is the handwriting of our time. Big football is simply more popular. There is demand for it, and demand creates supply. I’m much more offended that people who don’t know anything and just ape on YouTube become millionaires. At the same time, doctors and firefighters are forced to make ends meet.

- There is a feeling that the popularity of beach soccer in the country is growing? Maybe they began to recognize you more on the streets after the World Cup?

- I’m not Artyom Dziuba, about whom a huge number of articles are written after each match. After returning from Paraguay, I was recognized by a few. It is clear that SMS comes from friends and old acquaintances. But popularity is definitely growing. In this regard, a serious impetus was given to the World Cup qualification tournament, which was held in the summer of 2019 in Moscow. He was actively covered by the media, a lot of people came to the matches. Therefore, the leadership of domestic beach football and the players themselves have high hopes for the home world championship in 2021. It will definitely give an impetus to the development of the sport.

- What is big football for you at this stage?

- I was ill for Spartak as a child, I really liked the team of Oleg Romantsev. When all this collapsed and collapsed, the emotions cooled slightly. Now, we can say, the “second wave” has begun. I can’t call myself a fan, but I rejoice when the team wins. In general, modern football is the highest skill. I am amazed at what is now shown on the field, even if we do not take into account the “aliens” Messi and Ronaldo. People run 12 km on Wednesday, and on Sunday hold matches of the national championship. This can be called a great achievement of sports science in terms of recovery. If I played big football, then only at the gate. I certainly wouldn’t be able to run so much.

- And in beach soccer you can afford to play even with excess weight ...

- Yes, you can meet this. There is, for example, a wonderful football player Dejan Stankovic, who defends the colors of the Swiss national team. But he is old enough, and it is simply difficult for him to be completely fit. Nevertheless, he knows his business and drags the national team and the clubs for which he plays. In a good way, you won’t especially run around the sand with excess weight. Such players steal themselves at the speed of movement.

- What players, teams or trends do you follow?

- You can learn a lot about attitude to the matter from big football. I admire people who have kept a passion for the game, not a passion for a contract. Vivid examples are Sadio Mane, N'Golo Cante or my favorite Didier Drogba. These guys are real professionals. As for club addictions in Europe, there are none, I can root for both Barcelona and Real Madrid depending on the situation. I love the game itself more. Of course, now it’s hard to find a team that shows a prettier football than Liverpool. I enjoy watching the Champions League. This is my favorite tournament, from which I get aesthetic pleasure.

- And how did you react to the delivery of the sixth “Golden Ball” Messi?

- Yes, it's just a vote. Glad for Lionel. I consider him the best football player in the world. I think Cristiano Ronaldo is a genius because he survived the rivalry with the Argentinean and retained the position of “one of two.” But the ability to create a Messi game is second to none.

- Is there a footballer who reminds you of himself?

- Thomas Muller. He is very clumsy, but, nevertheless, the balls from him fly into the goal. I would compare myself with him.

- Make friends with one of the players?

- Denis Glushakov is still very warmly communicating with the players of the beach Spartak. I know that many football players are happy to watch the “beach”. Although they probably consider everything that happens on the site "kindergarten." In general, the “big” “Spartak” whenever possible supports our team. The guys recorded motivational videos for us, for example, in front of a derby from CSKA. We can answer the same. I would love to take part in the match between the Russian national teams on beach and big football.

- Who would be invited to such a meeting from the big football?

- In the role of a personal opponent, I would take Dziuba. We studied at the same institute in parallel groups, and even then he drew attention to himself. No, they didn’t communicate with him, they had their own company with the guys from the Spartak double. But even then it was clear that this is an open person with a good sense of humor. I am very glad that everything turned out for him. If we continue to talk about this five, then I really like the attitude to the case of Denis Cheryshev. I think he is a professional to the bone.

- Who else?

- We’ll put Igor Akinfeev at the gate, just on the penalty shoot-out. Alexander Golovin is unlikely to come, he has plenty of business in France, and there are enough beaches in Monaco. Although let's call him, and he will organize a match for us in Monte Carlo. Well, let the last be Andrei Tikhonov, one of my favorite football players. He will play well due to the choice of position. In addition, he also played for Spartak, and most importantly, he is from Korolev, just like me. I watched his game from childhood. Tikhonov is the only footballer whose autograph I had.

  • Zemskov about studying with Dziuba and his beloved footballer

- What do you remember about your failed career in big football?

- In “Nika” we were trained by Oleg Romantsev. He was a consultant. His son Vadim Olegovich worked there.

- In the debut season in professional football, you crossed paths with Vasily Baranov on the field.

- I remember our meeting very well. The opponent earned a free kick 35-40 meters from the goal, and just Vasily came up to the ball. At that moment I thought: “have arrived”. He had a “scary gun”, he tore the net on the gate. With a fright, he built a wall of four people, and Baranov struck somewhere in the sky.

- Who managed to achieve the greatest success of those players with whom you crossed paths in Lokomotiv-2 and Nika?

- Glushakov was also in Nika, but we did not meet. He left there, and I came just a month after that. Together with Alexander Kolomeytsev, who now plays in Lokomotiv, he studied together at the RSUFKSMiTe as trainers. Maybe he remembers me. We were the most persistent and in the first or second year we went to all couples. It happened that they sat together when there were some problems with the schedule. There were footballers who really reached for knowledge. At later courses, they tried to combine study with training, but several subjects were directly very interesting. I tried not to let them pass, as did Sanya. I also follow him and enjoy his success.