"Compared to the youth team, the speeds are completely different": the Russian national football team held its first training sessions in Novogorsk

"At first I didn't believe that I was called up to the national team"

The November training camp of the Russian national team started on Sunday.

Moreover, only six players took part in the first training session: Georgy Dzhikia, Alexander Sobolev and Roman Zobnin (all Spartak), Andrei Semyonov (Akhmat), Fedor Kudryashov (Antalyaspor) and Anton Zabolotny (Sochi).

In the evening, the rest of the players who play in the RPL arrived at the location of the national team.

As a result, 25 people entered the field on Monday.

By this time, only legionnaires Alexei Miranchuk and Denis Cheryshev had not reached Novogorsk.

But Anton Shunin, Mario Fernandez, Igor Smolnikov and Artyom Dzyuba will not help the national team in the next matches.

The Dynamo goalkeeper fell ill with ARVI.

The defenders of CSKA and Krasnodar received the same injury - damage to the muscles of the back of the thigh.

Finally, the Zenit striker was recalled from the training camp due to the desire of the coaching staff to protect both the team and the footballer from unnecessary negativity and tension.

But Cherchesov invited a large group of youth players.

In November, Safonov's company was joined by army players Igor Diveev, Konstantin Kuchaev and Ivan Oblyakov, as well as Dynamo players Daniil Lesovoy and Roman Evgeniev.

The latter admitted that he did not immediately believe in the challenge. 

The Russian national team is training in Novogorsk.

25 players take part in it, all are engaged in a general group.

Arrival of Alexei Miranchuk and Denis Cheryshev is expected late in the evening. # Our Guys # Team Russia pic.twitter.com/iqfkXgjTPl

- Russian national team (@TeamRussia) November 9, 2020

“It happened at the end of the recovery training after the match with Tambov.

I was told in the locker room.

I didn't believe it at first.

I went online to read the news and saw that I really was on the list.

The emotions were only positive.

I am very happy.

I cannot say that I was expecting a call, but I assumed that it could happen, "the defender said.

It is curious that the youth and the main national teams of Russia train on the neighboring fields of the Novogorsk training center, and therefore the players have the opportunity to communicate with each other.

However, according to Evgeniev, no one from the youth team made fun of him about the "promotion".

“We performed well in the qualifying round of the European Youth Championship - 2021, so they probably paid attention to us.

My task is to work and train, and then we'll see what the coaching staff will decide, ”added Evgeniev, commenting on the prospects of his participation in the upcoming matches.

The defender arrived in Novogorsk in a great mood also because his Dynamo won three victories in a row under the leadership of the new head coach Sandro Schwartz.

In the last match, the blue and white defeated Lokomotiv with a score of 5: 1, and Evgeniev himself, entering the field with a captain's armband, scored and gave an assist.  

“This is really my best match for Dynamo so far.

And the arrival of a new coach is always a kind of shake-up.

These are new requirements and emotions.

In addition, Schwartz is the first foreign specialist in my career.

I like everything so far.

Everyone understands how to play and what is required of us, ”Yevgeniev emphasized.

Kuchaev had no reason to be sad either, because CSKA won its fifth victory in a row in the RPL on Saturday and consolidated its leadership in the standings.

The midfielder himself scored his sixth goal in the current season of the national championship.

“I think it's not just the results and leadership of our team.

The fact that we tried and gave all our strength contributed more.

To be fair, some players of the national team did not manage to come to the training camp.

It also helped, ”Kuchaev said. 

At the same time, the footballer admitted that he had not yet experienced any special impressions from his arrival in the national team.  

“We only arrived at the base at night and today we held the first training of a recovery nature.

First of all, the level of play of the main and youth teams differs.

This is visible to the naked eye and applies to all national teams.

The speeds here are completely different, and it is much more difficult to play, "Kuchaev added.

Also, the CSKA midfielder said that the head coach of the youth team Mikhail Galaktionov congratulated him on the challenge and asked him to be more confident. 

"I have not been in the national team for a long time and I miss this atmosphere"

In addition to young footballers, several experienced performers who have not been invited to the team for a relatively long time, for example, Zenit midfielder Alexander Erokhin, received a call to the national team.

He played his last match for the national team more than a year ago, but the effective game of the native of Barnaul this season (seven goals in all tournaments) contributed to his return.

“I am very glad, because I have not been in the national team for a long time and I miss this atmosphere.

Came here in a good mood.

You always return to Novogorsk after the World Cup as if it were home.

Coaches will tell you where they need to use me.

The main thing is to help the team, and in what capacity it is secondary, ”admitted Erokhin.

At the same time, the midfielder missed Sunday's match between Zenit and Krasnodar due to an injury that he received in a meeting with Lazio in the Champions League.

According to the footballer, he tried to take part in the pre-game training, but felt discomfort. 

“The situation is improving every day, and I will train in the national team under the supervision of doctors.

For me, the more matches the better, because football is a game.

It's good when you maintain your game tone, "said Erokhin.

He also called the rivals of the Russian national team in the League of Nations group "good, high-quality teams" and noted that in the next matches Cherchesov's wards will have a hard time. 

And Sochi striker Anton Zabolotny returned to the national team after two years.

The last time he wore her shirt was during the last season of the League of Nations - in the November match with Sweden.

Now, perhaps, the forward will play again with the Scandinavians.

“The mood is excellent, I really missed the national team.

I have not been invited here for a long period, and I am very happy to be in Novogorsk.

At first I received information that Cherchesov had informed about my call.

But there was no official list yet, so I didn't know whether to believe it or not.

The next day, the list was made public, and I realized that I was calling for the national team.

Frankly, it was very nice, ”the RFU official website quotes the footballer.

Zabolotny, who scored three goals in the current RPL season, admitted that he is currently experiencing a white streak and enjoys football.

He added that in the national team he will try to give all his best on the field, no matter what role the coaching staff assigned him.

“I followed the national team, worried about the guys.

Three games in ten days - a complicated schedule.

We will adapt and work under the guidance of our coaching staff.

Moreover, all the teams in this regard are in the same conditions.

The team has a deep roster, this should also help us, ”added Zabolotny.