"Everything turned out as if according to the scenario": how the Russian national team rejoiced at the victory at the home World Beach Soccer Championship

"These are 14 patriots of Russia who love our country and respect it"

After the end of the final match of the World Cup, it was unusually quiet in the mixed zone near the Luzhniki stadium.

It seemed that the players of the Russian national team would loudly celebrate a historic home victory, but in reality they behaved quite calmly.

The last strength was given during the awards ceremony, where the triumphants bathed in plenty of gold confetti.

So the head coach of the team, Mikhail Likhachev, looked very tired, but at the same time happy.

After all, he not only won the world championship for the third time with the national team, but also did it within his own walls.

However, it was difficult to compare these victories.

“Debut, in 2011 as the first child.

She became special.

The second, in 2013, was won on the distant island of Tahiti, where it is almost impossible to get there.

It turned out to be very heavy and somewhat resembles the current one.

It is clear that at home I really wanted to climb to the highest step of the podium.

I'm happy and I can't even convey all my feelings.

I am proud for our guys and for everyone who helped us.

I would especially like to note the coaching and administrative staffs, which worked day and night, preparing the players.

Many thanks to my assistants and, of course, wards.

These are 14 patriots of Russia who love and respect our country.

At this championship, they did everything possible to please their homeland, ”Likhachev said.

However, according to him, the performance in Moscow imposed additional responsibility on the national team, since here only victory was expected from it.

“You saw the first match against the USA.

Our knees were just shaking.

Plus, the start was delayed, the opening ceremony was long.

It wasn't easy.

Fortunately, then we managed to win.

I always tell the guys that the starting fight is important from the point of view of the result.

You can play not in the best way, but the main thing is to get the upper hand.

And then we have already added with each meeting.

Believe me, this is key in major tournaments.

We approached the final confrontation of the group stage in a form that allowed us to rise to the top, ”the coach added.

Also, the specialist did not agree that Japan was not ready for the final, and praised her for good football.

“It was very difficult to play with them.

Fortunately, the guys did what I asked them to do.

But in the semifinals, not everything turned out.

This, among other things, is connected with personnel problems, while the final was held with an almost ideal composition, ”Likhachev recalled.

"Until I even believed in what we did"

But the team captain Anton Shkarin was less diplomatic.

According to the defender, the Japanese initially did not believe in their success, and it was immediately obvious from them.

“If you go out with such thoughts, it's hard to win.

We acted on the defensive class and allowed the opponent to create a minimum of chances at our goal.

It's good that we scored five goals, although we could have scored more.

This is a good win.

All the guys are great.

But, in fact, there was a hidden finale with Switzerland, ”the footballer explained.

It is noteworthy that he, along with Dmitry Shishin, Alexei Makarov and Yuri Krasheninnikov, was among the performers who won the world championship for the third time.

The 38-year-old veteran expressed his readiness to go to the next world championship.

“Of course, it’s worth waiting for me there too.

Wait and see.

But I don’t want to think about the future yet.

I'm more interested in the current year and the season that has not ended.

Let's play some more.

Until I even believed in what we did.

And the rest of the guys have similar thoughts.

It seems that they just beat Japan, but the realization of triumph did not come.

From my own experience, I know that you don't understand this right away, ”added Shkarin.

At the same time, his communication with journalists was not without a note of sadness.

The captain lamented that he would never find such an atmosphere as at the home world championship anywhere else.

“We are already starting to miss the fans.

After the awards ceremony, I entered an empty stadium and realized that it would never be filled again.

In the final, the support was crazy.

Thank you very much to everyone who came, as well as to those who stayed at the TV screens.

We had incredible motivation.

In our time, it is a miracle that Russia generally held a tournament with spectators, ”the athlete emphasized.

The World Cup turned out to be special also for the reason that the hosts had to perform under the name of the "RFU team", and before the matches, instead of the national anthem, they listened to the first concert of Tchaikovsky.

However, according to the player, this did not affect the team in any way.

“Yes, we miss our native flag and anthem.

We missed them.

But people came and supported us.

And by the way, I perfectly heard how the fans sang the national anthem during the performance of Tchaikovsky's concert.

It turned out great.

Therefore, in any case, we felt like Russians, ”the footballer summed up.

But another three-time champion of the planet in the national team Makarov could not give a clear answer regarding his future.

“To catch up with the Brazilians in the number of victories at the World Cup?

Let's see if the guys want to continue playing.

There are no global plans yet.

I want to stay away from beach soccer and sand in general for a week.

There is a desire to relax physically and mentally, to chat with friends.

I think this winter will be decisive, ”said the defender.

"There couldn't be anything better in beach soccer"

However, much more of the winners were footballers who took gold for the first time in their careers. One of these was Fyodor Zemskov. In general, the World Cup turned out to be not very successful for the striker. Before the decisive match, he had only one goal, and the forward missed the semifinals with Switzerland due to disqualification. However, it was Zemskov who opened the scoring in the meeting with the Japanese with a beautiful blow through himself.

“I was ready to sit on the bench for the entire championship, just to finally win it. I think everything worked out perfectly, as if according to the script. In the quarterfinals, three people were disqualified, which made it possible for goalkeeper Denis Parkhomenko to get into the application. As a result, he came on as a substitute and made a decisive save in the penalty shootout. This is some kind of miracle. Then Yura Krasheninnikov comes out, who suffered from an injury at the group stage, and scores the ball. I would not call the ending calm. This is the world championship, and there are no weak, insufficiently motivated opponents here. All matches are obtained from the knife, ”the athlete assured.

Many footballers admitted that they can't wait to see their family as soon as possible.

And defender Andrei Novikov did appear in the mixed zone with his little son just at the moment when Zemskov was giving an interview.

The kid smiled contentedly for the camera, while his father tried to jokingly take his partner away.

“I left all my emotions at the presentation of medals.

I really wanted to reward the fans and give them the energy that they gave us during all six meetings of the tournament.

Now I want to take a break and digest everything that happened, because, to be honest, I have not yet fully realized what it means to be a world champion, "Zemskov admitted.

Also, the forward raised a rather serious topic.

According to him, the victory of the Russian national team at the championship of the planet may actually "give an opportunity to live on" beach football in the country.

“I will not hide, the coronavirus restrictions first of all hit relatively small sports.

Some clubs began to experience financial difficulties.

And the gold of the World Cup will be a real breath of fresh air.

It's just a miracle for me, ”the footballer explained.

If Zemskov scored only two times at the current world championship, then Boris Nikonorov - six.

With this indicator, he became the hosts' top scorer, although he did not score in the final.

And after the awards ceremony, the athlete dedicated the victory to his father and told a touching childhood story about a dream.

“I'm sure he forgot about her, since the case was 25 years ago.

In general, I come from a small village of Fominskoye with a population of two thousand.

Naturally, there is a cultural center there.

Once we went there for an event with my dad.

I was six or seven.

The guys were asked about their dreams.

The boy in front of me wished for a stuffed toy.

They gave their word to me, and I could not find anything better than to admit that I also want her.

They all laughed.

Father, too, but after a pause said: "You need to dream of something great, for example, to become a world champion."

He forgot this story, but now I have taken the gold medal.

Dad, this is for you, ”the striker said hello.

Also, the forward remembered how in the past he learned from his own mistakes and learned from even the most offensive and high-profile failures.

“I got into the national team in 2016 and immediately went to the Euroleague Superfinal, and from there - to the World Cup selection.

And for the first time in ten years, Russia did not make it to the world championship.

I remember those emotions as they are now.

I didn't want to test them again.

Failure is always more positive than winning.

This was a great lesson I learned.

We made it to the next World Cup, but again there was a failure, because bronze for me is not a result.

There were so many sleepless nights when I recalled the disastrous semi-final with Italy.

At the same time, I practically did not play then, which only increased my disappointment.

But faith in oneself and one's goal gave strength and emotions to move on, ”added Nikonorov.

At the same time, like Shkarin, he admitted that after the victory over Switzerland, he had no doubts about success, regardless of who would become the rival of the Russian national team in the final.

“The goal of the entire sports career has been achieved.

There is nothing better in beach soccer.

You can win the championship of the planet somewhere else, but the emotions will not be the same.

Our victory goes beyond everything.

Knew there was a chance to get her.

I strengthened my opinion when I saw the state of the other teams.

If we didn’t believe in ourselves, we would not have succeeded.

We added from match to match, although we started very hard.

Gradually revealed their potential.

Somewhere I was very unlucky, somewhere the judges, to put it mildly, did not help.

But we overcame all the obstacles, ”the scorer rejoiced.

And most of all in the national team were lucky to Andrei Kotenev, because the home World Cup was the first for him and immediately ended in victory.

Moreover, the debutant scored two important goals in the playoffs.

“This is just the beginning.

There is also the championship of the continent.

Maybe someday beach soccer will become an Olympic sport and it will be possible to win gold there.

Everything is ahead.

I haven't even won the Chechen Republic yet.

In the end, I want to become a multiple world champion, like our experienced guys.

But at this moment, my dream is to get home.

See the child, wife.

Hug them, kiss and take a walk.

After all, new tournaments will start very soon and we will have to leave again, ”the forward admitted.

Kotenev also thanked the domestic fans for the excellent atmosphere, who supported the national team throughout the tournament and literally drove it forward, helping to overcome themselves even in the most difficult matches.

“Russia knows how to hold competitions of this level. The stands were packed today. It was really cool. Thanks to the people who came to every game. Of course we hear them screaming. Their support led us to victory at the World Championship, ”added the striker.