“Nothing has changed for Russian football”: Selyuk on FIFA sanctions, the departure of legionnaires from the RPL and inflated salaries

- How would you characterize FIFA's decision, which allows foreigners to suspend contracts with Russian clubs until July 2023?

- It was expected.

By and large, nothing has changed for Russian football.

FIFA set such restrictions back in March, and now extended them for a year.

- The International Federation actually “robbed” domestic teams, do you agree?

- This way of putting the question is not entirely correct.

This is a situation like the glass is half full or half empty.

Even in the current difficult situation, it is necessary to find moments that consolidate and unite clubs with FIFA and UEFA, and not try to alienate them even more.

For example, judoists have already been allowed to participate in international tournaments in a neutral status.

And there are imaginary experts calling to leave all official organizations.

Again, the decision to suspend agreements does not significantly affect anything.

Why are you so optimistic?

- Now everything will depend on how the clubs build relationships with their players.

For example, at the end of last season, Rubin was crying, having lost a number of players.

You just have to do things right.

My clients, Senin Sebay and Mohamed Konate, never left Akhmat.

But some of the players, along with their degenerate agents, unfortunately, use this situation and manipulate.

The same Kazan players could get good money from Napoli for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who broke the agreement, citing persecution at home.

There was talk: they say, there is pressure on the family, they throw stones at the windows of the house.

Some nonsense.

At the same time, another Georgian, Gia Grigalava, continued to play calmly for Khimki.

It's just that he is of maximum interest to the Tula Arsenal.

“But there are those who express a desire to leave.

- The most striking example is Grzegorz Krychowiak.

In March, a man screamed and yelled that he did not want to play in Russia.

The Pole went on loan to the Greek AEK, but quickly realized that no one needed it in Europe for nothing.

He is a good football player, but he is not worth the crazy money that Lokomotiv paid for him and € 3 million in annual salary.

He is in demand only with us.

It's just that there are coaches who take money from football players, for example, Sergey Yuran.

He often collects money from the players.

This is pure commerce.

— Do you think Europeans are under pressure in their homeland?

— I can understand Ukrainians.

It’s even strange for me that they continued to sign contracts, although in Ukraine, the Russians, starting from 2014, did not play at all.

But when athletes from other countries begin to have such conversations, this is already “prostitution”.

- That is, you should not expect a mass exodus of legionnaires from Russia?

- Of course.

Yes, some openly express a desire to leave, for example, Jordan Larsson.

But he stopped getting into the base, hence the discontent.

But we see how people returned to Rubin, who had been relegated to the FNL.

Imagine what level of performers they have recruited if they are ready to play in the second division.

And there is an example of Shakhtar, who sold two Brazilians in the summer and received a total of about €22 million for them. Whom did our grants sell?

- How can they sell someone if foreigners got the opportunity to disappear from sight for a year without obligations?

- You know, on the “diamond exchange” they don’t run with contracts of 500 pages.

There you go up to the person and shake his hand.

Everything, you agreed.

This is how big clubs like Barcelona operate.

They always keep their word.

And in Russian football, the approach is not sporty, but semi-corrupt.

The football player has come, and everyone is interested in cutting money.

And the fact that he then left is even good, because part of the budget per person has already been registered.

- That is, salaries decide a lot?

- Let's take the Zenit legionnaires.

I am sure that none of them in their lives will earn in Europe even half the amount that in St. Petersburg.

Firstly, most of them are not needed there due to their playing qualities.

Secondly, we must not forget about the difference in taxation.

In Russia, the tax is only 13%, while in the countries of the Old World it is around 50%.

That is, people only benefit from this 40%.

So Krychowiak, whom I mentioned, came and understood: life sometimes plays hide-and-seek with us.

I consider this behavior disgraceful.

And in Poland they should stop calling not Maciej Rybus to the national team, but him.

- By the way, isn't the example of a newcomer to Spartak a litmus test of the notorious pressure?

“It’s definitely easier for some people to leave.

In my opinion, Rybus really should have returned home.

Nevertheless, in Poland, the attitude towards the current situation is as tough as possible.

Imagine what would happen if one of the Russians went to an openly hostile country.

I think he, too, would be obstructed.

He would be considered a villain.

And as for the pressure, it, alas, is always there.

Israelis, for example, will not go to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, and this is understandable.

I stand for football to unite, not divide, and sport to remain out of politics.

For example, I really liked the moment at the tournament in Berlin, when the Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina helped her injured rival from Ukraine Angelina Kalinina.

Politicians, on the other hand, are trying to pit people against each other.

Why are you doing this?

Solve your problems outside of sports.

- That is, the leaders of the RPL should not suffer from the actions of FIFA?

“I'm sure they won't lose much of anyone.

Zenit, most likely, will completely retain the squad (the conversation took place before the news of the non-return of striker Yuri Alberto. -

).

Only small teams can lose players.

And then the problem will not be in politics, but in salary delays.

- But it turns out that any footballer, following the example of Kvaratskhelia, citing circumstances, has the right to suspend the agreement?

- You forget that, despite the decision of FIFA, football players cannot safely leave Russia.

Even if they suspend contracts, then they will have to negotiate with the clubs.

The same Rubin could have received not €5 million for Khvicha, but €20 million, although he still made money on it.

- Isn't the lack of an opportunity to play in European competitions a motivation for leaving Russia?

- Listen, there are a lot of players who have never played there.

What difference does it make to them whether our teams get there or not?

But for the same Africans, this moment is painful, because they go to Russia with the hope of going to a stronger championship a few years later.

They consider the RPL as a career development stage and a kind of springboard.

And everything else is as it was, and will remain so.

And in general, let's first try to remember which of the foreigners in recent years have been sold to Europe for a high price.

Nikola Vlašić was taken for €23 million, given to West Ham for €30 million. Now the Londoners don't know what to do with him.

Unfortunately, players go to the RPL, who are then not needed anywhere.

The last really high-quality legionnaire was Nemanja Vidic.

And even then, he accidentally ended up in Spartak after he did not sign an agreement with Shakhtar, where I personally brought him.

This is the main problem, and FIFA sanctions will not solve it.

- In part, they can become a boon?

- Believe me, Russian clubs do not have to pay big money for newcomers.

You can perfectly equip the team with free agents.

The same Konate came to Akhmat absolutely free of charge and scored eight goals in the RPL season that ended.

Krasnodar acquired John Cordoba for €20 million, and he scored six times.

The question is: why pay more?

- Is it possible in the current situation to expect that young domestic performers will start getting more practice?

“They have a lot of confidence as it is.

The main thing is that there are enough athletes corresponding to the level of the RPL.

In this regard, I agree with Sergei Semak.

If someone likes to watch how young Russians play, let them follow the youth championship of the country.

There are talented guys, but again, let me remind you about the coaches who, according to rumors, take money from their wards for entering the field.

Some are "sheathed" since childhood.

You have to pay, but they still don't understand something.

It's easier to take an experienced, useless and ready to "unfasten".

And what kind of development is possible under such conditions?

- How did you react to the closure of their farm clubs by Lokomotiv and Spartak in order to optimize costs?

- A rather strange explanation, because at the same time the railway workers bought the Serbian striker Marko Rakonjac for €2.5 million, although the “red price” for him is €300,000. But €2 million was immediately stolen.

But with this money you can easily support Kazanka for the whole season.

Clubs have €100m budgets and are not ready to allocate a few of them to farm.

The maintenance of the team in the FNL, where Spartak-2 played, costs an average of 300 million rubles a year.

The capital's "Veles" in general, as far as I know, costs 200 million. Does "Spartak" really not have that kind of money?

Where should young 19-20-year-old pupils go now?

And then they complain about the dominance of foreigners.

Take "Chertanovo" as an example.

How many great players who grew up there now play in the RPL.

It's just that the club found the right coach, Igor Osinkin, while Spartak failed to do this.