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Stanislav Cherchesov: No time for holiday-making

Tue, 10 undefined 2012 +0400

FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov spoke to Sport-Express correspondent Aleksander Lvov about ongoing midseason preparations.
- Do you start the season early to follow the club’s traditions?
- Well, I actually have not thought about this when preparations were planned. I was proceeding from the fact that players had enough time to spend with their relatives and friends. But I am glad that this matches club traditions as traditions must be respected. The squad was to gather in Kislovodsk on 5 January. So everybody got together, exchanged New Year wishes and left for Antalya immediately.
- Some of the Premier League teams decided to change their winter travel schedule for UAE and Spain. Did not you have an idea of following their example?
- It does not make much sense to me. I always try to follow the good old saying that the best is the enemy of the good. Turkey offers excellent conditions and we have a comfortable hotel in Belek, several excellent fields and gym with water pool and rehabilitation center. The most important is that there is a wide choice of sparring partners for test games. I would like to give my credit to Enda Tour company which has cooperated with Terek for several years now.
- So what is your squad for the first camp?
- If nothing wrong happens, we have 24 field players and four goalkeepers. This is the best choice for effective work and test games.
- Nobody was late this time?
- Further to our agreement, the foreign players arrived in Antalya on 6 January. We are expecting Mauricio in the coming days. He suffered an inflammation after gum surgery. And Legear caught cold while on vacation.
- What did you start with?
- The players passed medical examination in Belek. The hospital has the most contemporary equipment for that.
- Were the results disappointing?
- Not at all. Not everything is ideal of course and I told some of the players about it already. And now they have to think this through.
- Who are the newcomers?
- We have three so far. Oleg Ivanov was a part of the Russian national at Euro 2008 and appeared for Rostov the last season. We also have striker Murikhin from Zenit Reserves and midfielder Adilson from Gremio.
- Are there going to be more additions?
- We are still looking for one player of each category, probably except for the goalkeeper.
- Do you already expect somebody for examination?
- I have to admit that I am not a great fan of such staffing method. The team is a family and appearance of unknowns is not always interpreted unambiguously. There might be certain exceptions and it is possible to examine one or two players each camp, but not more.
- Who are you parting your ways with?
- The contracts of defender Omelyanchuk and halfback Kobenko have expired. Midfielder Gvazava has his contract expiring in summer and the player expressed willingness to find a new club. Khaimovic, Tiui and Ewerthon have been offered for transfer.
- What is the objective of this stage of preparations?
- We need to bring everybody to the same functional level to be able to stage the next camp which will be more game-oriented.
- How many sparring partners are going to have these two weeks?
- We plan to play with two lineups on 14 and 18 January. The first game is against SC Heracles Almelo and the second is against FC Sheriff Moldova. All other opponents will be announced in the coming days.
- Do you have any holidays scheduled?
- Come on, what holidays are you talking about after so many days of vacation!

Terek terminate contract with Ewerthon by mutual consent

Mon, 09 undefined 2012 +0400

The official website of FC Terek Grozny reports that the club have terminated contract with Brazilian striker Ewerthon by mutual consent. Coach Stanislav Cherchesov commented on recent changes in the squad and denied information about Terek’s offer to Polish midfielder Maciej Rybus.
- Ewerthon’s contract was effective for another half a year and the club did not plan to extend it as we are planning to move forward with other players. Ewerthon is an experienced player and there is no need in having him sit out. We have therefore decided to offer him for transfer. Ewerthon expressed his desire to have contract terminated and we met halfway. I talked to him yesterday and he approached the situation with due professionalism.

- There are mass media reports about Terek’s interest towards Polish player Maciej Rybus with indications of transfer and personal contract values. How would you comment on this information?
- We usually do not comment on mass media reports about Terek’s interest towards various players. But it slightly exceeds the limits when certain figures are named. It is surprising how a non-existing offer could have been rejected. Maciej Rybus is a fine player. But Terek did not make any verbal or written offers to Legia Warszawa or the player. This information and figures have been trumped up and somebody is simply trying to pass the desirable for reality. Deluding our fans and community is not a very good idea.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Pleased by players� performance on first training camp

Sun, 08 undefined 2012 +0400

FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with the official club website spoke about the squad’s performance on first workouts of the Turkish winter camp.

- The squad started into training sessions in a positive mood. Of course, all players are different and each adapts to physical loads in a different way after a break. I have to say that I am rather pleased about their performance on the first workouts. I am also glad about improving weather conditions, especially after hail we had yesterday. The third and fourth days of the camp are going to be more difficult with some leg aches. We try to provide players with the optimal load so that they gain shape most effectively.

- It is traditionally considered that physical condition is in the focus during the first camp. What are your general plans for the first camp and what are you going to focus at?
- We try to center our workouts on football, as physical load is also possible through football. We have special equipment that provides online information about individual workload of players. Then, we will also have two test games – against Heracles Almelo on January 14, and FC Sheriff on January 18. And of course we will have to complete the camp without injuries. Quite unfortunately, Legear has come back with cold from his vacation.

- Club fans are anticipating for the season to resume. Fans on club website wish the team to work well during midseason preparations and turn into a lively and perfectly coordinated team.

- We feel their support and it makes us glad. There was a certain distance between the team and fans when I just started, but now the warmth is back. We do our best to prove our worth with our performance and approaches. We have our advantages and disadvantages and the fans can feel that we try to get better. We work to become a very different team in terms of both the performance and staffing.

FC Terek Grozny opening first training camp in Turkey

Thu, 05 undefined 2012 +0400

Official website of FC Terek Grozny reports that the squad today left on a charter flight for Antalya, Turkey where the first training camp is going to be staged.

The players will undergo medical examination in Antalya city clinics tomorrow and training sessions are going to begin on 7 January. Coach Stanislav Cherchesov’s squad for the first camp is 28 players, including 5 reserve players – Kadyrov, Akhyadov, Tagilov, Ashakhanov and Usmanov.

“We have taken experienced reserves with us so that they could adapt and prove themselves while training with the main team. Apart from the sporting component, this decision also involves disciplinary measures. Ashakhanov had certain problems in the field of psychology, collecting unnecessary red cards in reserves championships and he must reconsider his approach to professional football which he is taking his very first steps into. Andwearegrantingthischancetohim. Murikhin of St. Petersburg football school, who established his reputation with appearances for Zenit Zt. Petersburg reserves, is also joining us on this camp. So we are planning to prepare for the championship and also do some work for the future. It is quite understandable that the limit put on foreign players will persist and that Russia will soon host the World Cup. We will have one or two more players from reserve team for the next camps after they have completed their first camp in Kislovodsk”, said Stanislav Cherchesov.

Ewerthon, Tiui, Haymovich and Gvazava will also attend the first camp with reserves in Kislovodsk.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Player's opinion shall be respected anyway

Tue, 03 undefined 2012 +0400

FC Terek Grozny are starting their first winter camp in Belek, Turkey on 6 January. Midfielder Levani Gvazava is not going to be among the squad to start winter preparations.

The player expressed his willingness to change the club as his contract is running out in summer 2012. FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with the official website of FC Terek Grozny commented upon Gvazava’s possible transfer to another team.

“Gvazava appeared in all six games with me as the coach and he had to sit out one game as he was overbooked. I can provide my best references to this player. We have to understand that people may want to change the environment in certain situations. It was after our away game against CSKA in Moscow that Gvazava came up to me and expressed his willingness to change the team at the end of the year. I asked him to take time to think as he still had time to make his mind on the issue. But nevertheless, I was informed through the player’s agent that Levani would like to change the environment now. This is particularly motivated by the contract running out in summer. We respect the player’s opinion anyway and did not make any objections. This is why we took our steps towards finding midfielders and signed Adilson and Oleg Ivanov. Levani will be with reserves in Kislovodsk for the first camp, while examining proposals from other teams with his agent. I wish him every luck in private life and further football career”, said Stanislav Cherchesov.

Defender Sergey Omelyanchuk is also parting ways with Terek. Stanislav Cherchesov said he had a phone conversation with the Belarussian defender and parties reached mutual understanding.

Stanislav Cherchesov glad Vlasov pens extension

Mon, 26 Nov 2011 +0400

FC Terek Grozny midfielder Oleg Vlasov has signed a 2.5-year extension after the contract was expired in the end of November.

Coach Stanislav Cherchesov said in his interview with the official website of FC Terek Grozny that he was glad to see Vlasov stay in the team.

Vlasov has been with Terek for several years already and he is well familiar with the squad. I cannot say why he did not make many appearances earlier, but he proved his worth after I was appointed. Oleg is hard-working man of strong character and we need players like him. It is important for every coach to have players who can perform on several positions. And one such player is Vlasov. But he shall keep his performance level and prove his worth on a daily basis, said Cherchesov.

Stanislav Cherchesov: We work to make team stronger

Sun, 25 Nov 2011 +0400

FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with the official website of FC Terek Grozny spoke of newcomers Adilson and Ivanov and passed New Year greetings to fans.

- Stanislav Salamovich, in his interview with our website, club president Magomed Daudov said that you were keeping an eye over Adilson’s performance in Brazil. Could you please provide more information about that?

- When there are certain positions to be strengthened, it is natural that you have to collect and check information, watch DVD and live performances. When it comes to Adilson, I was pleased by what I saw. He corresponds to my understanding of how player of his specialization should perform. He has skills and qualifications to strengthen our team. He has German background in his family tree. And German discipline, Brazilian temperament and football skills are exactly what Adilson has. This will help him quickly adapt in Terek and improve our performance.

- You also wished to see Oleg Ivanov in our team and the contract with Ivanov has now been signed. Howdidtheideaofhisinvitationoccur?
- It is simple. We need to look at the Russian football market due to the current limit for foreign players. Of course, it is not only about the limit and player’s skills are also important. Oleg was raised in Spartak Moscow. And he did not fully expose his talent in my understanding. He is now at the age when he realizes that football career is short and the potential needs to be utilized. We had a thorough discussion and he understood everything perfectly, so I believe he will not have to be urged on. I am quite confident that we will get back to the level he was at two years ago and will move further. There is always a chance to be invited to the national team and both Ivanov and Adilson have the potential for that. But they both have to stand the competition and earn the right to appear in the main team, just as any other player in the squad.

- The club president numerously stressed that you as team coach have full authority in transfer issues. Howimportantisthiskindoftrustandconfidence?
- It is indeed important to enjoy trust and have the authority. All ideas about different players are discussed together and we do our best to take correct decisions.

- What else can you say about selection? It looks promising that more newcomers may be expected.
- It would be ideal to complete with transfer issues by the time the first camp starts, but we definitely understand that this hardly ever happens. We continue searching for players and I would like to call on fans to show patience and to not believe in rumors and false publications. As the club president stated in his recent interview, we hold negotiations discreetly and without advertising. The only source of trustworthy information is the official club website.

-Terek players gladly give interviews to the club website and state that they work on maintaining their shape despite the vacation. Will you hold players responsible for extra kilos and what is acceptable extra weight after vacations?

- Well, interviews are among duties that players have and it is good that they do so, especially for the club website. Club fans are not just interested in watching games, but being updated about what players do on their vacation. They need as detailed information as possible. And when it comes to workouts, we provided players with individual workout plans before vacations. And everything we have planned for the training camp shall be accomplished starting from day one. Players shall be aware that all that is demanded in workout plan shall be fulfilled. People are free to do what they want on vacations. But sportsmen shall also understand that they have to maintain they physical shape. The acceptable extra weight after vacations is within 1.5 kilos.

- What will you focus at during the first January camp?
- We will have to restore previous conditions for players to stand the load they are going to face. We will play two test games. And we would definitely like to complete our program without unnecessary injuries and diseases.

- Stanislav Salamovich, what are your New Year wishes to fans?
-I would like to wish a very Happy New Year to all residents of the Chechen Republic and all fans of Terek. And I wish prosperity in everything – both personal life and points collected by Terek!

Stanislav Cherchesov: You can�t entice people with mere words

Thu, 15 Nov 2011 +0400

FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with Sport Den Za Dnem summed up the results of 2011.

Unhappy about game against Nalchik

— Stanislav Salamovich, the first part of the championship is over. How would you sum it up?
— I can hardly provide an objective assessment because I was only watching the championship from within for the last month and a half. I cannot provide a detailed assessment of the entire first round, but only the time I was with Terek.

— And are you happy about your work with the team?
— I have already said that I am unhappy about the last game against Nalchik. Not so much about the result, but about our performance in the second half. But generally speaking, my coaching staff and myself introduced certain tactical and staff changes. And the playing scheme was changed as well. Our performance got some nice and positive reviews. This means that people see us moving in the right direction. And the most important is that our games started to draw larger crowds. There were five thousands spectators watching my debut game as Terek coach and twelve thousands at the last home game. You cannot entice people with mere words. They need your performance, your goals, your victories and emotions. And the team was looking better, but we still have a long way to go. We have to work to fill our wonderful stadium.

— So what were the reasons for defeat against Nalchik? May it be that some of the players were on vacation already?
— I do not know. The game scenario might have some impact. But then we managed to recover from 0-2 to 2-2 in away game against CSKA. We performed quite well in the first half against Nalchik, but they scored a late minute goal right before the break. No sooner than the second half kicked off, we made a very serious mistake in defense and the second goal was scored after our goalkeeper was left to face the home side striker alone. These two moments had a certain impact. You end the first half in disappointment and plan on evening the score, and then you ruin everything by yourself. This affected the further course of action because we performed quite poorly in the second half. But then again, I shall stress that we are preparing and nothing must drive us out of our wits. We did not examine the game in details because the vacations started but I did not like the game at all. All other games had much more positive about them. The same applies to both home and away games against Krylya Sovetov, although we managed to collect only one point.

Playoff games to not be easy

— What do you think about playing two games of the spring stage of the championship in fall? Does it make sense to play less games during the third part of the season?
— I think that people who take such decisions take all factors into consideration. We can have our own considerations and we do, but once a resolution is issued it is better to not divert our attention. Some of the things have already been decided upon and we shall simply assess them, analyze and prepare the team well. We cannot change anything thinking if it was good or bad. This way we will only distract ourselves and the team.

— What do you think about potential playoffs with teams from the first division? This is where you started this last season – can any of the teams be taken as serious opponents?
— Nobody is insured against anything. We have the regulations which were approved before the season and we will have to stick with them. And I know for sure that there are strong, well prepared and hard to crack teams in the first division. So this is not going to be an easy walk.

— How would you estimate the average level of teams in the bottom eight? How homogenous is it? Are there obvious leaders?
— Bottom eight games are going to be hard. Some of the teams have players of a higher class. But motivation, tactics, technical skills and devotion will be of vital importance. And then, the transfer period is opening so we will have to see which team has who on transfer. This is also of certain importance.
— There are many specialists who believe that Terek should not have problems about remaining in the Premier League. Are you pleased by such assessments?
— It is hard for me to tell who says what. There are many [specialists] who say that Russia was placed in a fine group at Euro 2012. But looking at this from outside and staying in the focus of events and be responsible for preparations is not the same thing. We have things on paper and we have the realities. So we are getting ready to realities and not to what is written on paper.

It is the president to speak of money

— Terek management has changed recently …
— True, we have a new president – Magomed Daudov. And he can now resolve staff issues with appointments and dismissals. We maintain regular contact and spoke two or three times today already because there are always urgent issues to be resolved. He is of great assistance to me and I can only express my gratitude to him.

— How active is transfer work at present?
— It is underway and we know which candidates we need. Something is turning out and something is not, but this is how it happens everywhere and every time. But any announcements will follow only after the contract has been signed. You shall not expect us to jump the gun and waive flags around.

— Is this going to be a target selection or a significant group of players shall be expected at Terek?
— There are positions that we believe need strengthening. And hence this is going to be target selection. Several players from our list will not be able to join us for this reason or that. But the work is still underway and more information will be available in the coming days…

— Based on Internet reports, Terek is strongly interested in South American players. Is this a priority market for you?
— If somebody writes something this is not necessarily true. If I am really interested about something, I will never tell myself. And as for the market, it is the whole world. The Internet now provides access to any club and any football matches. And if only South American market was available in the past, there is also Korea, Japan, China and Europe at your disposal. We are not overfocused at anything. We are open to any proposals. And we would not like to win a transfer just for the sake of a transfer. We really wish to strengthen our team and build a true hierarchy across the team. And we shall also invite several Russian players because of the current regulations and necessity to structure and balance the team.

— Can you announce the amount that the club is ready to spend during this transfer window?
— No, I can’t. Everything is transparent with us, but why announce financial or transfer deals. This is something that only the president can do because every person is responsible for his own work in our club. It is the president to talk of money, and I would talk of players.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Terek getting on way to success

Fri, 09 Nov 2011 +0400

In his interview with press service of the Union of Domestic Football Coaches (UDFC), FC Terek Grozny coach Stanislav Cherchesov explained why work experience at broken-down Zhemchuzhina was still a positive one, spoke of reception at Terek Grozny and shares considerations and wishes about latest decisions taken by the Executive Committee of the Russian Football Union.

- In your case, it makes more sense to comment on results of the seasons in two different parts. The first team you worked at this year was FC Zhemchuzhina Sochi…
- As long as financial stability remained, we were in a key position and the team performed fine football. And then… FC Tom is now found in a similar situation and I can perfectly understand their management – a “hungry” team is hard to keep afloat. And nevertheless we were managing that in Zhemchuzhina. I am still grateful to the management who tried to support us as much as they could, and to players who were fully giving themselves up to football until the very last game. Nearly all Zhemchuzhina players have taken leading positions in their new clubs: Smolnikov in Rostov, Belousov and Satalkin in Torpedo, Boyarintsev in Tom. Zotov reconsidered his views of football and deserved a place in Spartak Moscow’s starting lineup. Marek Cech was number one of his team in the Champions League. In general, I would say that Zhemchzuhina was a positive creative and negative financial experience. But all cannot be good.

- As far as we remember, Zhemchuzhina owner Dmitry Yakushev promised to cover the outstanding salary debt by the beginning of November. Did he keep his promise?
- No, and I am confident that not only before myself.

- Zhemchuzhina was followed by Terek. This change in your career path can by no means be called a gift of fate. The team at that time was steadily descending into the relegation zone. Is there much difference between your impressions and expectations of the Grozny team before and after conclusion of the contract?
- I got what I had expected. It gets you thinking when the team you are to work with have missed 17 goals over four games. But Terek kept a clean sheet three times after my appointment. We have managed to find the correct balance between attack and defense. The system changed and the playing scheme was altered. So there is certain positive about the situation.
On the bad side are two periods in games against Spartak Nalchik. The first half in the first game and the second half which we recently played in the third round of the championship. We did not perform at the level we could. I am talking about the level we showed in games against CSKA and Amkar.
So the last period of the last game this year left a nasty taste in the mouth. I told players about that before they went on vacation. I also told them that we have to prepare well for the next year and grow into a more spectacular team.

- Midfielder Aleksander Pavlenko in turnhas said that team performance was affected by frequent change of coaches during the season. Did you also get that feeling?
- My experience told me that no jumping and hopping is suitable for the start. We have taken a joint decision within the coaching staff that any changes in our everyday life, on-field performance and training process should be gradual. We all know that revolutions lead to negative consequences too frequently. And we have managed to introducing changes and alterations in a way that they were well accepted by the squad.

- Did you have any plan for the number of points to collect?
- I don’t do such mathematics. It is understandable that every team needs to collect points. But what really matters is that there were five thousands spectators at my first game as coach of Terek, and twelve thousand at the last. You cannot fool spectators. The general feedback from mass media also changed to a more positive. We have become a different – and more interesting – team. I can see that we are now treated by opponents in a different way. And we still have a room to grow.

- Tasks which are set by a coach is one thing. Another are tasks set to coach by the club president. Those are probably not limited to a certain place in the table.
- You are right. By the way, there were certain changes in our club recently. Magomed Daudov was appointed the new club President, while Ahmed Aydamirov was appointed the Vice President and General Director. I have not had a chance to meet with Ahmed Aydamirov because we are currently in different countries. And before I left for vacation I had a meeting with the club management. The meeting was attended by Ramzan Kadyrov, Magomed Daudov, Khaidar Alkhanov. The task set by Ramzan Akhmatovich is that not only the main team is in the highlight, but football in the whole of Chechnya develops dynamically. And this particularly means that the main team and reserves become communicating vessels. And we have everything to make this task real. I have purposefully visited numerous villages and there are wonderful fields everywhere, when children are training almost round the clock.
As for me personally, whenever there is a break for the national team games, I always invite five or six children for joint workouts with the main team. Besides, at least four players from the reserves will join us for the training camp. So the youth will definitely have a chance to prove themselves.

- Given the club president’s ambitions, do you suppose that the team would target qualification to Eurocups for next season?
- Not only the president, but myself have such ambitions. I have performed in Eurocups regularly both as a player and coach and know perfectly well how prestigious that is. But Terek is not targeted at qualifying into anywhere at the moment. Ramzan Akhmatovich is well familiar with sports and understands that a team cannot be established in just one year. And this year was not successful one for Terek. It was the first time the club’s history that so many coaches got replaced…
But we still have to roll up our sleeves, get down to work and move forward. We have to move gradually and systematically. The fortune smiles on those who gets well prepared to that. The example we can follow is that of Rubin Kazan.

- What is the objective for this season – avoiding the playoff games? I am not even talking about the relegation zone.
- Don’t forget that places in the bottom eight are also one to eight.

- So you think that catching up with Krasnodar is still possible?
- This might or might not be possible. But every sportsman shall always strive for the maximum result. There is nothing impossible about sports.

- What are your preparation plans for the winter break?
- The squad has gone on vacation until 6 January. Then we are meeting in Turkey and undergo a detailed medical examination. And full-scale preparations begin on the 8th. The timing of workouts and opponents for test games have already been approved for all three camps. At the second camp we will participate in the international tournament of Akhmat Kadyrov Cup with 8 participants. The tournament will be broadcast around the world. We will try to have both a productive training camp and worthy results.

- You have joined an established collective…
- This is not quite so. The collective was not established. And I would also put a big question mark after the word “collective”. Team has to be well-structured. And there were gaps of unknown nature about that. I would keep from blaming or defending anybody. But this is how things were. And if we one or two players have to sit out the entire mechanism gets broken. For instance, Pavlenko had to sit out because of injury and Terek could not score for two games. It opens way to discussions whether this was only because of Aleksandr, but we really missed his goals and attack-oriented style. We have talked about this with the president and he understands the situation. We have made certain conclusions to make a serious improvement to the team during the winter break. Our task at the moment is about selecting the right performers for achieving this task. The main advantage that Terek have is financial stability. This is a serious trump card today. Practice shows that this component plays a serious role in achieving results. We do not have any extraordinary contracts, but all obligations are fulfilled strictly on time. We do not have any outstanding salary debts.

- Are there untouchable players in your team who are not available for transfer whatever is offered?
- There are no such players. But in each specific case we are ready to negotiate and discuss the details. The player’s opinion and many other details, such as limits on foreign players and possibility to register more players than the registration limit, also need to be taken into consideration. When the situation gets clearer it will be the time to take specific decisions. At the same time we all understand that players who come to Terek shall be a significant contribution. But to invite such performers requires for serious financial investments. I hope that we will have these players by the time our first camp begins.

- You have mentioned that registration limits may be extended. There are already rumors about this in the Russian Football Union. Do you think it is fair to change the rules in the course of the season?
- I believe that the rules set before the start of the season shall remain unchanged. If we can register five more players and somebody cannot register anybody, it is not our fault, but short-sightedness of managers who misplaced their selection focuses. So this is not too fair. Terek could have invited even better performers in summer to cover problematic positions.

- And what do you think about new definition of the term “foreign player” to be introduced from the beginning of season 2013/2014?
- This is a hard question. We can take a look at a player of Russian nationality who got his Russian passport and rejected his previous citizenship. But he is not entitled to appear for the Russian national due to his previous appearances for another country’s national team. This player will remain a foreign player in Russia. And then, there are players with the Russian passport and entitled to appear for Russian national, where they will never be invited due to the lack of talent.
In any case and whatever definition we are guided by, it shall remain unchanged and not infringe upon the rights of players and clubs.

Stanislav Cherchesov to attend FC Anzhy vs FC Terek game on Monday

Sun, 25 Aug 2011 +0400

The official website of FC Terek Grozny reports that coach Stanislav Cherchesov arrived at the training base of FC Terek Grozny. On Monday, Cherchesov will join the team to Makhachkala to attend the away game FC Anzhy vs FC Terek.

- I arrived at the training base of FC Terek at invitation of the Grozny club management, - said Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with Terek official website. - I find a great interest in visiting Terek camp and getting to know the club infrastructure. It is gratifying that administration of the Chechen Republic and management of FC Terek headed by Ramzan Kadyrov attach a huge attention to development of sports and particularly football in the region. Just look at the the superb stadium Akhmat Arena. The club is now focused at the game against Anzhy. We will discuss possible methods of cooperation in the coming days.

Sovsport.ru in turn reports that famous coach Stanislav Cherchesov arrived in Grozny late in the night on Sunday. Stanislav Cherchesov is a candidate to the position of coach of FC Terek Grozny.

- I can confirm that I am now in Grozny at invitation of the club manager Khaydar Alkhanov. I am here to take a closer look at the situation. I can also say that we have mutual interest in cooperation. I am scheduled to have a meeting with the club president. FC Terek does not need further introductions. The republican administration is interested in club development and football development in general. This is interesting for me, - said Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with Sovetsky Sport.
Sport-Express also reports that Stanislav Cherchesov may be appointed FC Terek coach in the coming days.

- I can confirm that I am on my way to Grozny and have already landed in Kislovodsk, - said Cherchesov. – I will be attending FC Terek vs FC Anzhy game tomorrow. I got a phone call from Terek vice president Khaydar Alkhanov yesterday and he invited me to negotiate. Chechnya management attaches close attention to football and tries to raise it to a new level. The president of the republic has a key role in this process. So far I have received an invitation from Alkhanov to come to Grozny, stay for the game and discuss possible cooperation. But let us not jump the gun.

- How do you assess the current situation Terek are in?

- We have to be honest – the team is now in decline. But no team in the world can do without failures.

- What do you think about Terek’s line-up? Is there any way out of the crisis?

- I do not wish to be unfounded. I have to know the situation from within to find the reasons for failure and possible ways out.

- Have you received proposals from other Russian clubs lately?

- Let us not talk about this now.

Kazbek Hadjiyev, press officer of FC Terek Grozny in his turn said to Sport-Express correspondent, that official comments concerning appointment of Stanislav Cherchesov as coach of FC Terek Grozny would follow on Monday.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Lokomotiv to win 2-0

Wen, 14 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with Sport-Express has commented on upcoming game to be played by Lokomotiv Moscow in Europe League.

Many years ago Lokomotiv managed to qualify to the Champions League after winning an extra match against FC Tirol that you were playing for. Next year Lokomotiv also had troubles qualifying from pair with GAK and in 2005 was beaten by Rapid Wien. What is the reason for difficulties that Lokomotiv have in games against Austrian clubs?

- FC Tirol was a rather strong opponent and had a good selection of players in 2001. It was not an occasion that we won the Austrian Bundesliga for three times in a row. And we had a great motivation and were fully mobilized even for not so important games. Strive for victory and struggle is actually typical for all Austrian clubs performing in Eurocups. Lokomotiv shall not therefore expect an easy walk on Thursday. It will not be possible to pass Sturm by displaying mere class and not making efforts. I have no doubts that the Austrian champion will perform at its best on Thursday.

- Sturm Graz is currently on position 5 after gameweek 7. It is 6 points behind the table leader Red Bull Salzburg. What happened to the champion?

- Sturm did not make any noticeable transfers before the season and is now competing in several competitions at once. The team is currently not quite able to do so. Its lineup is inferior to the one of the time when former Spartak players Yuran and Mamedov were appearing for Sturm Graz.

- It seems that Sturm’s lineup does not quite correspond to the level of champions. The team was held to draw by Salzburg, beat Rapid Wien, but was defeated by KSV 1919 which is now at the bottom of the league.

- You probably have noticed that Sturm plays better with stronger opponents and sometimes takes time to relax in games with less competitive teams, especially after important qualifiers in Europe. The level of the opponent is another source of motivation which makes the team to look different. Lokomotiv shall take this into consideration, along with a support of fans that I am sure will fill the stadium with the capacity of 17,000.

- WhomcanyoumarkoutinSturm?

- Goalkeeper Gratzei is aspiring to become No. 1 in the Austrian national. But he was strongly criticized after missing 6 goals in game against Germany, and might not be in the best mood, psychologically. I am also well acquainted with defender Ferdinand Feldhofer and midfielder Andreas Holzl whom I was coaching in Tirol. They are good and reliable players. Striker Mario Haas was known for his speed and troubles he caused to opponents in counter-attacks. But I am not sure if he still in the same shape at 36. Players become less stable with age and the same applies to defender Samir Muratovic, 35, who used to appear for Saturn Ramenskoe. Other key players in Sturm Graz are defender Thomas Burgstaller and halfback Manuel Weber. .

- Do you think Lokomotiv’s convincing win over Zenit will increase their chances for success in Graz?

- I was at the game and saw myself that having lost the first half, Lokomotiv managed to score an early goal, unbent, took control of the game and overrun Zenit. They are now going to Austria in a great mood, especially that goalkeeper Gilerme now seems to recover.

- What would you say about newcomers who joined the club this summer?

- The four goals to Zenit were scored by newcomers Caicedo, da Costa and Obinna, who started to justify club’s capital investments right away. There is no limit for foreign players in Eurocups, which means that Lokomotiv coach will have certain freedom in choosing the lineup in Graz.

- How do you think the game in Graz will end?

- Lokomotivwillwin2-0.

Cherchesov�s team win Star Match in Irkutsk

Tue, 13 Aug 2011 +0400

The Stars on Baykal team with Stanislav Cherchesov in the line-up defeated the team of the Government of Irkutsk oblast and regional Assembly 6-4.

Sport-Baykal reports that a friendly game dedicated to the 350^th anniversary of the founding of Irkutsk city took place in Irkutsk on Tuesday 13 September. The Stars on Baykal team made of artists performing at the ongoing festival in Irkutsk and Russian football stars played against the team of the Government of Irkutsk oblast and regional Assembly.

The Star Team was led by Denis Matsuyev, the national artist of Russia, art director of the Stars on Baykal Festival and honorary citizen of Irkutsk city. Team line included cellist Borislav Strulev, contrabass player Andrey Ivanov and Russian football stars Stanislav Cherchesov, Yury Gavrilov, Valery Kechinov, as well as FC Radian-Baykal Irkutsk coach Vacheslav Rudakov.
The team of the Government of Irkutsk oblast and regional Assembly was headed by Aleksander Lobakov, Deputy Governor of the Irkutsk oblast, head of the Governor Administration and Government of the Irkutsk oblast. Among other officials in the line up were Mikhayil Karasev, the Minister of Property Relationships of the Irkutsk oblast, Oleg Kankov, the deputy of the Legislative Assembly, and others.

The teams played two periods of 30 minutes. The Star Team started well into the game and scored their first goal as quickly as in the fifth minute of the first period. The Star Team captain Denis Matsuyev scored one goal, while Mikhayil Karasev achieved a hat-trick.

The Star Team won 6-4.

Stanislav Cherchesov provided a brief comment to AC Baykal TV correspondent after the game:

The credit should go to our opponents, who understand football quite well. Although they might indeed need some weight balancing to perform better, this was a very enthusiastic performance. And some great goals were scored

Stanislav Cherchesov on his way to Irkutsk

Mon, 12 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov is now on his way to Irkutsk to appear for the star team at invitation of the Russian national artist Denis Matsuyev.

Official website of FC Radian-Baykal reports that a game between Baykal Stars and the Government and Assembly of the Irkutsk oblast will take place at the Lokomotiv stadium (Botkin str. 1) in Irkutsk on September 13.

The Star Team will be led by Russian national artist Denis Matsuyev. The lineup will include Stanislav Cherchesov, Yury Gavrilov, Ramiz Mamedov, Valery Kechinov, Boris Pozdnyakov and Radion-Baykal coaches Oleg Yakovlev and Vacheslav Rudakov. The team of the Government and Assembly of the Irkutsk oblast will include ministers, deputies and political figures.

Sovetsky Sport reports that prior to departure for Irkutsk from the Domodedovo airport Stanislav Cherchesov met the Russian national beach football team at the airport.

"I am on my way to Irkutsk at invitation of Denis Matsuyev. I was happy to meet the Russian national beach football team members. I was happy to watch them win the world cup. It was particularly interesting for me to watch their games because of Aleksander Filimonov, who played with me for Spartak. I am happy about victories of all Russian sportsmen. I also watched athletics and would like to congratulate our national team as well”, said Cherchesov.

The game between the Star Team and team of the Government and Assembly of the Irkutsk oblast will kick off at 2 pm local time. The teams will play two halves of 30 minutes.

Cherchesov: CSKA and Zenit shall make their conclusions

Mon, 12 Aug 2011 +0400

Many of the Russian Premier League leaders suffered defeats this past gameweek. How surprising were the defeats suffered by CSKA, Zenit and Rubin?
— Rubin was beaten by FC Krasnodar, which promoted to the Premier League only this season and is currently placed in the second half of the table. As for CSKA and Zenit, they were performing against teams that are struggling for top places in the league. The 4-0 score is obviously slightly discouraging, but Dynamo Moscow is performing steadily during the entire season and the victory did not come as surprise. I attended the game Lokomotiv Moscow vs Zenit St.Petersburg myself. And if Zenit enjoyed success in the first half when Lokomotiv performed somewhat timidly, everything changed in the second half when the home side recovered and scored two more. Judging by game development in the second half, this was a deserved victory for Lokomotiv. So CSKA and Zenit were beaten by strong opponents who did not have their final say this season.

— Why do you think CSKA let Dynamo feel so comfortable on field?
— Dynamo have lately been quite comfortable on field and performed fresh anywhere. Another reason is that many players from Rubin, Zenit and CSKA appeared for their nationals. The break in the championship for national team games may have a relaxing psychological impact upon these teams. Because just too many goals were scored.
— Leonid Slutsky did not introduce any changes to the defense compared to the last game. Did you not have a feeling that defenders were staying too close to their goalkeeper Chepchugov?
— Slutsky did not have much options in this situation. As for Chepchugov, coming in as a substitute and honing real preparations to a game are absolutely different things. He fell under certain pressure this time. It is quite natural for a young goalkeeper who appears in such a high profile game. It was not his fault about goals that Dynamo scored, but goalkeeper must definitely save such games. Teams like Dynamo will have scoring opportunities anyway and these have to be denied.
— Based on the game results in Cherkizovo, can one assume that Lokomotiv came to terms with their new coach?
— There are positive elements already. You may have noticed that goals were scored by players who joined the team during the most recent transfer window. I was anticipating the game because Lokomotiv so far did not perform against any top clubs which was leaving certain questions unanswered. Lokomotiv failed the first half, but the second was definitely a success. An early goal made players realize there are chances still. Another point is that Malafeev did not always perform confidently which led to the goals.

— Rubin did not cope with Krasnodar in away game and missed three goals. What are your impressions of the game?
— Thegamestartedwithasomewhatmisappropriatepenaltykick. Itlookedliketheballhittheplayer’shandoccasionally. Krasnodar could focus more on defend after 1-0 lead was taken. And then Rubin did not perform their best game. Credit should also go to Krasnodar players who blocked any advantages that Rubin have and made the best of their own abilities.

-Spartak Moscow beat Amkar Perm in away game with the only goal. What can you say about this game? Was it a satisfactory result for Valery Karpin?
— Perm is a difficult place to play for all teams. You just can’t go with fireworks. The goal came after a free kick and both teams performed equally. As Karpin said, the game did not satisfy anybody, but Spartak took the victory. He was right saying that the game did not produce a good impression at all. It was the goalkeeper’s fault that Parekha scored free kick into the corner he was blocking.
— Numerous goals is what makes fans happy and coaches troubled. What conclusions shall be drawn by Slutsky, Spalletti and Berdyev after these games?

— If there were no goals, everybody would be taking about low scoring results. Games can be different but defeats suffered by CSKA and Zenit before opening games in the Champions League are indeed worrying.
— Do you think these negative results may produce any impact upon international performances?
— I believe this is going to be a positive impact. Both teams got a slap on their face which will keep them focused. Each coach tells certain details to players, but it does not always reach players. The clubs now shall get focused because mistakes like that are not to be forgiven at the Champions League level. I am confident that CSKA and Zenit will draw their conclusions and we will see mobilized and motivated for the international success.

Cherchesov: Upset only about not seeing Russia score

Thu, 08 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov told championat.com correspondent Vladislav Denisov about his impressions of the game between Russia and Ireland and our team’s prospects in the current qualification.

— What is better – to win in the way we did against Macedonia, or end game in draw but play as we did against Ireland?
— This means choosing between results and performance. I would prefer positive results with a fine performance. And please note that results always come first. I can tell a simple thing: things can take different shapes during a game. We gained three points in game against Macedonia and were held to draw by Ireland. The main thing is to take the first place by the results of the qualification. We need to support our national in any case. Things do not always happen as we want. Macedonia had problems beating Andorra on Tuesday. It is understandable that we want fireworks all the time. But this is not how things happen in life. Every game is started from scratch in football. There is no playback available.

— What did you like and dislike about yesterday’s game?
— I was telling before the game that Ireland would be easier to play against than Macedonia. And I made no mistake in terms of the game mode. First of all, our players were in a much better mood than on Friday. And secondly, the Irish themselves did not perform something outstanding. It was obvious that our team is much more constructive in the field center. And it looked quite strange that the visiting side’s coach continued to have two strikers on field and kept from any corrections. And if you ask what I did not like about the game – the only thing I did not like was that we did not score.
— Whom of strikers did you find more impressive – Kerzhakov or Pavlyuchenko?
— I thought that Pavlyuchenko would be on the starting lineup together with Kerzhakov or will come in as a substitute. But this did not happen. Roman was hard at entering the game – he managed easier in game against Macedonia. The same happened with Bylyaletdinov who also took some time to get to the rhythm. But it was a cross from Pavlyuchenko which could have decided the game if it was not for Shay Given’s save.

— Why Semshov, who regularly scores for Dynamo, is rare at utilizing his scoring opportunities in the national team?
— Igor was quite good at attack, but the Irish were saved first by their goalkeeper and then by defender. As for the second half when Semshov made a cross to nowhere, he was seeking Pavlyuchenko, but he did not follow the game. As a striker who would hardly make a cross further on in such situation, Roma must have thought that Igor will shoot on target himself.

— How did you like Zhirkov’s transfer to left flank of midfield?
— This move was suggesting itself. Zhirkov is attack-oriented player and then we needed a tall defender to compete with the Irish for headers. So this was an obvious choice. As for Zhirkov, he proved even during the game against Macedonia, that he is close to his optimal shape.

—It also looked like Russian defense did not miss much from Zhirkov’s move up front?
— Absolutely.
— What do you think about the defeat Slovakia suffered in home game against Armenia?
— Thatwasaslapintheface. QuiteinterestingifSlovakswillrecover. But another question is why everybody thought they would win Armenians for granted? Everything is possible in football. And we shall be ready to any surprises in Slovakia.
— What do you think about Russia’s prospects in our qualification group?
— I am neither happy nor upset. I have been in football for a long time and follow a simple rule – I am not beaten as long as there is an attempt left. And I have not won as long as my opponent got an attempt. You have to play your best in every game. And results shall be summed up only at the qualification end.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Luckily Advokaat has players to choose from

Tue, 06 Aug 2011 +0400

- I am definitely looking forward for a victory as it will get our national team closer to Euro-2012, said Cherchesov in his interview with Sport-Express Internet correspondent Vasiliy Korolev. – The Irish lost two points at home and hopefully will now perform an attack-oriented football without locking up in defense. Perhaps the game might be easier to play from this viewpoint. There will be changes in the national team lineup. Ignashevich will be back to the centre of defense, while Denisov who is sitting out because of a yellow card will be replaced by Semshov, Shirokov or Zyryanov. I would also say that two strikers might appear. But Advokaat is to make the final decision. The coach has more information on the current shape of players and their ability to perform at this position or that. Kerzhakov and Pavlyuchenko may appear together in the starting lineup. They have already played together and quite successfully. But Pogrebnyak also appeared successfully in the game against Serbia and scored. Luckily, Advokaat has players to choose from.

Stanislav Cherchesov on Sovetskiy Sport�s �Football Hour� show on September 5

Sun, 04 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov will be on Sovetskiy Sport’s “Football Hour” show at 9 am CET on Monday September 5.

During the live show Stanislav Cherchesov will speak of the end of professional football in Sochi, the reasoning of Spartak Moscow’s defeats and upcoming qualification game Russia vs Ireland. You can leave a question for Stanislav Cherchesov on Sovetskiy Sport’s website www.sovsport.ru

Stanislav Cherchesov: The lead could have been extended

Sat, 03 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov commented Russia’s 1-0 win against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Euro 2012 qualification in his interview with RBK Sport.

- What is your impression of the game?
- The most important is that we won 1-0 and did not fall behind. The teams had equal opportunities in the first half and I would say that Macedonians performed quite well in defense during the opening 20 minutes. This led to several dangerous attacks and attempts on target which were luckily saved by Malafeev.

By the end of the first half our team already started to grasp dominance. Macedonians made several unnecessary mistakes providing counter-attacking opportunities to Russian players. The team regrouped as Pavlyuchenko came in the second half and with Macedonia forced to recover there were free zones which could have been taken advantages of to extend the lead. But Tosak’s players were well prepared to the game, hence so match strain on field.

- What results would you expect of the game against Ireland?
- The first game was important from fan motivation viewpoint as well. The team had to play in a way to draw fans to the second game as well. There would have been certain psychological tensions in case of a failure. But we have won and are moving forward.

- Whom would you pick out in Russian national?
- Arshavin performed a fine game. Zhirkov also displayed his best skills after a long break. It was no occasion that his flank was most active during the game. Berezutsky brothers performed well as well. I would also like to note Pandev dropped off the game after the penalty was not assigned and this worked pretty much to our benefit. He was quite active in the first half, displaying his leadership skills. But the yellow card and penalty kick which he was anticipating came disturbing to Pandev and it came as no surprise he was sent off already after the game.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Sympathizing with Akinfeev and worried for Velliton

Fri, 02 Aug 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov spoke with Sport-Express correspondent Igor Larin about upcoming performances of the Russian national and latest news from the Premier League.

WE SHALL LET ADVOKAAT DO HIS BUSINESS

- The Russian national lost the first choice goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev before key qualification games of Euro 2012 campaign. How serious do you think this loss is?

- I spoke to Russian national coach Dick Advokaat before the Spartak Moscow vs CSKA Moscow derby fixture and he kindly gave me an opportunity to attend several workouts of the Russian national team in Luzhniki. I can therefore tell as a live witness that the team is doing everything to make up for Akinfeev’s injury. This is definitely a huge loss, in terms of sports, emotions and human feelings. And it pretty much seems that Igor will be replaced by Malafeev who works with great attitude and is having a fantastic season.

- Do you believe in Malafeev?

- The level of psychological tolerance is raised to the highest level in clubs like FC Zenit. Vacheslav numerously proved his preparedness to challenges of any kind. And he proved this particularly in games against our future opponent Macedonia, when he came in as a substitute in purely extreme circumstances and denied a penalty kick right away.

- How many points must be collected during the home series of two games?

- You cannot say “must” when it comes to sports. But Advokaat clearly understands that getting six points gets us next to the trip to Ukraine and Poland.

- Do you agree with Russian experts’ criticism of Advokaat for being overconservative and unwilling to invite new players into the national?

- I think that Advokaat is on the right track. We have CSKA-based defense that took several years to build, a steady Zenit-based midfield and several strikers from different countries and clubs. This is the reason why Advokaat is exercising a fundamental approach to matters of team formation. The best is the enemy of the good. Especially that certain refreshment of the lineup is still taking place. Glushakov has become a team member and Shunin has also recently been invited, to name a few.

- Bulykin was transferred to Ajax but is continuously ignored by Advokaat…

- I think we shall let Advokaat do his business. Especially when it comes to a player who performs in Advokaat’s home championship, the one that he knows in and out. At the same time, Bulykin is making an obvious progress as scoring so many goals is difficult even in such distinctive tournament as the Dutch championship.

STRUNG-UP VELLITON

- The injury that Akinfeev suffered in his collision with Spartak striker Velliton has now been discussed for the whole week…

- CSKA goalkeeper was first to get to the ball, but Brazilian striker was playing until the end and did not quite figure his moving pattern. Football goalkeepers are most vulnerable to tough collisions in football. The result is an unfortunate and serious injury by negligence. By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the soonest recovery to excellent goalkeeper and outstanding person Igor Akinfeev.

- Are you surprised by fans up in arms against Velliton? Who came to Spartak Moscow when you were coaching the team.

- Velliton has a bad credit history. But I personally know him as an exemplary player for his professional approach to workouts and partners in his own and opponent teams. But I am slightly worried that at times he appears strung-up in this and previous seasons. Perhaps this is how Spartak’s unstable performance affects one of the best strikers of Russian Premier League and one of my most favorite players. He does not have the opportunity to fulfill his leadership ambitions as a result.

- It is the second time under Valery Karpin that Spartak is knocked out of Eurocups. A total disaster?

- Let us keep from big words. When the Red-and-Whites got a lucky draw in the face of Legia, that is now found in the middle of the Polish League, everybody was confident that Spartak would make it through to the group stage of the Europe League. But football is both fair and cruel.

It is quite painful for me as a Spartak person to admit that play-off results have been cruel but fair for Spartak Moscow. We have not seen a consistent play during the entire 180 minutes and moments of fine performance took turns with complete failures. And Legia managed to take advantage of its modest resources as a result.

WE COVERED AN ENTIRE EPOCH WITH DASAEV

- It is now the fourth season that Spartak Moscow’s new management is busy with team building. 40 million EUR are invested into transfers every summer, with players coming and going and club budget growing from year to year. But the team is still in decline.

- It was just several months ago when I highlighted the key problem in another interview with your newspaper. The club does not have an established system of balances and counterbalances, which leads to a systemic error.

- Spartak Moscow changed six goalkeepers – Pletikosa, Djanaev, Pesyakov, Belenov, Zabolotny, Dikan – over the last three seasons. Is this how things are supposed to be?

- Perhaps, this question should better be addressed to people in charge of selection at Spartak. But it is clear to everybody that such a mess produces a serious impact upon the defense and end results. Spartak has well established goalkeeper traditions. Rinat Dasaev, Aleksey Prudnikov and me have covered an almost 20-year epoch which is considered by many fans as Spartak’s most glorious. We can not anticipate new victories unless these traditions are maintained.

- You have always preferred Pletikosa, but after the new management came he had to sit out games and was later offered for transfer. Do you think that Pletikosa would still be of greatest value to Spartak?

- There is no doubt that Pletikosa is a European class goalkeeper and he proved this by his appearances for both Spartak and the Croatian national. Pletikosa particularly stands out for his football intelligence. But Spartak decided to not use his services any longer due to the limit on foreign players. It is up to fans to judge whether this was a correct decision. What I personally think is that few foreign players in the Russian League are at Pletikosa’s level. You can see that he recently appeared for Rostov and confirmed his qualifications after two years of sitting out. And this answers your question.

- Spartak missed five goals in two games against Legia and ten in two games against Porto. Is the situation with players as bad as with goalkeepers?

- I would not divide the team into separate lines. Defense is not only about individual skills, but about team actions as well. This is especially true at the European level where not a single mistake is forgiven. And then again, we are getting distracted by details. The key problem is about the systemic error I referred to earlier.

- You talked to Advokaat at Spartak Moscow vs CSKA Moscow game. How did you like the main derby fixture of the Russian League?

- That was a fine derby. And as a Spartak person, I am particularly happy about our fans who formed two thirds of the crowd despite the challenges that the team is currently facing. It was noticeable that Spartak fans are nervous and seriously concerned about the recent failures. But people’s faith in Spartak makes me believe that the club will overcome the crisis sooner or later.

WORK IN SOCHI WAS NOT IN VAIN

- A question about Zhemchuzhina in the end. Are you still upset that the team was closed?

- Yes, it is very sad that we could not finish the season we had started so well. So I am following updates from my former players in Sochi. I am happy that young players who passed pre-season preparations in Zhemchuzhina were in great demand and prove their skills around the country. This particularly applies to Zotov of Spartak Moscow, Golban of Lokomotiv Moscow, Belousov of Torpedo Moscow, Rukhaia of Spartak Nalchik. I am also happy about senior players, such as Boyarintsev, who started successfully in Tomsk, and Cech, who will appear in the Champions League with Viktoria Plzen. This means that pre-season preparations were not in vain.

- Has Zhemchuzhina repaid all debts outstanding to players and coaching staff?

- Club president Dmitry Yakushev is a man of his word, which he proved at the beginning of the season when we worked in harmony and understood each other perfectly. He said that Zhemchuzhina would repay the outstanding balance by October 31. I have no doubts that this is how it is going to be.

Stanislav Cherchesov on Russia 2 TV�s �Futbol Rossii: Before Gameweek 22� show

Wen, 31 Jul 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov was on Russia 2 TV’s “Futbol Rossii: Before Gameweek 22” show hosted by Vladimir Stognienko on Friday August 26. The official website of Stanislav Cherchesov exclusively offers the full transcript of the show.

- PRESENTER: Our guest today is the famous coach Stanislav Cherchesov who very recently was coaching now defunct Zhemchuzhina-Sochi. Stanislav Salamovich, we are very happy to see you! Before we start on a more detailed discussion, my first question is – do you not regret that you took on a First League club?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: No.

- PRESENTER: Was there something new for you?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Yes, naturally. That is a new league, with more teams, longer flights and coupled gameweeks. It is quite special and something you have to get used to. I have managed well on it.

- PRESENTER: Did you get used to it quickly?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Yes, rather quickly.

- PRESENTER: Will you consider any offers from the First League clubs now?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Well, the League does indeed matter, but the key factor is about objectives that the team has. It is not sufficient for me to occupy the coaching position. I need the team to have certain goals and ambitions.

- PRESENTER: Well, Anzhi Makhachkala has very serious ambitions backed up by serious deeds. Samuel Eto’o is already training with Anzhi. Stanislav Salamovich, what do you think about the recent transfer of Cameroon player to Anzhi? Of course, it is a great promotion, but when such a megastar with his mega-salary joins a team, he might expect to have certain privileges.

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Yes, I can agree with that, but everything will depend on how Eto’o himself approaches his transfer to the Russian League and Anzhi. If his self-motivation is high, then that would definitely be a great advantage to both the Russian Premier League spectators, and Anzhi Makhachkala.

- PRESENTER: Have you ever worked with a team where one of the players enjoyed certain privileges or was more important than others?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Well, there are one, two or more players who enjoy certain privileges in every team. This might apply to salaries, bonuses and so on. But if our workout is set for 10 in the morning, then it is starting at 10 for both reserve players and mega stars. When the workout begins you are expected to be fully devoted and it does not matter if you are a beginner or mega star. I never gave an easy time to anybody in this respect, although I would like to stress that different situations can occur.

- PRESENTER: How long do you think it will take Eto’o to get used to the Russian championship?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: That won’t take long. He can also get assistance from Roberto Carlos, who is already well familiar with the Russian realities. And again, it strongly depends on the level of motivation the newcomer has.

- PRESENTER: Well, there is a chance that Eto’o can make his first appearance in the coming game against Rostov. What is for sure is that the derby fixture Spartak Moscow vs CSKA is played this weekend and Valery Karpin will have to lead his team on field after a painful defeat against Legia. This might not be the greatest pleasure for all to remember, but I am afraid that Futbol Rossii cannot ignore an event like this. Stanislav Salamovich, I understand that you used to work with Spartak Moscow and will behave correctly, but let me ask another question – is there anything that you liked about Spartak’s performance in yesterday’s game against Legia? And what exactly, if so?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Well, to begin with, one has to behave correctly at any time, no matter what team you worked with. As for Spartak, I liked the opening minutes when the team took the reins in their hands – which is something they failed at in Poland, where Legia was pressing hard from the kick off. Spartak scored an early goal but then something happened. In general, I must say that you can see gaps in their performance even within any individual game.

- PRESENTER: Were there serious gaps in defense in the game yesterday?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: The defense is made of at least two components – individual qualities of defending players, particularly defenders and midfielders, and team defense actions. Spartak oftentimes do not display neither of these two and the game yesterday was no exception. The goals in Poland were scored from just five meters and this time they performed awkward again. It should be noted in this respect that European club competitions have absolutely different physical, psychological and other requirements.

- PRESENTER: But defeat to Legia is a little too much. This team is not like Internazzionale Milan or Porto, as it was last year.

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Each team which appears in such competitions has several players that never lose the ball themselves and you have to fight to take it away. And their crosses never go to nowhere so you have to block free zones. Legia also have such players and they performed firm of purpose both in Poland and yesterday in Moscow. What we saw was a kind of vertical performance when they tried to find the shortest way to the goal immediately after they got possession. The football philosophy is about scoring when you have possession. Their tactics were quite simple – getting the ball to Ljuboja and make themselves available in free zones. And these tactics worked.

- PRESENTER: So it was simple and effective and too complicated for Spartak.

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: This is how it was in these two games for reasons that I do not know about. It is just too much seeing five such goals scored.

- PRESENTER: Let us see what Spartak coach said after the game.

FOOTAGE WITH VLADIMIR KARPIN

- PRESENTER: If the team performs well for thirty minutes and then quits, the coach perhaps should have an idea why this happens? I mean shall this question be addressed to the coach?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: You know, this question is not easy to answer. The coach naturally determines the lineup, the tactics, substitutions and has a feeling of the game. I personally had games which required the coach to interfere. Sometimes you interfere and it works and sometimes it is not quite as you want it. But in any case, the coach is responsible for what happens on the pitch.

- PRESENTER: If your team lets through five goals in two games, would you have claims to your own self?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: You have put it correctly – I would have claims to myself. And I would have requirements to players that are dictated by their profession – football.

- PRESENTER: What do you think about Spartak’s newcomers?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: It is too little time. Of course, if they are with the club like Spartak Moscow, they have a certain potential. Another thing is that few can join a new team with immediate results. As far as I can remember only Welliton and McGeady got quickly accustomed over the recent years. MaybeAlexaswell. Butmostnewcomersneedtime. I noticed yesterday night that de Zeeuw came vaguely into the game and was probably disappointed that he was not on the starting lineup. But in general if a person played for Ajax he necessarily has some potential. We shall just wait a bit and not expect miracles immediately.

- PRESENTER: What will be happen to Spartak next? Dynamo Moscow have appointed Silkin as their coach. Spartak have Sergey Rodionov, who works with the football academy. Maybe it’s time to look for internal resources?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Well, I can only tell what I saw during the game yesterday. It s very hard for me to judge who shall take which decisions.

- PRESENTER: Thus, we conclude our conversation about the team which Stanislav Salamovich has had direct relation to, but are switching to another team that Stanislav Cherchesov is well familiar with. Our next topic is Alania Vladikavkaz, which appeared against Besiktas Istanbul. The game was delayed and we can now watch the goals. Alania was close to a miracle that night. Perhaps miracle is not exactly the right word because Besiktas is not a megaclub of any kind, but still Alania nearly recovered from 0-3 defeat in Istanbul and scored twice. And if it was not for brilliant saves from Besiktas goalkeeper Rustu, the third could also have come. I personally believe that Alania was not quite lucky to win. Because the team enjoyed dominance and could have scored more.

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Yes, I do agree. But the 0-3 goal difference was too big. Another thing is that Besiktas did not quite deserve a 3-0 win at home. But you can see that the third goal which was not crucial in that particular game has decided who gets through. In any case, Alania deserves any respect for fighting until the end. These two games were a great experience for young players and the young coach.

- PRESENTER: What do you personally think – who is behind everything in Alania – Vladimir Gazzaev or Valery Gazzaev?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: This question is hard to answer. Vladimir Gazzaev is Alania coach and Valery Georgievich helps him where necessary. I think that this is normal.

FOOTAGE OF ALANIA GAME

- PRESENTER: I think that the coach is happy about the game despite the results.

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Quite unfortunately, I did not watch the game. It was delayed and I had a certain time schedule for the day. But if Alania indeed performed a fine football as the coach says, then moral satisfaction is indeed achieved and this can be felt in the interview. I would like to emphasize again that not a single mistake can be committed at that level. The mistakes that we see were committed by Spartak Moscow and Rubin Kazan are not forgiven. You can be beaten by a stronger team, but if you do everything for the opponent to get closer to victory, then your mistakes will not be forgiven.

- PRESENTER: Let us take a look at what Rubin Kazan did to win or let Lyon win. The footage from Rubin Kazan vs Lyon game. Rubin players were hoping to recover from a 1-3 away defeat. Just as in the case with Alania vs Besiktas, it looked for a moment that there is a chance. Stanislav Salamovich, do you think that Rubin is off merely at the expense of their own mistakes?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Rubin is normally not easy to let goals through, but they went down to three unnecessary goals in Lyon. Olympique Lyon is a rather strong team and I would say that Rubin did everything possible at home to qualify to the next round, but did not manage at that.

- PRESENTER: Do you think they have lineup problems? Perhaps it might have been a good idea to strengthen their lineup in advance?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: The thing is that you cannot strengthen your lineup all the time. They purchased Carlos, who is injured. Then Navos had to sit out, Kuzmin is injured, Ansaldi… Some other factors are important as well. Rubin was trying to improve the situation by means of existing resources and players who were not injured, but it did not work. And then Valdez did not appear on the field. Based on my observations from Bundesliga, he is a very good and skillful player.

FOOTAGE WITH KURBAN BERDIYEV INTERVIEW

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: I must also add that Lyon goalkeeper made several important saves and added further confidence to his partners.

- PRESENTER: Stanislav Salamovich, what do you think about the draw results? Whohasthetoughestopponents?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Thedrawhasturnedoutquiteinteresting. Internazzionale is the team that we all know well and then we are in the same group with French champions again. In another group we can see that there are UEFA cup winners of the last few years all gathered together. Shakhtar vs Zenit pair is particularly interesting. Rubin won against Dynamo Kiev last year. So we will see what is going to happen this time. These are interesting groups in any case.

- PRESENTER: Now let’s take a look at the Europe League draw results… You must have numerously played against Sturm Graz?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Yes, indeed. They are now somewhat inferior to the team that won Austrian Bundesliga for several years. But it is a young, ambitious and competitive team. Still I think Sturm might be the group’s outsider.

- INTERVIEW WITH GERSHKOVICH

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: When it comes to team staffing, we all know that players do not come to team by themselves. They are watched over, screened and acquired. And team staffing shall correspond to the team’s mission and objectives. In Spartak Moscow, many players come and go, the lineup changes every year but there is little result so far.

- PRESENTER: Stanislav Salamovich, Spartak suffered a very painful defeat. CSKA defeated Tomsk confidently last week, but do not look as steady as they were before the summer break. Who do you think have greater chances to win?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: I think it is impossible to name the winner in such fixtures in advance, but you have correctly noticed that CSKA may have certain advantages in terms of psychological and physical preparedness, because Spartak had to play several games in a row. That would be a test for Spartak’s firmness and ability to get over defeat and rehabilitate. I am going to attend the game and I wish every luck to Spartak.

- PRESENTER: Why do you think CSKA have been losing points the last few months and were beaten by Zenit?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: That was a game of equal opponents, but certain details prevailed. Spalletti chose the right tactics and CSKA failed to get advantage of Dumbia and Vagner Love, who were blocked by central defenders. And I really liked Krisito that game. He was solid in defense and contributed well to attacks. Zenit used those chances they had and won.

FOOTAGE ON TOM TOMSK

- PRESENTER: Stanislav Salamovich, you had similar problems in Zhemchuzhina. For how long was your optimism lasting when these problems began?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: Your optimism as a coach depends on how players perform. My players performed very well and this helped me in my work. If players perform poorly you can get no satisfaction and your optimism leaves you no matter if you have the money or not. Valery Nepomnaschiy is in a tough situation and it is no occasion that he is suffering from health problems at the moment. I would say that the current trend is quite unpleasant. Professional football clubs shall be checked thoroughly at the stage of application for participation in the league championship. Their annual budgets shall be audited to prevent further problems for players, coaches and the League. What kind of championship is that going to be if several teams withdraw at once?

- PRESENTER: If it were not for financial problems in Zhemchuzhina, are you sure you would be striving for promotion?

- STANISLAV CHERCHESOV: We have proved in the opening game weeks that we are going to promote. But when problems arise, it affects your performance sooner or later. And this does not motivate players at all. You cannot guarantee anything in football and we could see yesterday how a team with a better budget and lineup was beaten by Legia. But we were doing our best and I am confident that we would be striving for promotion. We strongly wished to be number one and were proving our abilities. But to get where we wanted we also needed an appropriate infrastructure that we lacked. And of course, the financial problems which are still lasting also had their impact. We signed the papers that outstanding balance would be repaid by October 31. I hope that this is how it is going to be.

PRESENTER: Our guest today was Stanislav Cherchesov. Stanislav Salamovich, thank you very much for sharing your time in the studio and best of luck!

Stanislav Cherchesov planning to get back to coaching

Tue, 30 Jul 2011 +0400

Famous football coach Stanislav Cherchesov admitted in his exclusive interview with Life Sports that he would like to work with FC Spartak Moscow again and share opinion about upcoming games of the Russian international team.

- After Zhemchuzhina-Sochi withdrew from the FNL League, I am planning to get back to coaching, - said Cherchesov. I spoke to Advokaat at Spartak-CSKA game and he kindly invited me to attend the workout. I always try to look for something new, - said Cherchesov. – Who knows what the future will bring? I am gradually getting involved. And maybe the day X will come when I head the Red-and-Whites again.

“I definitely have the desire, but desire is not enough. But I would gladly carry through what I had already started. We’ll wait and see. I used to play with Karpin and Tikhonov in one team and probably we get to work together as well.

Stanislav Cherchesov also shared his expectations of upcoming international qualifications against Macedonia and Ireland.

- Macedonia is a spirit-dependent team. It is very important to not let them unfold and start on their game. Goran Pandev is particularly dangerous. I am not aware about his current shape, but he has always been a brilliant player. As for Ireland, this team gives itself completely to any game. We have to difficult games ahead and I hope that fans provide great support to Russia as we need to qualify to Euro, said Cherchesov.

- I would prefer to keep from any forecasts, but I am confident that the Russian national will gain 6 points in games against Macedonia and Ireland.

Russia will play Euro 2012 qualification games against Macedonia and Ireland on 2 and 6 September accordingly.

Stanislav Cherchesov eager to carry through what he had started in Spartak Moscow

Tue, 30 Jul 2011 +0400

Stanislav Cherchesov, the former coach of FC Spartak Moscow and Zhemchuzhina-Sochi, has visited the Russian national team workout at Luzhniki stadium today. After the training session, he briefly spoke to journalists and, as Sport-Express correspondent Artem Agapov reports, faced questions about the Red-and-Whites’ most recent results.

- I spoke to Advokaat at Spartak-CSKA game and he kindly invited me to attend the workout. I always try to look for something new, - said Cherchesov. – Who knows what the future will bring? A day may come when I am back to Spartak Moscow. I would like to carry through what I had started and could not complete in time.

- Would you like to work with Karpin and Tikhonov?

- It was a pleasure playing with Karpin and Tikhonov. Why not to work together?

- What do you think Spartak were missing in Europe League play-off against Legia?

- I hoped for Spartak to qualify. But I said even before the game that it was going to be hard. I played two difficult games against Legia myself. I can’t say if it was about underestimation, incorrect preparations, tactical or lineup errors. It is very hard judging like this. But unfortunately the result is not for our benefit.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Chepchugov makes a success appearance for CSKA

Mon, 29 Jul 2011 +0400

CSKA goalkeeper Sergey Chepchugov has a made a fine appearance in the game against Spartak Moscow after first-choice goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev sustained an injury, said Stanislav Cherchesov in his interview with R-Sport agency.

Akinfeev sustained the injury in a collision with opposing striker Welliton during PFC CSKA Moscow’s 2-2 draw with city rivals FC Spartak Moscow on Sunday. Substitute goalkeeper Chepchugov, 26, spent 60 minutes on field and missed two goals, including a far shot of Spartak striker Emmanuel Emenike.

“It is hard to judge as far as I did not see a close up. That was a fine shot, but I still think it could have been saved. Chepchugov made a save some moments before, but not in this situation. In any case, I believe that he made a fine appearance as he stepped in at an important moment and performed confidently”, said Cherchesov in a phone interview.

Stanislav Cherchesov was at the Luzhniki stadium, but did not see the situation which led to Akinfeev’s injury.

“It is very sad that Russian international goalkeeper suffered an injury before important qualification games. I don’t know if Welliton had a malicious intent, but that this was not the first case when goalkeepers sustain serious injuries in collisions with Welliton gives way to speculations. This might cause potential negativism, although there might have not been any malicious intent”, said Cherchesov.

According to the former FC Spartak Moscow coach, the game became spectacular only after Spartak scored just second before the first half end whistle.

“One of the teams had to score for the game to begin, because the opponents performed too carefully and respectful to each other in the first half. This might be excusable for Spartak, that suffered a painful defeat in Europe League. But CSKA did not take the advantage of that. There was nothing serious in the first half except for Akinfeev injury and a pole shot of Zoran Tosic. The things changed only after Spartak had scored. CSKA started to have scoring opportunities and spectacular game began in the second half”, stated Cherchesov.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Anniversary congratulations go to CSKA

Mon, 29 Jul 2011 +0400

The former FC Spartak Moscow coach Stanislav Cherchesov spoke to Rusfootball.info correspondent Victoria Yakovleva about upcoming derby FC Spartak Moscow vs CSKA.
- Do you think Valery Karpin’s team will recover from the recent defeat against Legia which voided Spartak’s European hopes and get back in focus for the game against CSKA?
- It is a pity that Spartak did not qualify to the Europe League. But Europe League and Russian Premier League are two different competitions and the Red-and-Whites will have to solve totally different tasks in game against CSKA. The defeat against Legia is now a long forgotten story which absolutely does not matter before the game against CSKA. And then, the team has to rehabilitate itself before fans for not qualifying into Eurocups and game against CSKA is a perfect chance.
- CSKA is celebrating its 100^th anniversary these days and will likely make every effort to bring the joy of spectacular play and positive results to fans…
- My congratulations to CSKA. 100 years is a very serious anniversary which speaks of the club’s rich history. But the game does not have much to do with anniversary celebrations. It is on the field where the strongest is determined.

- How would you estimate the chances of both teams before the game?
- Both teams perform fine attacks. Both Spartak and CSKA have goal-oriented players who can score any time and help their team dominate. When it comes to such important games, both team play and individual skills are crucial. And I therefore find it hard telling who will win. What is the most important about this game is the opportunity to watch a fine and spectacular game irrespective of the results.
- How do you like Spartak newcomers – Demy de Zeeuw and Emmanuel Emenike?
- They are not impressive and you can’t tell that they contribute much to the team play. But it is understandable that getting started is not always easy. We therefore need to let de Zeeuw and Emenike have more time.
- What would be your forecast for the game?
-Spartak will win 2-1.
- After Spartak was beaten by Legia many concluded that Valery Karpin should resign as Spartak coach. I can remember that you were in a similar situation after 1-5 defeat against CSKA in the Russian Premier League and 1:4 defeat against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League play-off. What do you think Karpin feels now?
- I was not in the same situation as Karpin, because the team still appeared in the UEFA Cup that season. And I would not like to get involved into discussions on who shall do what in different situations. Getting into this would not be quite ethical of me.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Everything is possible in derby fixtures

Sun, 28 Jul 2011 +0400

The former FC Spartak Moscow coach Stanislav Cherchesov has shared his expectations of upcoming derby in Luzhniki in an interview with bobsoccer.ru

- Many think that after Spartak was beaten by Legia it does not have any chances against CSKA. I would not agree. The defeat against Polish team indeed came as a shock for everybody, but Europe League and Russian Premier League are different tournaments. Everything is possible in a single game, especially when it comes to derby fixtures. I would say that Spartak may win 2-1 (the game ended in 2-2 draw).

- Do you think Valery Karpin shall follow Lucano Spalletti’s pattern and play with three central defenders today?
- It is not as simple as having an extra defender and win. When defense is not duly arranged, as I believe is the case with Spartak Moscow, it does not make much sense securing your rear. Players must understand the coach’s ideas and know why the scheme is being changed. Nothing good can be expected if these ideas are not explained. I can refer to an example from my recent work with Zhemchuzhina. We were working on the scheme with three central defenders for a week before our game against Volgar-Gazprom. The players were not too happy about this idea at first, but when they finally realized what this plan would serve to (strengthened center of defense provides more flexibility to flank players), things started going smoothly. Andwewonthegame. As for Spartak, I cannot see the team on the pitch. It is just a group of players most of the time…

- Then why is your stake on the Red-and-Whites?
- Well, again, you can win a single game even against CSKA. But to really succeed, you need steady results, which Spartak does not have for a long time and which causes serious concerns.

Stanislav Cherchesov: Professional club licensing should be for real

Wen, 24 Jul 2011 +0400

Halfway through the Russian season, the FNL League is missing one of Caucasian teams as financial problems forced FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi to withdraw. Ekho Kavkaza correspondent Oleg Kusov has spoken to FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi coach Stanislav Cherchesov about the reasons and sequences of this unfortunate event and other problems that Russian football experiences.

- We had certain problems with payments in the beginning and have not been paid anything during the last four months. Thisisthereason.

- Specialists were naming Zhemchuzhina-Sochi one of the main candidates for promotion to the Premier League. And indeed, your team was even topping the table for some time, which is evident of the good selection of players and right direction chosen by the coaching staff. Now, after the team has been closed, are these professionals – both coaches and players – going to not have anything to do this year?
- Indeed, we were topping the league for some time and stayed in the leading group of teams afterwards. We performed very well during the training camps and the selection of players was appropriate. Another thing is that I was not quite happy because we did not have players for certain positions and, which is even more important, we had an excess of players, which was at times preventing us from maintaining the correct training process. Many of our players have already found new clubs and made their first appearances. It was just today that our goalkeeper Marek Cech, who now appears for FC Viktoria Plzen, sent me an sms with gratitude for the great work. Smolnikov appears for FC Rostov and Rukhaia – for FC Spartak Nalchik. I do as much as possible to help them, providing unbiased information about players to interested parties so that other coaches could make their decisions. As for the coaching staff, it is not quite so easy to shift from one job into another. When you are fully absorbed in your work in Zhemchuzhina, you cannot disperse. I am not used to working in one club and thinking of others. It has now been ten days and thing are calming down. I am flying to Moscow on August 22 to hold a couple of meetings. By the way, I got a call from a foreign club about three days ago. I had to decline that offer because I am not ready to work for that club. Their objectives are not too ambitious and the country is not yet well known on the football map. Just don’t ask me which country is that.

- The situation with Zhemchuzhina has exposed a very serious problem in the Russian football. A club starts playing well and then there is no money all of a sudden. Football clubs are closed and fans are losing teams they love. What do you think about this problem in the Russian football? Maybe it is time to change something?
- This question should be addressed to the management, because things would not have been so bad if a team would withdraw upon completion of a season. In the worst case it can be replaced by some other team. But it is a totally different situation when this happens in the course of a season. Force majeure can be different. And I believe that there should be some kind of a guarantee. When a team is applying for participation, there should be guarantees that it would be able to complete the entire season. We are not talking about Zhemchuzhina alone, we are talking about any club. When we come to a team as players or coaches and sign our contract, we do not have the opportunity to check the club’s balance statement, solvency and debt load. Hopefully we will arrive at a point when licensing of professional clubs is for real and clubs are not audited solely for debt load, but also for liabilities they are undertaking for a certain season and which they must be fulfilling. It is particularly important that certain conclusions are made. As you rightly noticed, the players would find new teams and coaches would also find employment, but situation with club fans is much more dramatic.

- We wish that you get interesting offers soon. And we also hope that you will be our sport expert this season. Let us start with it right now, what is your forecast for the Russian FNL League?

- This is a very specific tournament. Many teams are performing in a similar manner and too much depends on the team’s readiness on the very day of the game. And then, both players and referees are sometimes making mistakes which, although unprejudiced, have their affect upon the results. The teams which have the greatest chances for promotion are Alania, Mordovia, Shinnik, Ural, Sibir, Nizhny Novgorod. I would definitely like that Alania promotes, because this is the first team in my professional career. And I also wish that they are promoted into the Europe League.

Für Tschertschessow ist das Projekt Sotchi beendet

Sun, 21 Jul 2011 +0400

Olympia 2014, Fußball-WM 2018 und künftig auch Motorengeheul der Formel-1-WM – eigentlich herrscht in Sotchi Aufbruchstimmung. Doch der Fußballklub der 350.000-Einwohner-Stadt am Schwarzen Meer lässt mit einer Pleite aufhorchen. „Der Spielbetrieb ist bereits wegen finanzieller Probleme eingestellt. Das hat der Präsident in einer Sitzung mitgeteilt. Alle Verträge wurden aufgelöst bzw. entsprechend abgegolten“, erklärt Ex-Wacker-Coach Stani Tschertschessow, der mit Schemtschuschina Sotchi zusammen mit seinem Tiroler Co-Trainer Klaus Vogler das Projekt Aufstieg in die russische Premier League umsetzen hätte sollen.

„Wir waren nach neun Runden Erster und auf einem guten Weg, doch dann wirkten sich die hartnäckigen Gerüchte auf die Leistungen aus. Schade – ich bin überzeugt, dass wir den Aufstieg geschafft hätten, weil die ersten acht ein Aufstiegs-Play-off ausgespielt hätten“, so Tschertschessow, der so wie die Mannschaft Sotchi bereits verlassen hat. Russlands First Division erstreckt sich diese Saison über eineinhalb Jahre, weil die Terminplanung an die europäischen Ligen angepasst wird.

Was bringt die Zukunft? „Ich besuche zurzeit meine Eltern in Ossetien und fliege am 22. August nach Moskau, dann weiß ich mehr. Ein Angebot aus dem Ausland lag schon vor, doch das wollte ich nicht annehmen“, vermeldete der 47-jährige Ex-FC-Tirol-Torhüter gestern aus seiner Geburtsstadt Alagir in Nordossetien. Wie fällt der Rückblick auf die Station Sotchi aus? „Zwiespältig. Die finanziellen Probleme waren allgegenwärtig. Dennoch war das für mich persönlich keine verlorene Zeit. Ich habe mich weiterentwickelt. In Russland ist, wie man sieht, alles möglich. Olympische Winterspiele in einem Kur- und Badeort, aber halt auch ein vorzeitiges Ende mitten in der Fußballmeisterschaft.“

Ähnlich ist die Gemütslage bei Klaus Vogler, der als Stanis Co-Trainer am Schwarzen Meer unter Vertrag stand und gestern wieder nach Kufstein zurückkehrte. „Warum der Spielbetrieb eingestellt wurde, ist mir bis heute nicht klar. Schade, ich hätte auch um weniger Geld weitergemacht. Eine Zeit, die ich nicht missen möchte“, lässt der 43-Jährige den Sotchi-Abstecher noch einmal Revue passieren: „Russisch unterhalten kann ich mich noch nicht. Doch im Training klappte es mit den diversen Kommandos schon ganz gut. Die Reisen zu den Auswärtsspielen waren von den Entfernungen gewaltig. Ich habe immer und überall versucht, Land und Leute kennen zu lernen.“ Und Sotchi? „Die Stadt ist zurzeit eine einzige Baustelle. Irgendwann fliege ich noch einmal hin und schaue mir an, wie alles ausschaut, wenn es fertig ist.“

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Stanislav Cherchesov: Player's opinion shall be respected anyway

Stanislav Cherchesov glad Vlasov pens extension

Stanislav Cherchesov: We work to make team stronger

Stanislav Cherchesov: You can�t entice people with mere words

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Stanislav Cherchesov: Lokomotiv to win 2-0

Cherchesov�s team win Star Match in Irkutsk

Stanislav Cherchesov on his way to Irkutsk

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Cherchesov: Upset only about not seeing Russia score

Stanislav Cherchesov: Luckily Advokaat has players to choose from

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Stanislav Cherchesov on Russia 2 TV�s �Futbol Rossii: Before Gameweek 22� show

Stanislav Cherchesov planning to get back to coaching

Stanislav Cherchesov eager to carry through what he had started in Spartak Moscow

Stanislav Cherchesov: Chepchugov makes a success appearance for CSKA

Stanislav Cherchesov: Anniversary congratulations go to CSKA

Stanislav Cherchesov: Everything is possible in derby fixtures

Stanislav Cherchesov: Professional club licensing should be for real

Für Tschertschessow ist das Projekt Sotchi beendet

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