Game plan for success

Having arrived in Moscow for the match with Spartak, Zenit`s coaching staff and the footballers of the team`s main side visited the office of the club`s general sponsor – JSC Gazprom.

After the team`s charter flight landed in Vnukovo Airport, the club got in a bus and went to Namyotkina Street in Moscow, home of Gazprom`s central office. There the Zenit players were met by one of our team`s biggest fans in Russia – Alexey Miller.

After greeting each Zenit player, Gazprom`s CEO showed the players the company`s head office: the enormous control room, the room where the company`s board of directors meets, and his personal office. “This is where I work, and live, – Miller smiled when answering the question of one of the footballers.

The main part of the meeting took place around a giant round table – the same place where Gazprom`s most important meetings are held. Alexey Miller told the players about the company, and noted that the team is part of the corporation, underlining that Zenit is an important image-maker for Gazprom.

– The quality of play and the team`s image automatically reflect on the company, – Miller told the Zenit players. – They have an effect on the team`s market value as well.

The players talked with Miller about their match tomorrow with Spartak as well. The match is with one Zenit`s main rivals, which makes it one of the most important matches of the season.

– But we`ll ask agent Bystrov about how Spartak`s going to play, – joked Miller. – To win against Spartak is a separate task that you all know everything about.

Hugging each player at the end of the meeting, Gazprom`s CEO finished by saying that both the club`s coaching staff, headed by Luciano Spalletti, and all of Zenit`s players are 100% ready for tomorrow`s match.