We grew up and gained experience
— Radek, after winning the UEFA Cup, was Zenit ready for the new challenge of the Champions League?
— I think we were ready. It wasn`t the first year that we played in European cup tournaments. Just take Tymoshchuk, for example, who played with Shakhtar every year in Champions League matches before that. We also grew up and got more experience. In any case, it was enough not to disgrace ourselves, and give every team a fight, with no exceptions.
— Tell us honestly: was it fair that Juventus and Real made it to the play-off stage then, while Zenit remained in third place?
— I`d say that all of our matches were tough that year. The results of those matches were determined by the fact that we couldn`t take advantage of our goal-scoring opportunities. I`m sure that we didn`t play any worse than Real Madrid or Juventus.
— You`re probably still upset about the goal that Del Piero scored in Turin off a direct kick?
— Ya, we played at least as well as Juventus in that match, and could have won the match. Juventus had almost no goal-scoring chances, and then they got that direct kick…
— You had battles on the field all the time with your countryman, Zdenek Grygera…
— Believe me, there was nothing serious in those battles. They just came during the flow of play. Ya, once I made a really hard tackle on him, but then I apologized to him. Then, when Juventus came to play in St. Petersburg, we even spent the evening together after the match. I was introduced to Pavel Nedved that night, by the way, whom I had only seen on television for most of my life until then.
— In the return leg at Petrovsky Stadium, Juventus managed to get a goalless draw, while Zenit had to win the match…
— The Italians had already made it to the round of sixteen by that time, and were absolutely free to play their best football and take risks in St. Petersburg. It was really hard for us to play against them. They used a lot of players in defense, and tried to catch us on counterattacks. That match was even harder than the one in Turin.
— Could you have avoided a loss at home to Real Madrid?
— If you leave out the first 20 minutes, I would say that we completely outplayed the Madrid side. I would say that we didn`t even create as many goal-scoring opportunities in our Russian league games as we did in that match. If we had taken advantage of our chances, as Real did… It`s really sad, because if we had won that match then we probably would have made it out of our group!
— Zenit had one more unfortunate moment: you played a 1:1 draw at home with BATE from Belarus…
— We just made a defensive mistake in that match. Our opponent got ahead, and it was easier for them to play at that point. We tied the score, but then we just ran out of time to get a game-winner. And the Belarusian side was not to be underestimated, even though that was their first time playing in the Champions League. I remember that they moved well and controlled the ball. But again, if we had taken advantage of our opportunities, it would have been a lot harder for them. I still think we should have taken all six points against BATE. The away match, when we won 2:0 without much trouble, was good proof of that.
All of Europe watched us play at the Santiago Bernabeu
— The only match in the group stage in which Zenit was definitely weaker was the last match, in Madrid, when the Galacticos under new coach Juande Ramos won 3:0…
— Even though that match didn`t mean anything in terms of the standings, we approached it very seriously. But nevertheless it was the end of our season by then, and we were already really tired from the long season, and everybody was thinking of their upcoming vacations subconsciously.
— But wasn`t it hard to get psyched up for a match that was basically a friendly match? By that time two weeks had gone by since the match with Juventus in the 5th round…
— Every footballer has to get himself ready for the match himself. I personally didn`t want to look stupid on the field at Santiago Bernabeu, because all of Europe was watching that match. It was important to show that you know how to play football.
— Was there any player that Zenit was missing in the Champions League that year?
— That was Martin Skrtel of course. Besides all his other qualities, he was one of my best friends in the team! But Martin earned his invitation to Liverpool through his professionalism and his determination, and a lot of us were really jealous of him in a good way.
— What conclusions did you make after the group stage?
— Obviously that gave us great experience. Plus I fulfilled a childhood dream! Just imagine, when you`re a kid you watch Champions League matches, and then you play in the tournament yourself! Those are unforgettable feelings! Some footballers never get the chance to play in a tournament like that. Nobody knows if they`ll get to play in the Champions League again in their careers or not. I guess I`ll never get to again myself. So I`ll always remember those years warmly.
— What do you think about Zenit`s prospects in the current Champions League season?
— I`m sure that the team won`t collapse, and will fight to the death to get out of its group. Obviously, Zenit`s group is very strong. That`s always the way in the Champions League. For example, my former team doesn`t have the right to underestimate APOEL, because a lot can depend on the very first match. I can just repeat again how bad it was for us to lose points against BATE. But just in general the Petersburg side has a lot of excellent players, and a very high-level coach, so I don`t see any reasons for pessimism. I`m going to keep my fingers crossed for all of the guys and for St. Petersburg. It`s just too bad that the Czech season is underway, because it will be hard for me to come cheer on the team at Petrovsky!
