Most of the Zenit players learned about the title win up in the aeroplane, but you stayed in Grozny, did you watch the Arsenal v Lokomotiv match, where were you?
I went home to Ingushetia, it’s 50-60 kilometers away and I managed to watch the second half of the Arsenal v Loko match with my dad. When it was ten minutes before the end and the score was 2-0, I knew we would be champions we were just waiting for that final whistle.
What happened then? How did you and your family react?
Everyone was very happy! We hugged each other and my friends were calling and messaging us to congratulate me on the win.
How do you celebrate such big events in Ingushetia?
I called my cousins and relatives and we sat at the table and ate together. When it’s possible I want to bring the championship trophy to Ingushetia to show everyone. I'm the first title winner to grow up there and it’s a big event for the republic.
Is the title medal even more important for your father than for you?
Yes, because he invested a lot in me and now I can repay him. I also have a son now so I understand that I want to do everything possible so he can achieve all that he can. When we have children, we become much more responsible and we have to do everything so that they can get the most out of this life. I am grateful to my father that when I was growing up he was always there and always helped me in everything.
What did your father say to you after the final whistle in Tula?
He congratulated me on becoming a champion and we hugged.
Would you like your son to also play football?
If he wants to then yes. I’d be happy for him to say "dad come on let’s play". My son has already been on the pitch before the match with Tambov. He is interested in playing with a ball and running around in the yard, but I don’t know if he has any talent yet. To be honest, there’s no point in pressuring him if he’s not got the talent or desire for it, and I really do not want him to say to me when he’s 18: "Dad, I never wanted to play football, I want to be an architect or an artist". We have to decide when he is ready for it or not. If he can and wants to, then why not?
What did your son think of the Gazprom Arena?
He likes to talk and chats with everyone. He especially likes to go into the locker room and seeks out the funny guys like Azmoun and Dzyuba. Then when he’s had enough he calls for his mum to come and get him, in September he’ll be four years old.
He doesn’t tell you how he thinks you played yet?
Oh no, it's too early for that. I hope that by the time he understands football, I’ll have finished playing.
Yaroslav Rakitskyi has said he’s having a good time at Zenit and is experiencing the best period of his career, is that the same for you and how do you feel on the pitch?
You have to love what you do! I like to play, to train. Sometimes you might get tired and need a day or two to rest, but I can’t sit still. My wife says to me, “can you just relax for a day and not be busy?” I tell her that it’s my natural energy and I hope that it lasts me a lifetime. I like it at Zenit and like that we are a team that has very high ambitions. It’s good that we never lower our sights and are constantly concentrating on important things. The players we have here are such that you have to give 100% all the time, or you will lose your place in the team and that's good. This is how it is and you need to get used to it.
You are now one of the vital players at Zenit and in a very important position. Is this the best you’ve ever played or can you get even better?
I won’t say that this is a peak, I hope I can progress even more, but there are a lot of things that can influence that. I’ve had great seasons before, but the main thing is not to stop.
We can see the great atmosphere in the team by events on the pitch, although sometimes the players might shout at each other you all support your teammates, for example when Santos scored that own goal recently.
When there are the right results, the atmosphere is always good. The real test for the team occurs when there are bad results. We had such a test at Zenit last November. The results were not very good, but after the winter break we managed to deal with the situation. As for the shouting at each other out on the pitch, this happens, it might not always be very noticeable, but we never insult each other. There are players who can really shout, the captain Ivanovic, Rakitskyi, Dziuba, Zhirkov and Smolnikov, they are senior players and have been in the team a long time. Such players are very important.
You seem to have a good connection with Barrios, but does the language barrier make communication difficult?
We have his own sign language between us. We call Barrios “Kucha” as that’s what he calls everyone. In his language, it means "mate or friend" and he is always saying "Kucha, la-la-la ...". I really like playing with him, we know each other’s movements and have a great understanding, and that’s a rare thing in football. In our positions, such understanding is very important. For Zenit, Barrios has been a very good addition.
Some analysts have said that you’ve learned from Barrios, for example in your passing, do you feel that?
I’m always practicing my technique a lot when I’m at the training centre, but when you have a complete understanding with a player, it makes things very different.
