– The Russian national team is playing with Macedonia today. What impressions do you have from Russia’s victory in Dublin? Not many people expected such a spectacle.
– I didn’t see the whole match, since at that time I was flying from Italy here, to Russia. Later Spalletti and I got to watch important highlights from the match. The Russian side showed real class. I was especially impressed by how well our boys played. They look great! Just like the whole team. They have enthusiasm, and teamwork. I hope the national team will continue to achieve success.
– How do footballers change after playing matches for the national team? You don’t see them for almost ten days.
– When the players came back after the previous games they were in pretty good form. If they’re successful today then they'll come back to the club full of energy, with a desire to play. That will only help them to play well for Zenit.
– A lot of players who weren’t invited to their national teams got a vacation. Bukharov had the strangest vacation after all. He had just one days in the United Arab Emirates. Where were you?
– Ya, I would like to speak about Bukharov. I’m really happy that his vacation ended quickly. It’s a big honor to be called up to the national side. As for me, I spent my vacation with my family in Italy. It was a wonderful time.
– Can we ask you about the Italian national team. Everybody remembers how Italy played in Africa, and now the unsure play in the Euro qualifying round. What’s going on?
– I think most of all the team is going through a new selection cycle. Moreover, the team is being reconstructed. Prandelli is an excellent coach! I wish him luck, to find new players, and to form them for the national team. Let’s hope that Italy can get good results in this qualification round.
– If we look at Italy’s national team, most of its players were born in 1985. How can the generation change be made simpler?
– The thing is that in Italy we have a tradition not to give young players the chance to play right away. They’re rented out, our kept on the bench for a long time. I think we need to change this habit.
– Will it be hard to change the Russian national team players from Advocaat’s style to Spalletti’s? Is there a big difference?
– I don’t think anything bad can happen. It’s hard for players to forget the speed and runs that Spalletti preaches in just two games. I’m more concerned that the players play a good match today and that they be in a good mood when they come back.