Maxim Kanunnikov: “We’re motivated by the fact that we’re Zenit”

Right after the match with Anderlecht the Zenit forward shared his impression of the match and told about the last time he played in such weather.

– Actually I have mixed feelings about the match, – said Kanunnikov. – I have good feelings about the match but I`m really upset that I didn`t score. I don`t know how to judge my own play, but the team deserved to win today. And the field today was a minus only for Anderlecht, since we played in the exact same conditions on Sunday with Krylya Sovetov. Zenit deserved to win today.

– You were really happy for Bukharov when he scored today, even though you were supposed to substitute him.
– Of course, we`re a team! We have to play for our partners, and it`s not really important who scores. The main thing is that the team wins. Our goals today were for the fans who came to the stadium to support us in the cold, and weren`t afraid of the frost. They made a huge influence in our victory.

– Were you surprised by Anderlecht`s poor play?
– It really did look like the Belgians were weaker than Zenit in many components of the game. I don`t know why… Of course we can talk about the field, the weather, I don`t know… We were a head above them.

– Did it make a difference in the match that Zenit had a mixed lineup of starters and substitutes on the field?
– I wouldn`t say that the side was mixed. We had our main side out there. The guys who played today showed that they`re no worse than those who always play from the first minutes of the match.

– What motivated the team today?
– We were motivated by the fact that we`re Zenit. Our victory today was useful for Russia too, since the whole country got points in the ranking coefficients thanks to our victory.

– When was the last time you played in weather like this?
– I grew up in the Ural mountains, so I`m used to playing in weather like this. We always have lots of frost there.

– How difficult is it to show one`s skills in this cold weather?
– There are definitely down sides. Your legs freeze up, you don`t feel the ball, sometimes you want to do one thing and the opposite happens. But today everything was great!