Alexey Gasilin on doing 150 press-ups to watch Zenit, wearing his blue-white-sky blue scarf to school and being in around Kerzhakov

Alexey Gasilin shares his Zenit stories on the eve of the club's 95th birthday, in a joint project with the blue-white-sky-blues and Gazprombank.

My father’s always been a Zenit fan ever since he moved to Saint Petersburg aged 14. Since I was a kid this also came from him to me, I loved to play football and I watched Zenit. One city, one team.

The first time I went to the Petrovsky was in 2003, it finished 0-0 against Rostov. I was about 7 years old, I was in first grade. The sensation of 20 thousand people at the Petrovsky was magnificent. But for me every match, even if I watched on TV, was a trip. I remember once, my father came in and said “Son, tomorrow we will go to Zenit, but to go you need to do 150 press-ups now.” For me then it was easier than ever, I could do 100 press-ups easily then.

Like everyone, he was a ballboy at home games. Watching football from the pitchside was a great motivation to learn and give it all in training. They didn’t take all the ballboys on, only 12-14 of those who studied and trained well.

My father has a huge collection of badges, all different sports from the 1980 Olympics, the ice-hockey World Cup, the USSR Championship. There is also a Zenit 1984 badge! I have also made my contribution. I have many badges after playing at different tournaments for the national team. But mine and my dad’s are not comparable.

My idol is Aleksandr Kerzhakov, as is Andrey Arshavin, and they still have the opportunity to come train and play. It’s an amazing feeling that you can’t really describe with words. First you’re giving them the ball pitchside, then you’re sharing a dressing room and a football pitch with them, or you are being trained by Vladislav Radimov! For me, these are legends. At first I looked at them with my mouth open but silent. 

I remember very well how our whole family watched the UEFA Cup in 2008. After we had won, I went to school in my Zenit scarf for a week. The school allowed me although it was strict there and we wore a uniform, the teachers weren’t against it. Was it bold? I don’t know. I only had a sense of pride.