What are your thoughts on the first women's match Zenit history?
Today we saw the first Zenit women's football match in the Russian championship, a match against a very strong team and the current champions of the country, CSKA. We must pay tribute to our hosts, who organised the match in their stadium. The Army fans came to the game and passionately supported their team. Alongside those fans, there were 500 spectators from the top of the RFU and this shows that women's football has received a powerful push for development. We are all very pleased that our team performed well in this first match.
CSKA are a strong team, clearly with skillful players who are good on the ball. But we took the lead after a good attack and we have a very good goalkeeper who brilliantly saved a number of very dangerous shots, there’s a video of one of her saves that the whole world should see! Not every ‘keeper can save their team like that. Unfortunately, after we conceded with four minutes to go when the handball was penalised. By the way, that was scored brilliantly by one of the CSKA players.
We saw some very good football, unselfish, open and honest play. I think the more matches we have like this in women's football, the more attention it will get from the fans. I hope that as soon as the limits on supporters travelling away to follow their teams are lifted, our fans will support Zenit Women just as well as they support the men’s side!
Today CSKA played at their main stadium. Do you think that Zenit Women will one day be able to play at the Gazprom Arena?
I think such a time will definitely come. As soon as the fans completely fill the Smena Stadium, then we will have to move to the more spacious Gazprom Arena!
