Krasnodar recently changed their manager and lost their first match under Goncharenko. Do you have any thoughts on that match?
I think they played well and it was a tense match. Arsenal Tula needed the points and Goncharenko didn’t have long to work with his team and it was difficult for him. His team looked well organised and Krasnodar have a good squad and good attacking options, but have injuries in defence and things aren’t that easy for him there. They are one of the best teams in the league and I think we’ll have a very difficult match.
Your recent two visits to Krasnodar have been very memorable games, the first one was an important step towards the title and in the second match you won the championship. Are you expecting something big in this game?
Absolutely, it just happens that matches with Krasnodar take place towards the end of the season and are importance because of our league positions. This is why the previous matches were so interesting. I think that this game will be just as tough. Krasnodar don’t have much of a chance of European football next season and they’re a team that plays to win in every match. I am sure that on Saturday it definitely will be difficult for us.
Zenit are seven points clear at the top of the league, is this a lot and can you relax now?
Seven is more than four. Psychologically, we only need to think about the game with Krasnodar and nothing else. Our job is to win every match and now we shouldn’t be thinking about our lead or how many more points we need. We should only think about beating Krasnodar in the next match.
How is Dejan Lovren?
Dejan Lovren is injured and will definitely miss the upcoming match. After this we’ll look at how his recovery is going.
Is it interesting for your to meet Viktor Goncharenko for the third time this season?
Of course it's interesting. I know Viktor very well and we are good friends. I always follow his progress and we sometimes talk on the phone. I think he is one of the best managers in our football.
