Zenit are now in Qatar for the second Gazprom Training Camp, what are your plans for the next two weeks?
The team had a rest for three days, today we have a recovery lesson and tomorrow we start full training. This second training camp we will focus more on match preparation. At the first training camp we were focusing more on fitness, and in this second one we will look at match specific things. We have this tournament and we’ll use that to learn as much information as possible about how ready the players are and look at their team play.
What are you expecting from the Equality Cup? What do you want from the team?
I expect some systematic preparation and a minimum amount of injuries with our players. We will try to make sure that everyone plays a full match, so all the lads play at least a couple of full games before the start of season. The tournament is quite an interesting one and we will play three games in the Equality Cup, as well as one or two extra friendly games. We always try to win, but the main thing is to play well in these matches. We need to see what we need to work on.
How would you rate the players’ fitness levels at the moment?
I think that some are fitter than others at the moment, but at the moment the players’ condition allows them to play 60 to 90 minutes on the pitch. This is what we aimed for during the first training camp and in my opinion, the overall condition of the team is fine.
Can you tell us about today's training session. How do the players feel after their short break?
Generally, after a short break, the players feel better than before it, the players had a rest, were able to be with their families. More training brings tiredness, but now everyone is happy.
Is it better to several friendlies or play in a tournament like the Equality Cup?
It’s more interesting to play in a tournament, it adds some excitement for the players, more than ordinary friendlies.
Your opponents in this tournament looks very impressive...
The opponents are very different. At the first training camp, we managed to play Jeonbuk, a team from South Korea, and Al-Fateh. Now we will play against the champions of Qatar, Leonid Slutsky’s team from China and of course Santos. All of the teams have their own style of play, and it will be very interesting for us to learn something new and play against the different styles from different teams from around the world.
