Congratulations on the win! How are you feeling right now?
This is a very emotional and happy evening! Winning the Cup makes the season even better. Since I came to Zenit I’ve had some very special moments, and today I have had another!
Did you ever think your first official Zenit goal would be in the Cup final?
Every footballer dreams of something like this, to score the goal that helps his side win a trophy. Of course, my goal wasn’t the winner, it was only the equaliser, but I’m happy I got it!
What did you think of the match overall? What were you thinking when Zenit were losing? Did you think you could win?
The game was an open one, with a lot of chances for both sides. We knew that it wouldn’t be an easy game, and that it was the last match of the season, so everyone would give their all. Even when we conceded we didn’t slow down and tried to get back into it. At the very end we got our reward.
Can you tell us about your goal? What do you remember about it?
We had a corner, Karavaev took a shot at goal but a Baltika defender cleared it right off the line. Luckily, I was in the right place and just put the ball into the back of the net. It bounced into my chest and I didn’t even have time to think about anything, I just knew we had to score, I don't think I fully understood what had happened. It’s the highlight of my career so far!
As a rule, footballers dedicate their first goals to someone. Who would you like to dedicate this one to?
I’ll name three people: my wife, my son and my daughter. We’ve been far from each other for a long time and I haven’t even seen my son in person, as he was born just a month ago. So today's goal is for them.