Have you managed to recover from a very tough match in Krasnodar? How are you feeling now?
Oh yes, the match in Krasnodar was tough with a lot of fouls, and we knew it would be like that. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this, it didn’t start with this game, or even this season. These games have been tough for a number of years now. There were a lot of fouls, not just against us, but on both sides, and the officials didn’t notice all of them. It can be quite painful out on the pitch and that’s football. I think there should have been more fouls given, but it is what it is. We must be ready for any type of match and be ready for it.
The team can be happy with a draw in the upcoming match, but will you be happy personally with a draw?
No way! We never go out aiming to get a draw or an easy result. Zenit always play to win and this match is no exception, we will definitely play to win. This is the only result that’s fine for us.
Will the Spartak manager’s resignation make a difference to the match?
It’s difficult for me to comment on this, because I don’t know the Spartak players, I don’t know how things are in their team or how they reacted to this news.
What is the current mood in the team after the win in Krasnodar?
We are going into the game with a positive mood. The players and the coaching staff are happy that we won and I hope that on Wednesday we will also get the win.
Before Pedro joined Zenit it seems you were the most fouled player, and now he is experiencing the same thing. Did you warn him about this?
Of course, every player from Brazil or South America knows that Russia has more contact in its football, and they’ll be kicked more, there’s no escape from that and Pedro is no exception. He is a very skillful player, loves to dribble and create, so he’ll get kicked even more. Those who oversee the referees should pay attention to this, because if they don’t, we could see some quite serious situations.
