Almost after 4 decades, India has been selected as the host country. The ongoing AFC women’s Asia cup is being played in  India from 20th Jan to 6th Feb. As being the host country the Indian Women’s team automatically qualified for the tournament. For the first time in the tournament’s history, the participation was extended from 8 teams to 12 teams. The other teams qualified for the tournament are – Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, Philippines and Thailand. Japan comes into the tournament as the defending champions.

This tournament is played over 3 stadiums in Maharashtra. Originally the selected cities to host the tournament were Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was then shifted to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune. It is really upsetting that the women’s team will have to play behind the locked doors. The AFC women’s Asia Cup will be counted as Asian qualification for the upcoming World Cup. Five teams will qualify for the World cup with Australia. The Australian women’s team have already qualified for the World Cup as being the host alongside New Zealand. 

The 12 teams were divided into three groups of four teams in each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages. Also the two best 3rd placed teams will make it to the knockout stages. It will then be played in a format of Quarterfinals, semi-finals and Finals. After the tournament kicked off the host country played its first game on the first day. Due to the members of the team testing positive for COVID-19 they failed to provide the required 13 players list. They were unable to play their next match and hence were forced to withdraw from the tournament. This decision was made by the AFC. Their matches were cancelled and the previous result was voided. 

Though the tournament is still in process and the remaining teams are playing with utmost safety and are maintaining physical distance from the outside world. China, Chinese Taipei, Australia, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea have booked their spot in the quarterfinals. Thailand and Vietnam have high possibilities to take the remaining two spots, but it all depends on the last matchday of the group stage. Australia made an entertaining first game of their group when they trashed Indonesia 18-0. This game saw two hat tricks coming from Samantha Kerr who scored 5 goals in total and Emily Van Egmond who scored 4 goals. This now stands as the highest goal-scoring match of the tournament. 

 The Quarter Finals will be played on 30th Jan followed by Semi-Finals on 3rd and the Finals will take place on the 6th Feb. The tournament has seen 56 goals in the 11 matches played till now. Samantha Kerr being the top scorer with 6 goals. 

Stanislav Cherchesov’s team played the penultimate match in the selection of the European Championship against Belgium. The meeting in St. Petersburg was supposed to be a test of strength for the Russian national team. In the end, however, she identified the same set of problems as before. The lack of additional reserves in the event of the loss of one of the leaders of the starting lineup largely predetermined the outcome of the match at Gazprom-Arena. 1-4 at home and 2-7 on aggregate with the Red Devils is a sad but logical result of the Russian team’s qualifying campaign in the European qualifiers. Nevertheless, with 21 points after nine rounds, Russia will definitely take second place in Group I and will go to the draw in Bucharest on November 30. The weekly Football tells about the reasons for the crushing defeat of the main team of the country and further prospects in the final stage of Euro 2020.

Dziuba’s lack of alternative

The head coach of the Russian national team Stanislav Cherchesov put up a slightly modified version of the traditional version with Artem Dzyuba in the attack for the game with Belgium. Lokomotiv midfielder Alexei Miranchuk joined the 31-year-old Zenit striker.

One of the leaders of the “railroad” has a bright autumn segment, having recently scored two goals in matches with Juventus in the Champions League. Taking into account the injured Alexander Golovin, the choice of the coaching staff was practically uncontested.

It should be noted here that the relatively small talent pool of the national team played one of the key roles in the games against national teams clearly ahead of our team in terms of status and current place in the FIFA rating. The Dzyuba-Golovin connection is considered to be the backbone of the national team.

The fact that Artyom continues to be in the list of the top scorers of the qualification according to the “goal + pass” system (14 points, 9 goals) plays an important role in the factor of mutual understanding with the Monaco midfielder.

When one of these two players is not in the starting lineup, the team begins to experience serious difficulties. Dziuba is indispensable in power struggle in someone else’s goalkeeper’s, pushing the defense of opponents as much as possible.

In turn, the absence of Golovin is even more problematic for the coaching staff. Alexander, with his vision of the pitch and sharp decision-making, is a key figure in midfield. In the match of the ninth round of qualification against Belgium, one of these circumstances happened. As a result, the national team showed, to put it mildly, not the result that the fans expected from it.

One hit for the whole game from Dziuba. And that happened in the 55th minute of the meeting and was blocked. The Zenit striker tried to be active on the approaches to the penalty area Thibaut Courtois, but did not bring any special problems to the Real Madrid goalkeeper, having noted only a lunge at the start of the game after a pass from the flank of Yuri Zhirkov.

As a result, the referee of the match, Portuguese Arthur Dias, committed a foul in the attack against the defender of the Belgians – this was the end of the attacking accomplishments of the striker at his home stadium. Oleksiy Miranchuk tried to add agility to the general movement, but so far he can not objectively show the game that he demonstrates with his younger brother in games for Loko.

Minus Golovin and Cheryshev

The lack of alternatives to the leaders on the bench may not affect the games against teams inferior in the class of the Russian team, but it does not work in matches with the top teams. So it was in the current qualification, so it was before.

In the League of Nations, the Swedes were ahead of us, allowing us to score only one point in face-to-face meetings (0: 0 at home and 0: 2 away). And at the home world championship, where Russia reached the quarterfinals, a little earlier, in the group stage there was Uruguay with Cavani and Suarez in attack, which smashed us 3: 0. Even with the Spaniards in 1/8, if not for a coincidence (a penalty kicked off by Akinfeev) – and not for the Russian team in the next stage of the tournament.

The game with the Belgians was regarded by many as an exam for the renewed team. Renewed primarily in terms of inner self-awareness. One of the most successful qualifying tournaments in the history of the national team was spoiled by Belgium, beating Cherchesov’s team in the first round (3: 1).

After that, there were seven victories with a total difference of goals scored and conceded + 24. It seems that inner confidence appeared, and Dziuba is in the list of top scorers with nine goals … However, the Belgians, led by the Azar brothers, again lowered us to the ground, showing the real balance of power for today.

If Dziuba’s lack of alternatives in attack can be explained by the rate of Cherchesov (the absence of the top scorer of the RPL last season, Fedor Chalov, in the application proves this once again), then the synchronous injuries of Barinov, Golovin and Cheryshev turned out to be more noticeable.

Without Loko’s tenacious defensive midfielder and Monaco’s playmaker, the center of the field not only experienced problems when going into the attack, where the Azar brothers, together with De Bruyne, were pressing with their mobility, but also failed in defense, where Ozdoev and Kuzyaev could not cope with the center of the Red Devils “. The absence of the flank half of “Valencia” Denis Cheryshev directly affected the movement of the edges of the midfield of the Russian team.

In this regard, an indicative moment was the third goal of the Belgians, scored with a total failure of the Russians’ center line. A couple of minutes before this, Stanislav Cherchesov’s team managed to organize several attacks to the gate of Courtois, but the mistake of Semenov and Djikia at once canceled out all attacking undertakings.

Third goal for Belgium, Hazard again ??

Russia 0-3 Belgium

Lukaku pushed Andrey first in the fight for a rebound, and then forced the Akhmat defender to unsuccessfully drop the ball to the center of Spartak, where Mertens was already waiting for him. As a result, the creeping long pass of the Napoli striker brought Kevin de Bruyne to a rendezvous with Marinato Guilherme. The four-in-one turn out to be fatal – Russia lost even the theoretical chances of further continuation of the struggle.

Old-new problem

Throughout the entire qualifying cycle (with the exception of the first match with Belgium), it seemed that Cherchesov was able to squeeze the maximum out of the minimum that the national team had in the defensive line. 1: 3 in the first round did not inspire much optimism in the fans, but the subsequent victories in the matches with Scotland and Kazakhstan allowed the claims against the main pair of central defenders Dzhikia-Semenov to be relegated to the background.

However, the Belgians, and first of all Eden Hazard, again, as in the March match at the stadium of the King of Baudouin, ran away on unattainable high-speed dribbling from Russian defenders, whether it was 36-year-old (!) Yuri Zhirkov on the flank or Andrei Semenov in center.

This time there were no penalties, nevertheless, the Real Madrid midfielder took part in all the assists combinations of the Red Devils, having scored two goals and an assist against Thorgan’s brother in the case of Guilherme’s first goal.

Stanislav Cherchesov chose a scheme with three central defenders with Petrov and Semyonov at the edges and Djikia in the center. The 5 + 3 + 2 formation was supposed to not give the Belgians any freedom of action in the attack, adding movement along the flanks of the front line of the Russian team.

In fact, three of the four goals of the “red devils” (with the exception of Azar’s first goal) came from the zone of responsibility of the full-backs Zhirkov and Fernandez when returning from the opposite half of the field.

However, the three central defenders have repeatedly allowed Lukaku & Co. to win the top fight and control the ball rebound within the goalkeeper’s zone, where De Bruyne or Hazard who connected from the depths waited for their chances.

In turn, goalkeeper Marinato Guilherme did not have time to clean up the oversights of the defense. Recently, the naturalized Brazilian has ceased to show a stable game even in matches for Lokomotiv, as demonstrated by the recent meeting with Juventus in the Champions League.

Failed to cope with the task of Marinato and in the game for the national team in St. Petersburg. The 33-year-old goalkeeper could have rescued the team at least twice after the strikes of Eden Azar (0: 2) and Romelu Lukaku (0: 4). If in the first case the Russian Brazilian did not manage to form in time, then in the second he already folded after a not very strong shot from the forward of “Inter” into the near corner.

Despite two defeats to the Belgian national team, Russia secured itself in advance in the final stage of the European Championship. 21 points after nine rounds guarantees Stanislav Cherchesov’s team participation in the draw for the upcoming championship, which will be held on November 30 in Bucharest. Directly on the outcome of the match at Gazprom-Arena depended, perhaps, the number of the final basket.

After the second defeat in the qualifying round, Russia will probably go to the second seeding group, where it is more likely to get one of the top European teams in the Euro-quartet. And you will definitely not have to rely on the “passing” group, as it was before Euro 2012. And taking into account the current personnel issues, any draw will automatically become a strength test for Stanislav Cherchesov’s team.

European Championship 2020. Qualification. Group I
RUSSIA – BELGIUM – 1: 4 (0: 3).
St. Petersburg. November 16.
Stadium: Gazprom Arena. 53 317 spectators.
Judge: Arthur Soares Dias (Portugal).
Russia:  Guilherme, Fernandez, Semenov, Dzhikia, Petrov, Zhirkov (Bakaev, 51), Zobnin (Kuzyaev, 62), Ozdoev, Ionov, Al. Miranchuk, Dzyuba (Komlichenko, 80).
Belgium:  Courtois, Vermaelen (Denayer, 67), Boyata, Alderweireld, T. Hazard, Witzel, de Bruyne, Castagne, Ed. Azar, Mertens (Thielemans, 52), Lukaku (Batshuayi, 77).
Goals:  0: 1 – T. Hazard (19), 0: 2 – Ed. Azar (33), 0: 3 – Ed. Azar (40), 0: 4 – Lukaku (72), 1: 4 – Jikia (79).
Warning:  Petrov (3).

9 (3)  shots (on target)  10 (8)
11  fouls  11
4  corners  1
3  offside  0
56  % possession  44

Despite the fact that there is still a week of waiting before the official draw in Bucharest, the composition of Group B, in which Stanislav Cherchesov’s team will hold the European Championship matches, has already been formed by 75 percent. Due to the new formation of the continental championship, two of the three possible rivals of the Russian team became known. The national team has already played with one of these teams in qualifying and played two matches with similar scenarios, having suffered major defeats in both meetings (1: 3 and 1: 4). In addition to the Belgians, we will definitely face a confrontation with the Danes. But the third rival is still unknown. Someone from the Finland / Wales pair will join the aforementioned three, finally complementing the composition of Quartet B, which has already become one of the most difficult in the final stage of Euro 2020.

The weekly “Football” analyzed what, and most importantly, whom the Russian national team should be afraid of at the upcoming tournament.

New format

The draw in Bucharest, which has not yet officially begun, has become one of the most controversial in the history of major tournaments even before the start. At none of the World or European Championships, the group formation procedure did not determine almost one hundred percent the composition of one of the quartets a week before the ceremony.

However, the upcoming event, which will take place in the Romeexpo building on November 30, has already identified two top European teams as rivals for the Russian national team. But it is not yet known who will fall into group B from the fourth basket.

The location of the ceremony, it seems, fully justifies its main purpose. Initially, the arena was built for the performances of Romanian pop stars, and in the event of a football draw, it will give the audience an unforgettable show.

Due to the twentieth anniversary of the European Championship, UEFA changed the selection rules for the European Championships this year, adding to the usual first places of qualifying groups of qualifying the opportunity to get to Euro through a new tournament – the League of Nations.

In reality, this decision caused a rather repulsive effect among the participants in the competition. So, Kevin de Bruyne, midfielder of Manchester City and the Belgian national team, whose national team became the opponent of Russia at Euro 2020, has already expressed a negative attitude towards this format.

“It’s a shame that everything is already defined. The tournament turns out to be somehow fake, and football is becoming more and more like business as usual, ”said one of the most expensive football players in the world in an interview with the Belgian edition of VTM Nieuws.

One way or another, but the UEFA decision has already been made. The fact is that the upcoming Euro for the first time in history will be held at the stadiums of 12 host countries of the tournament. This fact forced the leadership of the organization to split the host teams into different groups in advance, disbanding twelve teams in six quartets.

At the same time, the association, due to international conflicts, continued the practice of separating the national teams of Russia, Ukraine and Kosovo. Thus, the composition of Group B was actually formed a week before the start of the draw. Belgium, Russia, Denmark and one of the Finland-Wales pair formed one of the most difficult groups in the European Championship.

Twelve. All stadiums of the final part of Euro 2020

The Russian national team will play two matches of Euro 2020 in St. Petersburg

Another not the most encouraging decision for the national team was made on November 22 at the draw in Nyon, Switzerland. According to the regulations, it was assumed that the hosts of the tournament would hold at least two meetings at home. But due to the fact that Denmark and Russia fell into the same group in the distribution of the teams of the countries hosting the tournament, the decision on where these teams would meet in full-time confrontation had to be determined by the lot.

As a result, the choice fell on the Parken arena in Copenhagen, which seats just over 38 thousand spectators. Stanislav Cherchesov’s team will play the rest of the group round matches in St. Petersburg at the Gazprom-Arena stadium. The final composition of the groups and the schedule of matches on November 30 will be determined by a draw in Bucharest.

Belgium squad

Already now we can say that the “red devils” got a completely passable group. Eden Azar and the Company again got hold of the Russian national team, which the Belgians have been beating with enviable regularity in qualifications and major tournaments lately. This was the case at the World Championships in Brazil (1: 0), and so was the qualification for Euro 2020 (3: 1, 4: 1).

The team of the Spaniard Roberto Martinez won the qualifying group with a tangible advantage, without encountering any serious resistance from rivals in the group round during the matches. In ten matches, the same number of victories with the total difference between goals scored and conceded plus 38!

Having conceded only two goals from the Russian national team, the rest of the teams never disturbed the goalkeeper of Real Thibaut Courtois. And Eden Hazard once again proved that right now he is one of the best midfielders not only in European, but also in world football

The story of moving from London to Madrid showed that, for the sake of his dream, the midfielder is ready to give up his well-paid job at Chelsea and go to Madrid, where he was not at all guaranteed a place in the starting lineup with Luca Modric and Toni Kroos playing.

Nevertheless, the Belgian, after the presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu, began to gradually master the composition of the “creamy” and in seven matches of the Spanish La Liga he scored four points on the “goal + pass” system, making three assists. Zinedine Zidane’s squad is undergoing a restructuring after a disastrous Champions League performance last season.

After the summer transfer window, even Azar has no firm place at the start of the Royal Club. In the last three matches of Real Madrid, different combinations of players have always appeared in attack: Vinicius Junior – Benzema – Diaz (with Eibar), Vinicius Junior – Jovic – Hazar (against Betis) and Rodrigo – Jovic – Hazard (in the match with Leganes 0.

The French coach uses the Belgian as a left winger without being strictly attached to the wing. Eden does the same in the matches of the national team, rocking the defenders of Russia in the recent match at the Gazprom-Arena.

Belgian shower. Eden Hazard spoiled the mood of the Russian national team in the European qualifiers again

If at the club Azar has just to gain the authority that he had at Chelsea, then in the national team Roberto Martinez entrusts him with the unconditional place of the leader of the national team, which retains the highest line in the FIFA rating at the moment. And it was Russia that became Azar’s favorite team in qualifying.

In the matches against the team of Stanislav Cherchesov, he twice walked along the defensive line of the Cherchesov team, scoring two goals against Marinato Guilherme. Moreover, it is not the performance of the Belgian that surprises, but the fact with what ease and speed the balls were scored. In the match at the “King Baudouin” stadium, Hazard took part in two scoring combinations (out of three), and in the game in St. Petersburg in three out of four.

In Belgium, the 28-year-old midfielder cheated Yuri Zhirkov, earning (and executing) a penalty. In Russia, he beat Mario Fernandez on his beloved left flank over and over again this time and again did not leave his opponents a single chance.

Before the upcoming Euro, it is alarming that even a top defender by the standards of the Russian Premier League cannot cope with the speedy dribbling of the Belgian leader. In turn, another possible counterpart of Azar by the beginning of the tournament will be almost 37 years old. Yuri is unlikely to pull the pace of the game suggested by the “red devils”.

And in general, the age of the extreme defenders of the Russian national team is approaching 30 years, taking into account Petrov (28 years old) and Smolnikov (31) on our defense flanks. Therefore, the combination of De Bruyne and the Hazard brothers will certainly look like a powerful argument in the summer of 2020.

Denmark squad

In the Danish team, as in the case of Belgium, there is a strong midfield leader in the person of Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen. By the way, Real Madrid has repeatedly turned to the London club in the summer about a possible transfer of the 27-year-old footballer.

The Dane was considered by the “cream” scouts in case of a failure with the transfer of Eden Azar. But Chelsea, due to the ban on registration of players, decided to earn a lot and let the Belgian go.

Spurs are not doing their best this season, and not only in the English Premier League. Recently, at the group stage of the Champions League, the team lost at home at the stadium of the same name, Bayern Munich 2: 7.

Let the Londoners in Group B almost certainly secured their way into the playoffs of the tournament, but that defeat influenced the fate of Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino. After ten years of work in the Argentinean coaching staff “Tottenham” the team has decided to dismiss him, despite the first Champions League final in the history of the club last season.

The new coach of “Spurs”, Portuguese Jose Mourinho, had not yet had time to really get used to the north of London, in his usual manner, he gave several interviews, touching upon the topic of the leader of the Danish national team. “I need to understand what is in Christian’s mind or heart. We have to make the right decision for the club, ”he said during the break of the Premier League 13th round match against West Ham.

With the arrival of the Special in Tottenham, the English media recalled the summer rumors around the figure of Eriksen. By the way, the other day there was information about the interest in the midfielder from the Turin “Juventus”.

The publications did not fail to note that Jose will not interfere with the negotiations between the Bianconeri and the player. So, perhaps this winter the Dane will go to conquer Serie A already, where it will be much easier for him to become a champion than in England.

Despite Christian’s problems at Tottenham, he is doing much better in the national team. If in the Premier League the Dane started only seven out of ten matches, then the coach of the national team Oge Hareide all eight meetings of the European qualification released the midfielder from the first minutes. Five goals scored fully compensated for the trust on the part of the 66-year-old Norwegian specialist.

If you compare Eriksen’s role to Hazard’s role in Belgium, Christian clearly stands out from the rest of the players. If Eden always has reinforcements in the midfield partners in the person of De Bruyne, brother Thorgan or Witsel, then in Denmark Eriksen is a clearly defined playmaker without an alternative.

The vision of the field allows him to give passes of any complexity, regardless of the level of resistance of the defenders. A pass behind the back or a long, verified pass through the cut repeatedly brought his partners from Tottenham or the Danish national team to shock positions.

In this regard, the away game against Switzerland at St. Jakob Park was one of the highlights of the entire qualifying campaign. 15 minutes before the end of the match, the Vikings lost three goals to the hosts, and largely thanks to Eriksen’s participation, they scored three goals at the end of the meeting, taking away an important point against one of the favorites of Group D (3: 3).

First, in the 84th minute, Christian Eriksen’s free-kick service found defender Matthias Jorgensen in the goalkeeper’s confusion, and then, after a hidden cut pass, brought RB Leipzig forward Yussuf Poulsen one on one with Jan Sommer. He gave the pass to the empty net to another Christian – this time Gitkjaer – and the score was 2: 3.

Eriksen’s importance is manifested not so much in the technique of strikes or passes as in the charge for the game. Still in the same game against the Swiss after one of the combinations with Poulsen, Christian, after hitting from the summer, immediately ran after the ball and went for a corner. Even with a score of 0: 2, the leader’s attitude gives confidence to his teammates.

In general, Denmark is almost a more unpleasant opponent for the Russian national team than Belgium. At the 2018 World Cup, Hugo Hareide’s team demonstrated the strictly pragmatic style of play typical of the Scandinavian national teams. The Danes love to stifle their rivals, not allowing even in the match with the French (0: 0) at the 2018 World Cup future tournament winners to play on their own.

And the brightest moment in that match was created by the Danes in the counter-blow, when Cornelius led Eriksen to a rendezvous with Hugo Lloris with a flanking cross. An offensive defeat to Croatia in the 1/8 finals did not allow the Vikings then to reach the quarterfinals, where the Russian team was waiting for them.

But in the League of Nations, Hugo Horeide’s team confidently advanced to Division A, conceding only one goal in four matches against Wales and Ireland. In their manner of play, they are somewhat reminiscent of their neighbors – the Swedes, but they look more aggressive when approaching someone else’s penalty area. Given the unsuccessful experience of Russia playing with the Scandinavians in the same League of Nations, it is the Danes who can prevent Stanislav Cherchesov’s team from competing for one of two tickets to the Euro 2020 playoffs.

Finland or Wales

As for the choice of a team from the fourth basket, it was extremely difficult to find a worse option for the Russian national team. The Welsh reached the semifinals of Euro 2016 sensationally three years ago, simultaneously defeating the Russian national team under the leadership of Leonid Slutsky in the group stage with a score of 3: 0. And the national team of Finland was perhaps the main discovery of the recently passed qualifying round for EURO 2020, finishing second with 18 points.

Having got into group J together with Italy, Greece and Bosnia, the Finns managed for the first time in their history to reach the final part of a major tournament. Markku Kanerva’s team at home beat the Greeks (1: 0) and the Bosnians with Edin Dzeko in the squad (2: 0), and in matches with the Italians they looked decent against the background of four-time world champions (0: 2 away and 1: 2 at home).

Norwich striker Teemu Pukki became the real leader of the national team, showing high performance in the Premier League (6 goals in 12 matches) and in the national team (10 goals in 10 matches). Thus, he became one of the top scorers of the entire qualification. The 29-year-old striker ended up in the company of the strikers of England and Portugal Harry Kane (12 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (11).

If in Finland the striker sets the tone for the game, then in the national team of Wales the midfielder of Real Madrid Garrett Bale continues to light up. His performance is more modest than that of the Finnish hero (2 goals and 1 assist), nevertheless, the attention of the fans is still focused on one of the fastest football players in the world. True, in recent years this is not at all about the actions of the midfielder on the field, but rather the provocative antics of the Welshman.

So, in the recent match against Hungary (2: 0) at the Cardiff City stadium, Garrett Bale, along with his teammates, celebrated the entry of the national team to Euro 2020. Everything would be fine, only on the flag with a dragon (national emblem) the inscription “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order. ” The reaction of the “royal club” was not long in coming.

The fact is that back in 2016, the former Real Madrid striker Predrag Mijatovic, commenting on Garrett’s actions in the game for the “creamy”, said the following: “Bale is a special football player. I don’t know him personally. He thinks first about Wales, then about golf, and then about the club itself. ” Thus, the Welshman decided to beat this phrase, which did not go unnoticed in Spain.

The very next day after the game, the Madrid leadership commented on the unpleasant situation. The team’s management noted that they consider the footballer’s act to be thoughtless, provoking the already not the best relations between the midfielder and the club.

Indeed, back in the summer transfer window, when Bale was eager to leave for China, the footballer’s agent Jonathan Barnett then impartially spoke to the Madrid head coach: “Zidane is a disgrace. The coach shows no respect for the player who has done so much for Real Madrid.

The fact is that in the midst of negotiations, the president of “creamy” Florentino Perez at the last moment refused to let the player go to the Chinese “Jiangsu Suning”. Since then, information has regularly appeared in the media about misunderstandings between the player and the coach. Zidane does not hide the fact that the club is actively looking for a new job for Bale.

In this regard, recently it became known that the new coach of “Tottenham” Jose Mourinho is interested in the return of the Welshman to the team where he played before moving to the Spanish La Liga. The Portuguese expects to sign the player already in the winter transfer window and has already informed the Spurs management of his desire.

Given the fact that Garrett will turn 31 next year, this option may be the only chance for him to restart his own career, rather than sitting on the bench in Madrid. And for the national team, this decision would be beneficial, because the current situation makes the Welshman increasingly dance with the flag instead of demonstrating his previous level in the games for the national team.

In any case, both Finland and Wales will not look like a gift for the Russian national team at the upcoming Euro and will do their best to take points in the confrontation with the team of Stanislav Cherchesov. Perhaps, given the first ever major tournament, the Finns will look even slightly more dangerous as potential rivals, due to their incredible mood for the final stage.

The principle “We are already at the Euro and we have nothing to lose” is quite familiar to Russia as well. Not long ago, we watched with the same surprise as our national team surprised everyone by getting into the top eight of the world’s strongest teams.

The Finns are quite capable of bringing a similar scenario to life next summer. But the arrival of Russia in Wales will be a weak consolation for our team, because not long ago the Welsh became bronze medalists of Euro 2016.

Technology in football has long been a familiar thing. The video replay system does not allow a new scandal to break out, and the use of huge screens right at the training bases makes it easier to explain mistakes to the players. The medical headquarters of the clubs are not standing still either. In addition to the fact that medicine in sports has become many times more effective, it also made life much easier for teams with simple “chips”.

Player Tracking System (EPTS)

FIFA partnered with the University of Victoria in Australia a couple of years ago to implement the Footballer Performance Tracking System (EPTS). The possibilities of technology are literally endless: today it helps prevent injury, assess the productivity of each player, and also allows the media and fans to learn a little more about the players.

We saw EPTS at the World Championships in Russia. Each of the players in the tournament had a special beacon attached to the collar of their shirt. This little gadget determined the athlete’s speed, how long he ran, pulse and body temperature. In addition, the sensor remembers the performance in the match by the minute.

The system is used not only for calculating statistics and further analysis of the player’s work, but also allows you to monitor him in real time. The readings from the sensor are transmitted to three devices at once: to the laptop of analysts, the head coach and the team’s doctors. As the match progresses, it becomes clear which of the players is frankly lagging behind the rest, and who is exhausted and on the verge of injury. Plus, along with statistics, video from cameras at the stadium is broadcast to specialist devices with a thirty-second delay. Some of this data was freely available and broadcasted to viewers right during the games.

Superhero uniform

Super-streamlined boots that can make Cristiano Ronaldo out of the champion of your yard are already reality, and not the story of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. In addition to the usual boots, British scientists are developing special football shields with touch sensors. They will be able to record the force of the blow and save information on the basis of which the judges will make decisions about violations, and the doctors will draw conclusions about the severity of the injury.

This is not the whole possible arsenal of a future football player. The shape of the players is already being created for the climatic and physiological characteristics of the athletes. You probably felt it when you tried on new outfits in the store from the leading clothing companies. American Under Armor is about to go even further. The company is developing an innovative form with built-in sensors that will allow the club’s medical staff to monitor the player’s condition during the match and prevent possible injuries.

Barcelona DNA

“I have royal dignity in my DNA,” rapper Kendrick Lamar broadcast in one of his most famous tracks. Barcelona does not have “royal” DNA, but this does not prevent it from pursuing the so-called “Catalan DNA”. On the basis of “blue-garnet” there is a whole research center, which employs 16 people, whose activity is scientific research. Part of this research is aimed at identifying the characteristics of the legendary Barcelona players at the genetic level. This is done in order to maximize the percentage of future successful transfers.

This is not all. It feels like Barcelona are a few steps ahead of the rest. According to the Financial Times, each of the Catalans has a chip implanted to track the degree of fatigue, thus avoiding serious injury. It is not known how Messi agreed to this, but football greatness requires sacrifice.

The most unusual development in the making is the sensor robe. Barça wants to keep track of their players not only on the pitch, but also during their sleep. The robe will record and transmit all information received while the athletes are sleeping. The Catalans are definitely taking world football to a new level.

Southampton app

Southampton was one of the first to recognize the importance of medical data security. The club signed an agreement with BridgeHead, an information base management and storage company. With the help of the server created by the developers, doctors, players and coaches will be able to safely and quickly exchange information. The independent clinical archive of the HealthStore company will become this very repository of all the data of football players, such as the results of ultrasound, MRI, and will also allow medical personnel to access them from anywhere in the world and at any time.

Infrared heater “Bavaria”

At home against Hannover, Bayern tried out a new invention – an infrared panel on the bench. In front of it, the Germans set up a long metal plane covered with a banner. This new heating system uses infrared light to keep the legs and feet of the substitute players comfortable. The idea behind the device is to prevent injury by keeping the muscles of the players warm while they are sitting on the bench. Similar systems have also recently been installed at PSG and Manchester City stadiums.

The trial of the invention was authorized by sports director Hasan Salihamidzic at the request of fitness head coach Holger Broich. The author of this device is also a native of Bavaria – former player and coach Dieter Wirsching. As Dieter himself said, Thomas Müller inspired him to create this panel: “Last year I saw a review of the Bundesliga on TV, where Müller, huddled in the cold, was caught in the frame. I could not get this picture out of my head and began to solve the problem. “

On the last Sunday of November, CSKA hosted Wings of the Soviets. Even before the start of the meeting, it became known that Sergei Ovchinnikov would be the interim head coach of the Red-Blues. During the game, fans of the Moscow club made a performance in support of the disqualified Viktor Goncharenko. This inspired the players, and CSKA managed to win (1: 0).

Mother’s Day and Liga Fair play prize

The match took place on Mother’s Day. Even before the start of the astresia, a video was shown at the stadium, in which the mothers of CSKA football players took part. And on the field, the players of both teams appeared in T-shirts with the inscription “Mom”. The forward of the Moscow club Fedor Chalov received the most support from his mother. It was she who struck the first ball in this game.

Also, before the start of the meeting, CSKA captain Igor Akinfeev was awarded the Liga Fair Play prize. The prize is given for respect for the opponent, referees, match officials and fans.

Bus, a lot of marriage, CSKA fans

The first dangerous moment in the game occurred already in the 6th minute. Radonich struck after Sobolev’s discount, but Akinfeev repulsed the threat. After that, the army team seized the advantage and already controlled the game. In general, the teams did not create chances, because there were a lot of mistakes in the passes – either Karpov would poison the ball at close range, then Oblyakov would make a mistake. Vlašić stood out from the entire attack brigade, but even he sometimes hit nothing.

Everything changed in the 21st minute, when CSKA fans showed a performance in support of the disqualified head coach Viktor Goncharenko. “I / WE are Viktor Goncharenko”, “Come on, let’s add”, “Divey, take a closer look”, “Ilsa, do not lose the support zone” and other words addressed to the players. By the way, from the very beginning of the match, the fans brought to the podium a cardboard statue of Viktor Goncharenko with a scarf on it. The footballers were inspired by such support and moved to the attack. Wings of the Soviets got on the bus, focusing on forward casts.

Dzagoev’s return to the VEB Arena and Vlasic’s miracle goal

Wings of the Soviets started the second half more actively. The players of the Samara club have created several dangerous moments. One of them was with the Russian championship scorer Alexander Sobolev. The forward shot from within the penalty area, but again Akinfeev was on the alert, who hit the ball with his feet.

Acting CSKA head coach Sergei Ovchinnikov, who did not sit on the bench during the game, like Miodrag Bozovic, decided to release Alan Dzagoev instead of Sigurdsson. The Russian midfielder played at the home arena of the Moscow club for the first time in a year. Actually, after that, the best scorer of the army team Nikola Vlašić scored a miracle goal. Horvath got the ball from Bistrovich and shot straight into the right corner.

Thus, CSKA scored 33 points and climbed to 3rd place in the standings of the Russian Premier League. Krylia Sovetov extended their streak without wins to 4 matches and with 18 points dropped to 12th position.

Premier League. 17th round
CSKA – WINGS OF THE SOVIETS – 1: 0 (0: 0).
Moscow. November 24.
Stadium: VEB Arena.
Judge: Vladislav Bezborodov (St. Petersburg).
CSKA: Akinfeev, Fernandez, Karpov, Diveev, Magnusson, Kuchaev (Akhmetov, 68), Bistrovich (Biyol, 81), Oblyakov, Vlasic, Sigurdsson (Dzagoev, 58), Chalov. Krylia Sovetov: Ryzhikov, Anyukov, Chernov, Burlak, Polyuyakhtov, Timofeev, Gatskan, Radonich, Gynsar (Terekhov, 78), Zinkovsky (Kabutov, 81), Sobolev (Golenkov, 84). Goal:  1: 0 – Vlašić (74). Warnings:  Sobolev (48), Gatskan (57), Magnusson (65), Radonich (86), Terekhov (90).

The venue for the conference organized by the Russian Football Union and UEFA has become symbolic. Coaches and methodologists, scientific and technical staff of football gathered in St. Petersburg, in the Center for Advanced Training of Coaches, which is located on the territory of the Zenit Academy. The purpose of the conference was the exchange of experience between coaches, and the main topics were the preparation of players in the system of youth football.

There were so many people who wanted to speak from the stage, listen to colleagues, answer their questions and ask their own people that additional chairs had to be brought into the hall.

We show where football is developing, where it is going ”

Andrey Vlasov, Technical Director of the RFU, spoke about the organization of the conference:

“I am proud of the work that my colleagues have done,” Vlasov said. I am grateful to Andrey Leksakov, Maxim Mitrofanov and other colleagues who work with me now – each has done his job. We sent an invitation to UEFA, and we were provided with speakers, thanks to Frank Ludolph from UEFA, who helped us in this matter.

The RFU Technical Director especially emphasized the importance of updating knowledge:

– Football is changing, and what was 20 years ago now looks, if not comical, then not very effective, – said Andrey Evgenievich. At the same time, a large number of specialists played themselves 20 years ago. At these conferences we show where football is developing, where it is going. In addition, it allows us to shake up our specialists so that they look into modern textbooks and understand which courses they should take and what they are missing.

Zenit General Director Alexander Medvedev also spoke to the conference participants:

– The international conference of UEFA and RFU, which takes place in our Academy, is aimed at gaining practical knowledge for coaches. After all, it is the level of knowledge and qualifications of children’s coaches that play a decisive role in the training of football players.

Our Center for Advanced Training of Trainers has a crowded hall, there is simultaneous translation for our foreign colleagues, so no one will miss anything.

The geography of the Russian guests at the conference was very diverse, like the profile of the specialists who came to St. Petersburg. Among the speakers and listeners were the heads of private schools, trainers from the state, and researchers and technical specialists. Pskov, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Moscow – this is just a superficial list of regions from which the specialists came to the conference.

It cannot be that the refereeing is at a low level, and football is at a high level “

The guests and the participants could expand their knowledge in the judging topic. On the second day of the conference, ex-FIFA referee Nikolai Levnikov, now director and teacher of the Academy of Sports Referee, spoke from the stage.

By the way, speaking about the modern rules of the game, Levnikov noted that Russian footballers do not know the rules very well. In addition, Nikolai Levnikov, using video materials, helped everyone to expand their understanding of the points that constantly become the subject of controversy and happen in almost every round. Namely:

– By what criterion should the referee choose the severity of punishment in case of foul play?

– When should a penalty be awarded even in the absence of a clear violation

– For which the judge’s score rises and falls

Also, the ex-FIFA referee emphasized two significant points. One of them dealt specifically with the referees, who are obliged to be on the field not just keepers of order, but also to contribute to the maximum manifestation of skill on the part of football players.

“The level of refereeing in the country is directly related to the level of football,” is another key phrase of Levnikov. It cannot be that the refereeing is at a low level, and football is at a high level. “

Talking about the best examples of European football, one speaker noted the ever-deeper introduction of scientific technology. For example, in Germany, not only professional clubs, but also Academies attract specialists from other fields – physicists and mathematicians – who help to interpret statistical data in the most understandable and effective way.

“In football, it is now possible to count everything that can be calculated. And only those who know how to apply these calculations in practice will be able to count on success for a long time ”- this is the main conclusion of the speaker.

The matches of the Russian national team reveal and show our problems “

The lecture was also delivered by the physical training coach of the Russian national team Vladimir Panikov. Stanislav Cherchesov’s assistant, using the example of work in preparation for the World Cup and during it, spoke about the planning of the training process and the latest research in the field of recovery.

“It is important to share your experience with colleagues, not getting off with general phrases, but backing everything up with suitable examples,” Panikov began. But these are not direct instructions for use. The main task is to make the coach think about his methodology and his vision of football and thereby help him in his coaching career. The matches of the Russian national team reveal and show our problems. We came here to change the approach to the training process and modern methods and after some time get a galaxy of players who can compete with the best teams in the world. We share our experience, coaches bring something of their own.

At the same time, the coach of the Russian national team urged not to overestimate the importance of physical fitness:

– Physical fitness is one of the three pillars in preparation, but not the most important, because brains play football first of all. We only help to realize our ideas better and more accurately. Football moves forward, new technologies appear. Conferences like the one held in St. Petersburg are a step forward for Russian football.

For more than a hundred years, football has lived in the capital of Russia and has won the hearts of its inhabitants. The authors of the weekly “Football” in the publishing house “ViseMedia” have published a gift guide to football Moscow. 

Along its historic streets, where the great football clubs of Russia were born at the beginning of the last century. Through its stadiums, where the Soviet team proved its right to be called the strongest on the continent and made its way to the victorious 1960 European Championship. On those squares that still keep the memory of the great football legends, and new places of power of football, where a new history of victories is now being created.

Capital football. How was the presentation of the Moscow football guidebook

We tried to make an amazing journey into the past. Together with our readers, we will walk through one of the most mystical places of old Moscow – Tyuffel Grove and learn the legend about the underground passage connecting the Simonov Monastery and the Torpedo stadium. We will imagine how in 1936 football players sewed a felt carpet by hand on Red Square in order to show Stalin this wonderful sport during the parade.

We will wander around Sokolniki for a long time, a park that is now considered a Spartak place, but where CSKA originates from . But of course, we will definitely look at Peschanka, where the corn workers used to land dozens of years ago, and now the new army arena rises, and in Petrovsky Park, at the famous Dynamo stadium. And of course, we’ll see what the first arena in Cherkizov was like.

Presentation of the book “Moscow Football”. Photo report by Sergey Dronyaev

We will also recall those places and teams that have already disappeared from the Moscow football map – the Air Force, Krylia Sovetov, Metallurg … And besides, we will learn many stories and legends of football Moscow. Why is the modern arena “Spartak” in Tushino so similar to the Roman Colosseum? Where the players of the Soviet Dynamo celebrated their victories. Why Lokomotiv owes its first trophy to the Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Chkalov. Where did the name “Torpedo” come from ? How did it happen that the horse became the totem of CSKA …

Weekly Football at the Sport exhibition. Photo report by Sergey Dronyaev and Maxim Seregin

But we have not forgotten that people make history, and any city is dead without its inhabitants. So the guides of our excursion will be the real stars of Moscow football – Lev Yashin, the Starostin brothers, Eduard Streltsov, Grigory Fedotov and many other legends of the clubs. Their victories permeate every football corner of the city, and their life stories best tell us why Moscow deserves to be a football capital not only in 2018.

An excerpt from the book “Football Moscow”
Stalin Stadium

… If you suddenly find yourself in the area of ​​the Lokomotiv stadium and you have a couple of hours of free time before the match, you simply have no right not to make a short trip into the Soviet past. Moreover, it is located very close – across the Shchelkovskoye highway, a kilometer from the arena in Cherkizov, not far from the former Cherkizovsky market. The Izmailovo stadium is located there. In the 1930s, it bore the name of Joseph Stalin.

There was no project in the capital at that time larger than the construction of this grandiose sports facility for 120 thousand spectators. If it had not been stopped, Lokomotiv would probably have played not in the modest Stalinist, but in the largest arena of the USSR, where they were going to hold not only football matches, but also tank parades. And there would be no “Luzhniki” – the center of the sports life of the whole country would be located not on the Sparrow Hills, but on the outskirts of Izmailovsky Park.

Some historians say that the idea of ​​building the Stalin Central Stadium took shape after the 1936 German Olympics. Allegedly, the leader of all nations, looking at the footage of the chronicle where Adolf Hitler hosted the parade at the imperial Olympiastadion, ordered to build an even more pompous sports arena. But this is not entirely true, if only because construction in Izmailovo began in 1933. However, the outlines of the Stalin Central Stadium on the models and sketches really do something like the arena in Berlin.

The project was grandiose. The main stadium of the USSR was planned to be made in the shape of a horseshoe. It was going to hold not only sports competitions, but also military parades, and it would be more convenient for tanks and armored vehicles to enter there from the open side. But even the stands that were not closed in a ring, according to the plan, could accommodate at least 120 thousand spectators, maximum – more than 200 thousand. And there was not a single sports facility in the world with the same capabilities. Huge towers with statues and terraces were planned on both sides of the “horseshoe”, and next to it – a whole city for athletes.

To understand how serious everything was, you just need to get off at the Partizanskaya metro station. According to the initial project, it was called “Stalin Stadium” or “Stadium of the Peoples of the USSR”. In order to bring tens and hundreds of thousands of fans to the grand arena, the station was made with two platforms and three railway tracks, and it was also planned that 12 escalators would be installed on it. But it was opened only in 1944, and nothing remained of the “sports” design – similar to antique statues of Soviet athletes …

The break for the winter break in the Russian Premier League will be remembered not only by the results of the matches, but also by the successfully held action of uniting the fans of Spartak – Fratria. Almost all the ultras of the Russian championship clubs supported the call of the “red-whites” to leave the stadium in the 30th minute of the matches of the 19th round. The weekly Football tells about those who sided with Spartak.

The rally was held after about 200 fans of the “red-whites” were taken into custody in St. Petersburg on the eve of the match against Zenit (0: 1). They also detained the one who started the stands of the Moscow club, who, as a result of the investigation, was banned from attending sports competitions for 1.5 years. Note that all the fans who left the podium shouted: “Football is for fans, not for rubbish!”.

Zenit – Dynamo – 3: 0 (3: 0).

In the match, everything was decided in the first half. Azmun, Ivanovic and Dziuba made the blue-white-blue advantage. As a result, the club from St. Petersburg beat Dynamo and increased the lead over the second place (Krasnodar) by 10 points.

Fans of both clubs supported the Fratria action and left the stands. Fans of the famous Zenit ultras – Virage – left the sector in the 41st minute, leaving two messages in the form of banners: “Fan is not a criminal” and “We believe in you, Zenith”.

But Dynamo fans were not able to leave the arena right away. They were held by the police. But still they managed to come out a little later.

Arsenal – Lokomotiv – 4: 0 (0: 0).

Also on Friday Arsenal played against Lokomotiv. In this meeting, all the goals came in the second half. Lutsenko’s double, Gorbatenko’s and Chaushich’s goals ensured the Tula’s victory over the “railroad workers”.

Despite the outcome in this game, the fans of both clubs left the stadium in the first half. They did it in the 30th minute. Fans of the Moscow club also several times shouted negative slogans against Edgard Zapashny, who recently suggested mutilating fans: “I would have brought in riot police and crumbled them there.”

Tambov – Orenburg – 3: 0 (0: 0).

In the first match on Saturday, all goals were also scored in the second half. Radakovich’s own goal, goals scored by Obukhov and Kilin brought Tambov a victory, thanks to which the club moved up to 11th place in the RPL standings.

Note that this meeting was attended by an extremely small number of fans. Still, the fans of “Orenburg”, albeit in a small composition, still left the podium in the 30th minute.

Krasnodar – CSKA – 1: 1 (0: 1).

The second place before the winter break was played between Krasnodar and CSKA. The score was opened by the army team. In the first half, Oblyakov shot into the upper right corner from outside the penalty area. Krasnodar responded with a goal by Ari, who finished off the ball into the net after not scoring a penalty.

Despite the hatred between CSKA and Spartak, the fans of the Red-Blues supported the action, but left the podium only at the end of the first half, also leaving the banner “Fan is not a criminal”. Active fans of the bulls distinguished themselves by the same actions.

Akhmat – Ufa – 0: 1 (0: 1).

The meeting was not productive. The only and winning goal was scored by Aliyev. Ufa won, and the club’s fans supported the action.

Krylia Sovetov – Ural – 2: 3 (1: 1).

The teams scored 5 goals for two. In the first half, the teams scored once: Chernov scored for Krylya, and Pogrebnyak’s goal backed the Urals. In the second half, Pogrebnyak and El-Kabir increased the guests’ advantage, got one goal back for Radonich Samara.

As in most matches, the fans of the teams did not stand aside. Both Krylia fans and Ural fans left the stadium in the 30th minute of the meeting.

Sochi – Rubin – 1: 1 (1: 0).

This game was also attended by few fans. However, the teams still scored a goal. Lagator scored for Sochi, Markov for Kazan.

In this meeting, the fans of both teams also supported the “Fratria” action. And the Rubin fans also left a banner: “A fan is not a criminal”.

Spartak – Rostov – 1: 4 (0: 1).

Many spectators expected this match not only because of the top rankings of the teams, but also because of the behavior of the fans. Even in the first half, Zainutdinov opened the score, and in the second half Ionov, Chistyakov and Zainutdinov increased the advantage of Rostovites. The only goal for the Muscovites was scored by Ponce.

As expected, Spartak fans from sector B of both the lower and upper tiers left the arena in the 30th minute. Also, some fans left the VIP box. Negative chants about Zapashny were also heard from the rostrum of the “red-whites”. Fans of “Rostov” also supported the action. Both teams left banners saying “Fan is not a criminal.”

 

Initially, the award ceremony was supposed to start at 15:00. However, due to the lateness of the stars, it was delayed by half an hour. This event was even attended by the former midfielder of the Russian national team, and now the adviser to the President of the RFU, Alexei Smertin, who was “Gentleman of the Year” 20 years ago.

The awarding ceremony began with congratulations to Yuri Zhirkov. This was done by the Soviet footballer, goalkeeper Anzor Kavazashvili, Alexei Smertin and Semi Katvani, the man who made the tuxedo.

– Yuri – you are one of those wonderful footballers, whose name is still resounding in our and European football. You are not only the coolest and greatest football player, but also a wonderful person. You were hit so much in the legs, but you never snapped back. I am very glad that you came with your wife. Let her know that you are very dear to us, – Anzor Kavazashvili turned to Zhirkov.

– You are very stable. As my dad used to say, stability is a sign of skill. You have respect for your partners, for your opponent, you have carried this throughout your career. Thank you for playing! – said Alexey Smertin.

– Yuri – you are a real gentleman. We are very glad that you will wear this suit, “Semi Katwani said.

After that Zhirkov, together with the tailor, went off to put on a tuxedo.

Microphone and Best Brothers

And the awarding ceremony continued with the “Golden Microphone” nomination. Nikolai Dolgopolov, deputy editor-in-chief of Rossiyskaya Gazeta, came out to hand it over. Match TV commentator Konstantin Genich received the Golden Microphone from him.

The commentator congratulated Yuri Zhirkov on his prize, congratulated everyone on the upcoming New Year and commented on his victory in the nomination:

“Thank you, very unexpected. God loves trinity, I have the third reward. For any journalist, this is important, whoever thinks what and how whoever treats her. We will enjoy these prizes for long service ”.

Later, he added with a smile: “There were two microphones, they were bored. Now there will be three of them, we now have a large family from the “Golden Microphones”. Maybe this will allow me to park for free in the capital, like a father with many children. “

Then the president of the Children’s Football League, Viktor Gorlov, appeared on the stage, who was supposed to present the prize to the “Best DFL Player”. The Gafyatulin brothers became the winners of this award. Kamil and Ramil, players of the Lokobol-Russian Railways national team. The brothers began to thank their parents. And they called my father to the stage. He said that his sons love to play ball since childhood.

The Lev Filatov Prize and the long-awaited exit of Yuri Zhirkov

Then they presented the Lev Filatov Prize. It was received for the written book about Fedor Cherenkov, Vladimir Galedin and Igor Rabiner. The prize was presented by the former head of FC “Moscow” Yuri Belous. He remembered how long ago they had played football against Sport-Express. Rabiner remembered with a smile: “I broke you then.” Yuri also noted that many famous journalists gathered at the conference.

– It is very important for me to receive the Lev Ivanovich Filatov prize, because he was my first teacher in the profession. I grew up on his books. For me, there are two real teachers – Lev Ivanovich Filatov and Vladimir Mikhailovich Kuchmiy. I dedicate this prize to both of them, – said Igor Rabiner. After the columnist for Sport-Express, Vladimir Galedin also thanked everyone for the prize.

But Rabiner ended anyway with a quote from Filatov: “The movements of the ball contain the movements of the human soul, it is important for us to remember this.”

Note that even before the awarding of Yuri Zhirkov, the sports department of Komsomolskaya Pravda received a prize from the Fair Play committee.

At 16:30 Yuri Zhirkov appeared in a tuxedo.

– Ooo, another person! – was heard from the audience.

After that, Anzor Kavazashvili handed him the cup and asked: “Yuri, you are obliged to present me a gift by July 19 next year, by my 80th birthday – by winning or joining the leading composition of the European Championship.” “We will try,” Zhirkov joked.

Inna, Yuri’s wife, also commented on the outcome of the award: “Yura is really a gentleman of the year, maybe life, because he is a wonderful father, husband, football player and the best man in the world.

“Thank you for your kind words. Thanks for the brilliant award. I am very pleased that I have received this award. It is very pleasant to be among the worthy players who received this award, such as Hulk and Akinfeev. So it obliges a lot – to be a gentleman off the field and on the field. First time in a tuxedo, never put it on. We sewed it very well, in size, so it was very comfortable, ”Zhirkov said.

Recall that “Gentleman of the Year” is one of the oldest and most respected football awards in the country and bears the name of the legendary Fyodor Cherenkov. Since 1994 the award has been presented by Komsomolskaya Pravda. Since then, many stars of Russian and even world football have become its owners. The first winner of the award was the legendary Fyodor Cherenkov.

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