"I believe that CSKA can take gold this season"

The football players of Chelyabinsk have become one of the main discoveries of the current Russian championship draw among the first league teams. Last season they played in the second league, from where they joined the FNL-1. And they immediately became fixed at the top of the table. There are only three defeats in the first 16 rounds, an intermediate seventh place and only two points behind the fourth line, which gives the right to participate in transitional matches for reaching the RPL.

One of the most high—profile players of the current Chelyabinsk is midfielder Timur Zhamaletdinov, known for his performances for CSKA Moscow and Ufa. With the army, the 28-year-old football player won silver at the Russian championship in 2018, and then participated in the Champions League, where, under the leadership of head coach Viktor Goncharenko, the red and blue beat Real Madrid twice.

In an interview with Izvestia, Zhamaletdinov explained the secret of Chelyabinsk's success, talked about the chances of reaching the RPL, commented on Goncharenko's recent failures, and also assessed CSKA's chances of winning RPL gold this season.

— You weren't at Chelyabinsk last season when it was coming out of the second league, but now can you explain how the team managed to gain a foothold at the top of the table near the transition zone?

— A strong squad, although if we take all the teams of the championship, we were the last to be recruited. But the club selection worked well. All the people in the club are football people. They know everything perfectly well, so they have assembled a good team with a good coach. They fulfill all their obligations 100%, whether it's the management of Chelyabinsk, the coaching staff and the players. We have a big family atmosphere. We are showing good results due to such a team. We will try to further improve our positions.

— You said that football people are in the club. At the same time, Ivan Savin, a well-known former hockey player and now the CEO of Traktor Hockey, became the CEO of FC Chelyabinsk in the summer. Does he communicate closely with your team?

— He is in contact with us. It is clear that both hockey and football are important for the city. Hockey is probably more in the first place for Chelyabinsk because of the great history and achievements of Traktor. It's always been that way. But it is clear that people in the leadership have an interest in raising Chelyabinsk football. And everyone will only be happy if we succeed.

— Did the management tell the team about the task of competing for entry into the RPL, explaining whether there are resources to prepare the infrastructure and provide financing in case you qualify for the transition matches or direct entry into the Premier League in the spring?

— These are internal conversations that should remain between us. But in any case, we communicate within the club and understand that everything depends on us. If we perform well, take the top places and break into the RPL, then why not. Everything will no longer depend on us. For now, we're only thinking about what depends on us. We need to get as high as possible, and then it's up to other people.

— Does the team have any concerns that the story of Chernomorets, which finished fourth last season, could repeat itself, which gave it the right to play transitional matches, but even before the end of the championship it became clear that the Novorossiysk team would not be there due to the lack of a stadium with the required capacity?

— I think that no one in our team is fixated on this. Everyone starts from the result. Our task as football players is to play football, show a good game, and achieve a positive result. And then it will be as it will be. I don't want to guess anything. We'll see everything closer to summer.

— You spent the first half of this year in the second league with Znamya Truda from Orekhovo-Zuyevo. Why didn't they find any options in the first league at that moment?

— I had a period in the winter when I left Yaroslavl Shinnik, but there was no one hundred percent option in the first league. It all dragged on a bit, and then the transfer window closed. I understood that I wanted to continue moving professionally, so there was nothing left but to go to the second league. But in the end, everything that is done is for the best. So I don't regret that I went to Orekhovo-Zuyevo. I got what I wanted — playing practice and good stats. And in the summer, the option with Chelyabinsk has already turned up. Naturally, I agreed, as I was able to try my hand at the first league again. It was stupid to refuse such a thing. And in the second league I understood that everything depends on me. That if I play well, then there will be an option in the first league. He appeared.

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— How do you explain such competition in the first league, when Chelyabinsk and Spartak (Kostroma), who have just left the second league, are fighting for high places?

— We just want to show that it's no coincidence that we got into the first league and not to serve a number in it. With our results, we prove that we deserve to play consistently in the first league and fight for the top places. We do this through desire, character, and internal team building.

— Are there any chances of beating the seemingly favorites Fakel and Ural in the race?

— It's hard to say yet. The winter break in the championship is just around the corner. It's not far away. It often happens when everything changes after winter training camps. Those teams that didn't go well are gaining momentum. And those who finished the first part of the championship well, slow down.

— You had a bright period at CSKA under the leadership of Viktor Goncharenko. What do you associate his crisis of recent years with, when he was eliminated from the RPL, first at the head of Ural, then at the head of Paris NN, which eventually remained in the Premier League only because of the bankruptcy of Khimki?

— Probably, the level of the teams is slightly different if you compare Ural and Paris NN with CSKA. All football people understand this. But as a specialist, I never doubted Viktor Mikhailovich, and I don't doubt him now. He is a good specialist, of a very high level. There's something wrong with him right now, but these are internal moments that no one will know about until he tells them.

— Do you like the current CSKA?

— Yes, I really like it. I like the young people who are playing in the team now. I think they have a great future, both for the guys and the team itself. I want them to keep going and win the championship, which CSKA has not had for a long time. I believe that they can take gold this season. And all the fans are waiting for this. I will also be only glad if CSKA becomes the champion.

— Ivan Oblyakov started at CSKA in your time. Did you expect him to become such a team leader?

— Even then it was clear that he was a high-level player. He was in the main draw of CSKA from the very beginning. And it is not surprising that he has been maintaining his high level for so many years.

— In 2019-2020, you played for Polish FC Lech. Have you kept in touch with someone you know locally?

— Yes, I still have a couple of Polish guys with whom I was in the team. I communicate with them periodically. Although not as often as before. After all, time passes, and connections are lost. But there are a couple of football players with whom, albeit less often, but I keep in touch. We follow each other on social media, so I keep an eye on their performances.

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— Did you discuss with them after 2022 the suspension of Russian athletes from international competitions, the refusal of the Polish national football team to play a play–off match with Russia for the 2022 World Cup qualifying tournament?

— No, this topic has never been discussed at all. I don't think they're interested. And I've never brought it up. It's none of our business.

— Did they feel any negativity towards you after February 2022?

— There was no such thing. We tried not to talk about it or think about it. We have never touched on this topic.

— Do you think that in the coming years some of the Russian football players will go to play in Poland?

"I don't think so." I don't know how it will be in the future. But it is unlikely in the coming years.

— For sporting or political reasons?

— For political reasons.