"When I hear the Champions League anthem, I get goosebumps"

In 2025, the midfielder of Lokomotiv and the Russian national team, Alexey Batrakov, scored 19 goals for the club and scored seven assists. With his game, he caused a lot of rumors about a transfer to one of the clubs of the European top championships. Batrakov spoke about his path, his league prospects, his comparison with other young RPL talents and the level of the Russian championship in an interview with SE and Izvestia.

"If I start thinking about individual awards, I'll stop developing"

— Congratulations on winning the "Best Football Player of the Year" award, organized by the SE, where managers and coaches of RPL clubs, our journalists and fans vote. What does this mean to you?

— Nice to meet you! It's an indicator that I'm doing something right. You only need to move forward to win something else.

"Like what?"

— At the end of the season, win another award, like now. I don't make up my mind, personal rewards are not the main thing for me. But now it's great. But I want to progress further as a footballer.

— You win one individual award after another. Are you paying attention to this?

— I try to pay less attention. If I start thinking about it, I'll stop developing. Maybe I'll think that I've already achieved everything, but that's not the case. We need to work constantly.

— It's hard to believe that at a young age, awards don't evoke any additional emotions.

— Definitely, it feels good. But I try to keep my head cool.

— Do you understand this yourself or is someone suggesting it?

— Of course, you and your loved ones help.

— You chose Europe for your vacation, although many football players prefer a beach holiday. What is the reason for the choice?

"I'll get to the beach later." We visited Paris, then flew to Madrid for the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City. I attended a Champions League game last year and decided not to change the tradition.

— Not too much football in your life?

— In the absence of the Champions League, we would like to at least listen to the national anthem and watch from the sidelines. We visited the stadium, and only then there will be a beach holiday.

— When you hear the Champions League anthem, do you imagine that you are also standing on the pitch?

— I dream about it. When I hear this famous melody, I get goosebumps. And if you're still standing on the field at this moment… A completely different story.

"We can compete with clubs with more than half of the foreign players"

— Lokomotiv finished the year in the top three. What would you sum up for yourself and the team?

— Not bad, but it can be better. They gave away some of their "own" points. If this hadn't happened, the table would have looked completely different. But what happened happened. We will work on training camps to show ourselves better in the rest of the season.

— Now many teams are competing for the first place. Don't you think that this happened because Zenit's hegemon has become weaker?

— Is Zenit really weakened? Or have the other teams upgraded their class? Why are we starting from Zenit, and not from other teams? It seems to me that the audience is interested in following such a championship, there is a high density in the table. In the spring, I think it will be a steep stretch.

— In your opinion, has today's Lokomotiv become stronger compared to the team you debuted with?

— Last year we took the fifth place during the winter break, and now we are in third place. It means that they have become stronger. Let's see what happens in the spring.

— And in what ways has Lokomotiv become stronger?

— It seems to me that this is a combination of factors. Stability has come. The microclimate in the team is good, everything is in our hands.

— There is an opinion that Lokomotiv is becoming a national team with a Russian backbone. Are you pleased that the team consists mainly of Russians?

— Probably, yes. But I don't pay much attention to it. We have foreigners, guys from different countries. And we are showing that we can compete with clubs where more than half of the players are foreigners.

— Has something changed in Mikhail Galaktionov over the past few seasons?

— Over the years, more confidence. Nothing much has changed in the training process, everyone knows the requirements. We try to work as hard as possible.

— Are you mentally ready for winter training?

— Not yet, I'm not thinking about them. I'd rather watch the Champions League on vacation. And I'll start mentally preparing for training a week before it starts.

— Lokomotiv seems to be one of the most stable clubs in Russia.

— In general, last year's line-up has been preserved. A couple of guys have been added, and the transfers have strengthened us. The team has a good microclimate, which helps to move forward.

— It also happened that you went out with a captain's armband. What was that for you?

— Incredibly pleasant and exciting. I would like to thank the coaching staff and partners for their trust. It gives me confidence and understanding that the team needs me.

— Do you remember the day when you first led the team with an armband?

— It was in Makhachkala, at the Cup match. Barinov was absent, they said at the installation that I was the captain. Egor Pogostnov was sitting next to me, and he immediately started hitting me on the knee, and I started smiling. There was a commotion… It was unexpected, and I was blown away. But somehow I managed to get over my thoughts. The team was supportive, and that's what a good microclimate is all about.

"When I first started playing, I could get stuck because of someone's words"

— Before the start of this season, there was a lot of talk in the media about the importance of the second season for you. How did you react to that?

— Something may not work out at any second. It all depends on you, on how you work and how you feel about the business. If you work hard and make progress, everything will work out. Yes, there are downturns, but it happens to all football players.

— Was there no additional pressure? The media and the public expect more every season.

— I don't pay attention to it, I calmly treat someone's statements and comments.

— So you don't really read the media and Telegram channels?

— I can read it. But when I first started playing, I was worried, I could get lost in thought or even get stuck because of someone's words. I'll read it now and smile at the most.

— Don't you think that you used to read because it was nice to be talked about at all, but now it's become too much?

"Maybe." Before that, I had a dream to take the field at least once in an RPL match, but it turned out that everything happened abruptly. It was a pleasure. It's good that my family and teammates praised me, but they explained that we shouldn't stop.

— Did you ever think that everything would happen so quickly?

"Of course not. It so happened that the season before last, he already realized one of his dreams by entering the field. And then I realized that if I got the time, I needed to prove that I was competitive and gain a foothold.

— You say you're still reading something from the media. And what exactly?

— I don't read anything about myself at all. As it is, I'm just subscribed to some channels, sometimes I scroll through. But I don't follow my name in the media.

— But you can't avoid bumping into the name of the Farmhands. Has there ever been anything that surprised you?

— Except that someone mentioned my hairstyle at the beginning of the season. Something like, "He's dyed his hair and he's not thinking about football anymore." Although I dyed my hair last season. I just laughed, that's all.

— You are often compared to Matvey Kislyak. How do you react to this?

— I repeat, I do not pay attention to the conversations in the media. I don't know how to compare us, given our different positions. Probably, we have a similar role with Spertsyan. But comparisons with Kislyak are just an information guide for everyone. And we have a good relationship with Matvey. We cross paths, we communicate. He's a great guy, a lot of people know that. As a football player, I wish him only good luck.

"They're talking about PSG, Monaco, Inter or Barcelona, but that's still a long way off."

— Arshavin was recently asked what he thinks about your possible move to Inter, Juventus or Atletico. To which he replied: "You don't have to join these teams. He needs to join a playing team: Barcelona or Real Madrid. Who else has a playing style? At PSG..." What do you say?

— It's nice that Arshavin has such an opinion of me, believes that I can play in such teams. After all, Andrey Sergeyevich is a legend not only for Russian football, but a famous player all over the world. But no one really knows how it will be. That's why I never make a wish. Everything in life changes very quickly. As it will be, so it will be.

— How do you feel, how much time do you need to get stronger and leave?

— I don't know (smiles).

— It is felt that you are very tired of talking about Europe.

— I'm just trying not to worry about it. An interview with Nobel [Arustamian] was recently released. This topic was also raised there, and I replied that everyone was talking like that, as if I were already in Europe. But no one knows where I'll be in six months. Even me. They talk about PSG, Monaco, Inter or Barcelona, but in fact it's still a long way off.

— But you were seriously interested in Saudi Arabia. It's unusual for an RPL, especially for a young guy who has only played in Russia so far. How did you react?

— My representative told me about it. It was very pleasant, but I haven't considered this option yet. I strive to help Lokomotiv, and if there is an opportunity, I would like to try my hand in Europe first.

— You have already refuted the space $120 million per year allegedly offered in Saudi Arabia...

— Here! I laughed a lot about that, too.

— When you walk around Europe, does it occur to you that you might play there someday?

— No, for now I'm just walking and enjoying life.

— In general, do you want to stay at Loko until you receive an interesting offer?

— The interests of all should merge. I also want to bring something to Lokomotiv. How much the club has invested in me! Therefore, everything should work out, and not so simple: if he wanted to, he left.

"Spartak is the most important rival

— How have you changed in two years?

— I think I've grown up. For example, psychologically, mentally. Starting from comments in the media and ending with stressful situations on the field. Now I am a young football player at the stage of formation.

"You even look different."

- yes. I didn't care what they said. I think that's where the confidence comes in. Mentally, I became stronger.

— Has there ever been a moment when you could catch yourself thinking that you "swam"?

— There was no such thing as getting off the ground.

— Usually, relatives protect young players from some expensive purchases. Did you need such a person, or are you coping on your own?

— I will not dissemble, I love to dress up and buy something. But I'm calm about expensive purchases. I understand everything myself, but my family guides me. You can please yourself, but without fanaticism.

— Are there any financial goals for next year?

— There is. But I won't talk.

— What is the most important event of the past year for you?

— Victory over Spartak 4-2. I could only dream of a hat-trick against the red and white. It happened and it's nice to remember. It's cool in a football way.

— Is it possible to say that Spartak is the main irritant for you?

— It's always interesting to play with top clubs. It's hard in these matches, but you're making progress. The top 5 RPL teams are not just irritants, but just teams that are interesting to go up against.

— And who is more principled?

— Well, let's say that Spartak.

— What was the main disappointment this year?

— There is no such thing. I'm incredibly happy.

— What would you like to wish the Lokomotiv fans in 2026? What would you promise?

— I won't promise anything. But I will say that the whole club, the whole coaching staff, the whole team will try to please them in every match. Of course, we hope to win something. And I would like to ask the fans to continue to believe in us and support us.