Today "Lokomotiv Moscow Blog" has the great opportunity to interview a red-green fan since 1998. His name is Filipp and he has spoken with us about the current and he past Loko. Let's enjoy it!
- Hi, Filipp. Welcome to the International fan club of Loko.
"Hi, Stefano. Thanks, I'm glad to participate in it."
- Tell us how you have became a Lokomotiv fan.
"I played football in the football academy of Spartak since I was 6 years old, then I joined Torpedo four years later. In that moment Torpedo was playing in Vtoroj League and I had to decide a team to support in RPL. CSKA and Dinamo certainly no, as the rivals of Spartak. So I started liking Lokomotiv. After the mach against AEK Athens in UEFA Cup I understood that Lokomotiv will be my favorite team for ever. So I have been supporting Lokomotiv since 1998."
- So you were a footballer?
"No, I didn't play professionally, I have only trained for six years in the academies. I gave up when I was 12 years old and I started studying. Despite my poor career, I was able to play with Artyom Dzyuba, who is now a Sbornaya player."
- Who were your three favorite players of Lokomotiv in 1998? Why?
"Ruslan Nigmatullin - I knew him also for my training in Spartak, when we had the opportunity to watch the main team. Ruslan had a brilliant reaction and so he could save a lot of goals. Zaza Janashia - it seemed a slow and fat forward, but he took advantages from all his characteristics. He has scored a lot of beautiful goals and his goal-brand will be remembered for ever. Evgenij Kharlachyov - a very talented player, who wasn't be able to demonstrate his value until the end. In three words, he was: sharp, technical and creative."
- And now?
"Vitalij Denisov - a real fighter. He's the ideal left back. After the death of Jakob Lekgetho (RIP), in Lokomotiv there weren't such quality players on the left. Vedran Corluka - simply a world class player. As Vasilij Utkin said rightly: if Vedran hadn't had so many injuries, he wouldn't have arrived in Russia. Ilya Abaev - a very talented goalkeeper, who at least is arrived in a top club. He's improving game after game. And after I had criticized him for the mistakes last year, today I could say he's a extremely reliable goalkeeper."
- Compare current Lokomotiv with the Syomin one. What are the greatest differences in your opinion?
"Hard question, the football was really different. In that years only Spartak and CSKA could fight for the title, so Lokomotiv could sign 4-5 players of Spartak (Evseev, Nigmatullin, Buznikin, Tsymbalar, etc.) and then finish the season as second. Today the competition is based on another level. In Russian football there are 7-8 clubs that can fight for European spots. The growing up of the competition has made the league more difficult. Furthermore, of course, another different are the scandals. In the Nineties, Lokomotiv had the best collective in Russia, now there are scandals in the club. Unfortunately, also Syomin has participated to the collapse of Loko when in 2007 he returned as president and was bullying against Byshovets. Since then, there haven't been a season without at least a scandal."
- How would you describe Aleksey Miranchuk? Is he the new Loskov?
"No, with him the great expectation is that he can play in Loskov position, because as playing style, they're completely different. Loskov could been in one place in the pitch for 90 minutes and made 3 assists to forwards and then also scored a goal. He was a superb kicker. Lyosha is more similar to Bilyaletdinov in the best years. He has a great future, I hope he will approach Loskov statistic, but as playing style, they're two completely different players."
- Who has been the greatest talent grown up in Cherkizovo, in your opinion ?
"Marat Izmaylov. He was born and has lived with the ball. If he hadn't had too many injuries, he could have been a great player. His goal against French Monaco in the 1/8 of Champions League is simply fantastic."
- Would you be happy if Bilyaletdinov returns in Lokomotiv ?
"No. I loved him during his time in Loko, but now Diniyar is a weak player. In Lokomotiv he can't play in the main team because it's better for him to be in a team where he can spend all the 90 minutes on the pitch. I also want to give an advice to Sychyov: not to train for money, but to play football again, he's only 31."
- Describe us your favorite game of Lokomotiv you have ever seen.
"There are three matches. The first one was in 1998 against AEK. Referee Markus Merk did everything to exclude Lokomotiv from the semifinal: he whistled a doubt penalty and cancelled two goals. Despite this, we got an important victory. The second one is the game against Inter Milan in Cherkizovo. In that season, the Italian club had some problems, but this not decrease the merits of Lokomotiv. Fantastic football and honored match. The third one was the 2:2 against Real in Madrid. Lokomotiv had fight for each part of the pitch to get a heavy draw at Santiago Bernabeu. In RPL, instead, there were a lot of matches that must be remembered. The victory 4:3 against Spartak, for example, gave a lot of emotions. Another great win was in 2007, when we won 5:2 against Krylya after we lost the first half 0:2. The team was able to assemble again and to play for the coach (Byshovets)."
- In which position, in your opinion, will Lokomotiv finish in this RPL?
"From 3rd to 5th position. CSKA and Zenit will be ahead of us, bu we have to fight against all other teams."
- Who has been the most disappointing player in Loko ?
"There a lot of disappointing players. One of this is Bikey, who could take a red card or cause a penalty in each moment of the game. Then, Pimenov, who wasn't able to reveal his potential and finished soon his career. Furthermore goalkeeper Levents, who wasn't a bad player, but after the mistake against Zenit got worse and worse. I could continue, from the one who were on the bench to the others crazy."
- Your top 11 in all Lokomotiv history.
"Only of the players that I've seen, so from Nineties: Ovchinnikov - Solomatin, Ignashevich, Corluka, Lekgetho - Lima, Maminov - Kharlachyov, Loskov, Izmaylov - Sychyov."
- Compare current atmosphere at Lokomotiv Stadium and the 1998 one.
"(Laugh) In 1998 on the stands if there were a few thousand of people, it would be good. It was fantastic, I remember when in 2000 in the derby against Spartak, Lokomotiv won 2:0. In the stadium there were about 200 persons in Loko sector and all the stadium supported Spartak. All the fans since 1998 have been the soul of Lokomotiv, who has supported 'Railroaders' in each situation. Today fans go the stadium only to criticize the society or insult opponents."
- If you have the possibility to leave a message to all Lokomotiv fans all over the world that read this blog, what would you like to say?
"Dear fans, be positive. You don't have to be negative in the stadium. If you want to organize a protests, you have to go during the week in Loko offices, complaining with the right persons. You have to renounce to bad people on the stands. When these kind of fans behave wrongly, you don't have to follow them. There have been problems since 2006 (resignation of Muslin and Filatov), so you have to be a real Lokomotiv fan also in bad moments, otherwise you must stop to support this team."
- Thanks a lot for this interview. We are very pleased that you answered to our questions. Bye for now and... vperyod Loko!
"Vperyod Loko! Thanks for the interesting questions, I'm always happy to discuss the football in Cherkizovo."
