Recently, Krasnodar failed to win the trophy again. Now they have a collection of lost finals: earlier it was the Russian Cup, now the Super Cup. We can also add RPL, because last season the team fought for gold until the very end. Bingo collected. After which a logical question arose: can we call Krasnodar a contender for the championship in the new season?
There is no point in asking Murad Musaev about such things. The answer will be to fight for the top places, but the main thing is to preserve the style close to the owner and the fans. And the trophies will come. True, no one indicates the future. This is a traditional story: if you fight for something, well done. But if you do it badly, you will not stay in Krasnodar for long.
Musaev can be treated differently, but she will definitely continue on her chosen path. And she will never leave it. No matter what the outcome. Although, objectively speaking, the current Krasnodar squad (provided no one leaves) is capable of fighting at least for the top 3. And anything below that can easily be called a failure.
Murad Musaev
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Yes, at the beginning of the summer it seemed to everyone that the main team was in for a major transformation. Even the coach admitted: three or four players will leave the club. But it’s already the end of July, the beginning of the season, and we see only two defeats: Matvey Safonov and Junior Alonso. Yes, we can also note the departure of Kadi, but it is realistic to replace him with internal reserves, plus Musaev announced a serious transfer to the flank, which roughly means the position of the Brazilian. The newcomer, by the way, could be Benjamin Garré, well-known in Russia. Rumours about his transfer are becoming more and more active.
The club also found someone to replace the first two. The main goalkeeper during the season will probably be Stanislav Agkatsev. Yes, he missed four in the Super Bowl, but that is unlikely to affect his prospects. The Krasnodar graduate waited too long for his chance, watching Safonov’s growth, not to take it now. Some within the club considered him an even more talented goalkeeper, and at some point under Ivic it was Stas who became the main goalkeeper. But then Safonov rethought something in his head and returned to the team. And I did not give my competitor any more chances.
Stanislav Agkatsev
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Agkatsev’s advantage is that he plays well with his feet. Probably better than Matvey. Safonov himself admitted that he considers Agkatsev to be the future number one. Yes, he needs to get used to the new role, but deep down the situation will definitely not get worse. So Krasnodar got an excellent replacement for this position. In addition, the experienced Yuri Dupin was hired – he will be able to cover his partner at any time, and in certain situations even become the main one.
The club recently closed another problematic position by signing Brazilian centre-back Diego Costa for 7.5 million euros. Sao Paulo’s main defender, one of the youngest captains in the club’s history (the player is only 24 years old), with a great first pass and developed defensive skills. He had already made his debut in the RPL and it quickly became clear that he would not become the second Kayo. Simply because he plays much better in defense than his competitor. So Krasnodar, even after spending money, got a central defender for years to come. If you don’t have problems getting used to life in a city without an airport.
Krasnodar’s first match in the new championship:
The most expensive newcomer of the summer entered the RPL. Krasnodar exchanged for him and did not win
The club also invited experienced players Smolov and Gazinsky. But these are more likely insurance options. The first will play until Cordoba returns, and then come in as a substitute. The second is even rarer. The club also signed young Danila Kozlov. It is especially interesting to follow his development in his new place. Musaev will give the guy opportunities, but it is unlikely that this will be the first team right away.
And most importantly, there are still other leaders in Krasnodar. Spertsyan basically does not answer questions about his future, even though he became captain. In his new position, it will be even more difficult for him to leave. Apparently, Cordoba also remains. Like Tormena, Castano and the rest.
So Krasnodar simply has to be on top in the new season. For any style.
Although the situation with Córdoba is complicated:
What is happening between Cordoba and Krasnodar? All the information about the future of the RPL star
