“Regarding the style of play, I am more like Klopp.” Ignashevich brought Baltika to the RPL after 25 years!
Nikita Paglazov May 19, 2023, 21:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Since the 1st matchday of the First League, the team has never lost!
Baltika is in the Russian Premier League! The Kaliningradors will play in the first division for the first time in 25 years. Alania’s misfire helped Baltika – the Vladikavkaz team played a draw away from Akron. Now the Kaliningrad team cannot drop below second place, even theoretically. Even if they lose to Rubin tomorrow. Entering the RPL is a historic success for Kaliningrad. And what is generally known about the “Baltic”?
The last time Kaliningrads played in the RPL was in the 1998 season. The team finished 15th and was relegated to the first division. After that, the club experienced many problems, relegation to the Second League and a gradual rise to the top. Baltika tried for a long time to jump into the RPL, but every time something interfered: offensive defeats, the strength of competitors, the weakness of the team. Sergei Ignashevich was called in to solve the problem. The Russian football legend headlined Baltika in October 2021. The team finished the first season under the former CSKA defender in 10th place. But for the 2022/2023 championship, Baltika has reinforced its squad. Several players came to the team, for example: defenders Nikola Radmanovac, Kirill Malyarov and Alexander Putsko, midfielders Grigory Borisenko, Tigran Avanesyan, as well as forwards Gedeon Guzina and Dmitry Barkov.
Goal scored by Baltika
Photo: vk.com/fcbaltika
Baltika went through the 2022/2023 season without any problems, without leaving the RPL entry zone. Unique statistics: Kaliningrad lost in the first round, and then did not lose for 30 (!) Meetings. This is a League One record. The main characters of the team are defenders Kirill Malyarov, Nikola Radmanovac, midfielders Yan Kazaev, Alexander Osipov, Vladislav Lazarev, as well as forwards Gedeon Guzina and Tamerlan Musaev.
Bosnian striker Guzina is generally the top scorer in the First League. On behalf of the 29-year-old footballer, 13 goals in 30 games. The most expensive Baltika players are goalkeeper Maxim Borisko, as well as midfielders Yan Kazaev and Alexander Osipov (all for €600,000).
Kirill Volzhenkin
CEO of Baltika
“The event is at least historical for Kaliningrad – for 25 years the city has not been in the Premier League. We are finally back. It’s hard to put it into words. We’ve been working on this for a long time, and we’re finally there. We are looking forward to the start of the new season!
But the main star of the team is the coach Ignashevich. This is how he defines his coaching style: “Yes, we want to have everything under control. We have many trainers who are responsible for their area of work, that is our strength. I think everyone knows the rule very well: discipline trumps class. In terms of playing style, I am more like Klopp. I like to play aggressively for 90 minutes, I like to dominate, play efficiently and effectively. Efficiency and results are more important than overall aesthetics.”
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Now the specialist needs to solve a new problem – not to fly back to the First League in the first season. The Kaliningraders leadership hopes to remain in the RPL. “Of course, for some time we have been working on a strategy, a selection policy and a general concept. We have been preparing for the RPL for some time now. I would not like to name targets for next season now. However, we definitely don’t want to be an elevation team that will be relegated in the first season. We want to stay in the RPL seriously and for a long time, as they say,” said Volzhenkin, Baltika’s general manager, in an interview with the Championship.
sergei ignashevich
Photo: vk.com/fcbaltika
In addition, Baltika will decorate the RPL with its stadium. Kaliningrad hosted the 2018 World Cup, and a cool arena with a capacity of 35,000 was built in the city for the tournament. Baltika is the most visited club in the First League. On average, 9845 viewers attend a meeting (2nd place – Rubin – 7490). Baltika stood out in the context of the First League for his way of facing rivals and the days. The Kaliningrad press service prepared a unique program for each team that came to visit them.
Now Baltika will have to host Zenit, Spartak, CSKA and other RPL clubs. We expect a good turnout in Kaliningrad, good matchday programs and high-quality football played by Ignashevich’s team.
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