Spartak fans’ favorite Denis Boyarintsev has already coached three teams from the second league to the first. He now surprises at a higher level: his Saratov “Falcon”, unexpectedly for many, takes second place in the table. We contacted Boyarintsev and found out if Saratov would be in the RPL and what he thinks about what is happening in Spartak.
“Saratov should not calm down thinking about the Premier League yet”
— Did you expect such a strong start to the season from your team? – Of course, I didn’t expect it. But we prepared properly in the short off-season period. The team fully met two weeks before the start of the championship. It was feared that we would not have time to create a combat-ready team for the first part of the season, but you see how everything turned out in the end. Yes, in the first round we lost 0-4. This created a slight tension, but we quickly reduced it. The team is showing good results, but there is still work to do. I want to be even better. As the tournament shows, the attitude against each team is important: everyone is fighting for points. To be at the top of the table you have to work hard.
—Judging by the initial defeat against Rodina, was it not possible to quickly move from the second league to the first? — “Rodina” is a good team, but we were not inferior to them in any aspect. We suffered two minority goals when our player was treated for a cut on his head. While we were trying to determine if a replacement was necessary, the opponent gained an advantage. A slightly disappointing defeat. My opinion: not for the game. The first league is not the second. We need to adapt to the speed. Here, after all, the players are of higher quality in terms of ball handling and interaction with the team. And we have many debutants who need time to adapt.
—Is it a shame to lose against your recent teammates? — Yes, I brought Rodina to the FNL not long ago. But practically no one remains from that composition. Although the club’s philosophy was to develop its players so that they continued to advance with the team. And only a few people on that team opposed Sokol, so there was not a lot of adherence to the principles. But there was an underlying reason: you always want to ruin the nerves of old acquaintances. It turned out different.
—Does it seem like the team reacted correctly to the painful defeat? — The result is the best answer to your question. We have gathered. The schedule wasn’t the easiest: mostly teams that set big goals for themselves. We not only managed to unite, but also show something to the opponent. Perhaps Sokol was underestimated.
The joy of the Sokol players
Photo: vk.com/pfc_sokol
— “Sokol” was not in the RPL for 20 years. How realistic is a return? – Why make long-range plans? Our task is to pass the first part of the championship with a “good” rating. There is no point in getting your hopes up about RPL yet. Our tasks are now more mundane.
—What objectives did the management set? — You understand that this is a debut team. I would like to establish myself in the league. This is the most realistic and correct task. Saratov is a football city. Perhaps in the future a more serious task will arise.
— Is the example of Baltika, who returned to the elite after 25 years, inspiring? — I am inspired by the story of Rubin in 2003, which emerged from the first league and immediately took bronze medals! This example is dearer to me because I myself played for the club then.
— Do the club’s financial capabilities, infrastructure and playing skills correspond to the minimum task: establishing itself in the league? — We have good conditions for the First League. You can form a team. The only pity is that the grass is artificial. I would like there to be a natural field in a region like this. It’s a question of money. Our budget is modest, but sufficient for the First League. If you set higher goals, it all comes down to funding.
“The second league has already conquered me three times”
—What goals do you set for yourself as a coach? — I already realized that the coaching path is not the easiest. It is a lot of work, different from the work of a footballer. When you are a player you are trained and you are free, but many problems fall on the coach. But I’m ready for this! I love football and I have a lot of patience. The second league has already conquered me three times. Of course, I want to reach the highest level and work there. There is an understanding of what is happening in our football and I know how to achieve the goal. But I still enjoy the process at this stage.
Denis Boyarintsev – coach
Photo: vk.com/fcrodinamoscow
— By highest level do you mean RPL? – Certainly! I feel that I am ready to work with the RPL team. Four or five years ago I wouldn’t have said that. But now I have gained some experience. I did internships in RPL teams: I was at Dynamo with Kalitvintsev, at Lokomotiv with Semin and at Rubin with Berdyev. It was interesting to work with everyone, each with their own approach. But I have my own vision of how to develop in the coaching profession. Because if you focus on someone else, you can lose yours. You need to develop your own philosophy. At the same time, it is always interesting to see how our honorable specialists work. Even now I would agree to do an internship! This is useful. Even see how young specialists work with their own approach.
—Which of the promotions from the PFL to the First League was the most difficult? — Tekstilshchik and Rodina’s capabilities are incomparable. Rodina’s finances are good and stable. When you work in an environment where everything is done by the team, it is easier to reach another level. Plus, I worked in Moscow and it’s always easier at home. With Tekstilshchik it was more difficult: delays, financial problems. All this made the team nervous, but despite this, we solved the problem. Well done guys! I arrived in Sokol at the end of the championship, when some foundations had already been created. The only thing left was to see the matter through to the end.
—Is it unpleasant for you to remember having left Rodina? – What to say? My contract ran out, they shook hands and that’s it. The Club wanted to sign another specialist, although this story is a bit strange for our football. Most likely, they wanted a higher level coach, because the task was to enter the RPL. Apparently the management didn’t trust me.
— Before Sokol, you visited Novosibirsk. Why didn’t they stay there? — They invited me to the task of finishing among the top six at the end of the championship. I agreed. I met with management and discussed that we would spend the spring quietly and prepare the team to solve problems in the summer. However, an incomprehensible situation arose: we lost the first match, tied with the leader, and after the victory, the person who invited me to the club was removed from the team. It was strange for me. As soon as Sokol’s offer came, he accepted, but asked for time to sort out the problem with Novosibirsk.
“Someone didn’t win anything in the first or second league, but they did in the RPL. “Everything is clear here.”
— He has been practicing the coaching profession for nine years. Are you happy with how your career is going? – You know, you always want to get somewhere higher faster. In any business, everyone strives for heights and I am no exception. There is no longer the same motivation in the second league when I worked there. The first league is the next stage. Also a valuable experience. Of course, I want to move up quickly, but everything has its time. If that opportunity arises, I’m ready for it. No, I will continue working in the First League.
– In the RPL there are coaches even younger than you: Abaskal, Galaktionov, Ignashevich. Have you received any offers from there? — I know they were considered, but somewhere in the third lineup. I heard those rumors. There are coaches who don’t earn anything in the second and first leagues, but they already work with RPL teams. Everything is clear here: someone has connections. Most of the time, club managers are afraid to hire inexperienced coaches.
“Abascal is still young, but there are important games here”
— Can you follow your favorite Spartak? — If possible, I try to watch, but I don’t just follow Spartak.
—And what emotions does the team evoke at the beginning of the season? —They started very well. I liked it in the first rounds: it was clear that there was variety in the positional attacks. However, then some doubts began. It’s all the coach’s will, of course, but I don’t really understand these changes in the lineup. It is easier for Abascal to understand himself within the team, although from the outside it seems unnecessary. We lost the football we had in the first games. The bright spot was the first half against Dynamo. Quick attacks, execution and then again… So far, Spartak is polar. However, we remember that in the previous season Abascal already had that situation: he played well, then he slowed down. There is a lack of stability.
Guillermo Abascal
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
— Abascal more than once attributed the defeats to refereeing, yellow cards, etc. What can it connect with? — As a coach, Abascal is still young and his assistants do not have much experience. And then there are the big games. Working with older men requires some experience. Abascal is still not tempted by big victories and teams. For him, Spartak is the first big team with serious tasks. He sometimes acts strangely. But Spartak is willing to give the coach carte blanche to experiment. Maybe this will lead to something good.
—Do you think the coach’s credibility is still high? — If there is no result, the team does not hold on to the top line, then it may even lead to resignation. There is already enough criticism of Spartak and Abascal. I don’t rule out the possibility that it won’t be finished before winter. But it won’t lead to anything. Yes, a coaching change will shake up the team. I saw a lot of resignations during my time at Spartak, there is always a certain shake-up. It is difficult to say who can be invited to the Spartak bridge.
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—How would you react to Cherchesov’s candidacy? – Positive. He had great teams in Poland, in Hungary, where he reached the group stage of the Europa League. This is a quite significant figure for Spartak. Maybe the team needs discipline and a strong hand. Cherchesov is able to achieve this.
– Bongonda, Medina, Duarte, Ryabchuk: a qualitative reinforcement of the Spartak team? – At first it seemed so. I liked Medina. But when in the match against Krasnodar Ryabchuk was outplayed in space, I realized that the players were not ready for that task. The players themselves are not bad, but I still don’t see that they can compete with Zenit or fight for the championship. Let’s see while we have doubts.
— Don’t you think that transfers like Medina’s from CSKA to Spartak blur the rivalry between the clubs? The same story is still being discussed with Fernández. — It is unlikely that foreigners can worry about the confrontation between Spartak and CSKA. They need to be treated with more loyalty. Although in Soviet times there were such transitions. The life of a footballer is short. Yes, confrontations are important, but if a good offer comes along, why not? There are many such examples not only in Russian football.
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“Zenith’s hegemony must end”
— Does it seem like there was a different atmosphere in Spartak in your time? —If we talk about our Spartak, we were the last to see a generation of boys raised in the traditions of Spartak, like Titov, Alenichev. Without them, of course, we understood what kind of club it was. There was continuity between generations, but now everything is confused. Although the championship year was not bad, a nucleus of Russian boys was formed (Glushakov, Kombarov, Rebrov), from which the meat grew. However, now there are a large number of foreign players who hardly know the history and traditions of the club well. At the same time, it’s nice to see kids from the academy, like Meleshin, showing up. They are expected to grow and achieve success. Well, I would like the club’s values to be explained to all foreign players, not just those from Spartak. So that they don’t just play for zeros in the contract.
Denis Boyarintsev at Spartak
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
— Will we see intrigue this RPL season? — I would like Zenit not to take advantage again. Krasnodar got off to a great start, CSKA isn’t bad either. But Zenit will continue to gain momentum. I think it will be the same in the arena. Krasnodar is one of the teams that can compete for the championship. I would like to see Spartak in these ranks. Psychologically, it is now more difficult for Zenit than for anyone else: you have to find motivation to win. But someday their hegemony must end.
