Russian goalkeeper Artyom Leonov, who has been defending the gates of Minsk for a half season, spoke about his sports path

Artyom Leonov: We need to work and show the result

Russian goalkeeper Artyom Leonov, who has been defending the gates of Minsk for a half season, spoke about his sports path and his impressions from our country and football.

– In Russia, many criticized the level of the championship of Belarus. How do you like the league?

-There are 3-4 teams that could play RPL. The remaining clubs are the level of FNL. As for criticism, then, firstly, at the start of the championship they played in artificial fields, the teams only rolled up. Now 10 rounds have passed, the effectiveness has increased, the teams played out, switched to natural fields. We must not forget about the picture. In Russia, the stadiums are better – after the World Cup and in general, there are no treadmills. It looks much nicer on TV, more cameras. Plus, there are few spectators for obvious reasons, in the excitement it looks like a friendly game. This all affects.

– At the start of the season you missed from the corner from BATE. What happened there?

– My oversight, nothing more. Any direct goal with a corner is a goalkeeper error. How do I feel after that? In principle, normal. It is unpleasant, of course, but this is part of life and work. There is no drama, I analyzed, spat, rubbed it and went on.

-You moved to Belarus in the summer of 2019. The main impression of the country?

– Only pleasant. The mentality practically does not differ, everything is comfortable, near trips, when compared with the FNL and RPL. The maximum is three hours. What are the differences? Maybe people are a little more neat and friendly, when compared with Moscow. For a year I have never encountered conflicts. Cleaner on the streets. I did not hear someone fined, but I didn’t come across crowded garbage tanks or a bunch of lying pieces of paper.

– What are the conditions in Orenburg, where did you start?

– Grandfather took me to the section, he has a master of sports in chess, so he first sent to chess and checkers. I even won the city championship up to 7-8 years. But then I realized: not my story.

There were no special conditions, I was engaged in the Youth Sports School of the Gazovik, now the club is called Orenburg. Had one artificial field at 5-7 ages. Until 12 years, he was engaged there, and then invited to the Konoplev Academy.

By the way, the field is still on the spot, I see when I pass by. He is 15-20 years old, but he was never reassured. It looks very, very black, unlike the field already. Some pieces are torn and sewn again-a 11-meter mark, goalkeeper. Depressing quality. As I understand it, children are still engaged in it.

– Who was most impressive at the Konoplev Academy? The best in the country at that time.

“I think Dima Ryzhov.” The Academy already had a team of the second league, we went to watch 12-13 years old.Yes, Alan Dzagoev also stood out, but Ryzhov (he was in CSKA for three years, almost did not play, now in the championship of Armenia) and Fedorov (he was in CSKA in the second team, the last club – Lada from Togliatti.) There were just people with crazy health. It seemed that they would definitely sparkle in big football.

-In 2012, when you were 17 years old, many learned about you after Spalletti’s words, the Italian was very praised. Surprised?

– Did not pay attention. I was just starting to play in the second league, at the end of the season they called to watch Zenit. It was important for me to stay there or understand why it did not work. And all the laudatory or negative words, not backed up by business, did not bring emotions. There was no star disease, on the contrary, this story had an unpleasant finish. At that stage I did not get where I wanted.

“Then you still said in an interview that“ Malafeev is already over 30, so his best years behind. ” Were there any consequences?

– I was a young inexperienced guy who had never given an interview before in life. These were the first days at Zenit, came, went through a physical examination, a correspondent came to me, I don’t remember now, from which publication. Completed my words completely. I said about the following: “I would like to become the same goalkeeper as Vyacheslav Malafeev, to achieve these heights. And replace it in the future. ” The context was like that.

You see how my surprise was when I come for lunch and see how all the guys read the newspaper, where my face and in large letters is written: I am stronger than Malafeev. Of course, it was unpleasant, I had to make excuses somewhere. He went to the coach of the goalkeepers Biryukov, explained the situation. I did not understand whether he believed me or not. At one of the first training, he approached the glory of Malafeev, also explained everything. He said that he was simply attentive, asked for the text for reconciliation, edited and henceforth did not make such mistakes. Good-naturedly reacted, thought that a young guy, and somewhere they played.

– Why did not eventually sign a contract with Zenit?

– Honestly, I have no idea. As he returned from the third fee, the general director of the academy approached me and said: “How did you contact this agent?” I then collaborated with Sergey Pushkin. These are the only words that I received after watching. Then he called the agent, asked to explain whether they would take me or not. He said: Wait, in the summer you will still go to view them. An incomprehensible situation. I don’t know if football is affairs or agent, but the only way out is to start with yourself.

He returned to the second league, began to play the season, he was just transitional. There was an injury – a dislocation of the elbow joint. The agent began to drive, they say, come on, we must go to Zenit. Restored as soon as possible, went to the first fee, and, in my opinion, in the third training after a powerful blow from close range (if I am not mistaken, Igor Denisov beat)-an expansion of the elbow, the same ligaments. So the collection is over for me. I realized that with Zenit it will not work.

– After that, you changed the agent – you began to work with Alan Aguzarov.Why?

– With Pushkin, the contract was coming to an end, I decided not to renew it. We just split up, so to speak. There were no breaks. At that time, the Konoplev Academy was already falling apart, funding was being reduced, and the application window was 3 months away. Aguzarov approached me and offered to go to Spartak.

He trained with the main team, but at that time Anton Mitryushkin became the European champion with his age. I was directly told that we have our own young talent, sorry. We will pull it to the base. I understood them, this is quite logical, especially since Anton is a couple of years younger than me. As a result, I went to Krasnodar and signed a contract there.

– Journalist Anton Mikhashenok reported that the transfer to Spartak was almost agreed, but the agent allegedly asked the club for 500 thousand euros in commission.

“I don't know anything of the sort. The agent said that Mitryushkin had won the European Championship, and they were betting on him. It sounded logical.

– Are you currently working with Aguzarov?

– No, they worked with him for a couple of years and stopped. Quietly parted ways. There were no serious complaints.

– What do you remember about Galitsky in Krasnodar?

– Simplicity, he came to training, put on large rubber galoshes and in a solid suit came to the field, joked with everyone, said hello. Very friendly and loving person.

– Why did you stay in Krasnodar only for a year?

“I’m the kind of person that I can’t sit and wait for my chance for a long time. When I came, I understood that I would be the third goalkeeper, and I would start playing for the second team, but something went wrong. You know, in Krasnodar there is such a feature – they love their pupils very much there. When they let you down to the second team or to the backup team, then the coaches, let's say, are not very happy with you. They would like only their pupils to play. Such an interesting stage. I realized that many coaches are not particularly happy with me, that it is possible to get to the first number only after a very long time, but I myself wanted to play. Began to look for something else.

– In 2016, you went to the second league of Croatia. How did it happen?

“To be honest, I didn’t know anything about the league at all. They told me: “There is such an option, is it ready”? – Ready. I didn’t have time to start a family, so I can fly anywhere in the world if I’m interested, and this has a benefit in terms of football.

– How do they treat Russians there? If you enter in the search engine why in Croatia …, then the first among the popular queries will be – … do not like Russians.

– I did not encounter open aggression and hostility, but they looked at me, kept me at a distance. There was a certain amount of distrust. I stayed there for six months, eventually became friends with many, but I also felt distance and fear from many. Needless to say, I was very happy there.

Are sports fields everywhere in Croatia that are constantly busy?

– One hundred percent. You go – and every school, kindergarten has playgrounds.More often asphalt, gravel, but children do not matter. I saw how in the backyard the work of the supermarket (30-40 years old) put boxes, took a plowed ball and played football. There is a lot of this.

– As with traffic in the second league?

– Good. The stadiums for 2-4 thousand spectators, I think, were filled by 50-60 percent. There was no such thing that you come to the game, and there are 6 people sitting. The people go to football. They still have small bars around the stadiums, somewhere they sell beer, it is clear that people are spinning around these places.

– There are very hot fans in the Balkans. Did you feel?

– After the game, you go, for example, dinner, and could catch, start shouting obscene words. I learned them in the first week. A rather impulsive people, for a word in a pocket will not climb. If on the field did something wrong, then wait for a swear in your direction. In principle, as in Russia, it does not differ much.

“Ivan Enin, who plays in Bosnia, told how the football player was left a note:“ Once again you play, we will break your car. ” Did you have something like that?

– There is no such. But it happened, it reached conflicts – after an unsuccessful game, the fan could easily cling to the player. People pulled them. If they had not been stopped, they could calmly solve everything in the stadium on their fists. There were such skirmishes a couple of times for all the time.

– Why then returned to Russia?

– One in another country is hard. In Croatia, the guys did not speak English so well, and I knew 10 words from Croatian. There is not enough Russian speech, the opportunity to talk with someone, the same thing is a training, a house. Therefore, when a proposal was received from Mordovia, he immediately decided to return.

– What is the most difficult in FNL?

– Many are frightened by the financial instability of clubs, this is a frequent phenomenon. But the hardest, probably flights. Because of this, there is no as such a weekly training cycle, for somewhere for two days it worked out, about three. Plus, the shifts of time zones are regular. It is clear that Russia is a big country, it is huge, it makes no sense to complain about it, but there is such a factor.

-In SKA-Khabarovsk you stayed only a couple of months. What happened?

– I was invited by the coach of the goalkeepers, with whom he worked at Mordovia. The chief immediately indicated that it would be different to play, you need to wait for a chance. 7-8 rounds passed, they walked stably in the upper part of the table, but suddenly they decided to change the entire coaching headquarters. The new coach brought his players, including the goalkeeper. It was necessary to make room for him, it turned out to be mine. Everything in a matter of days was decided.

– What is the main goal now?

– Get and play RPL. I think everything is real, you need to work and show the result.