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Denis Cheryshev is probably the most unusual Russian football player. Most of his career and life are connected with Spain, he speaks Russian with an interesting accent, and is now fighting for promotion to Serie A with Venice. However, one of the main heroes of the 2018 World Cup continues to associate himself only with Russia and closely follows domestic football. In a conversation with Cheryshev, he spoke about the future, explained why he began to receive fewer injuries with age, gave valuable advice to Arsen Zakharyan, and also admitted that he still hopes to be called up to the national team.
” I plan to stay in “Venice” until the summer.”
— Denis, first I would like to understand what is happening with your playing time in “Venice”. It is unlikely that this situation suits you.
— Of course, every football player wants a lot of playing time, but these are the circumstances now. We have to work hard and continue to give it our all. Now the team looks very decent, the guys who come out from the first minutes play very well, so I understand everything. This is football, I have already had such situations in my career, so I will make every effort to help the team in those periods when they let me play. Let's see what happens next.
— So you don’t have any problems with head coach Paolo Vanoli?
— Everything is fine with us, we talk often, we have a good relationship. It’s just the coach’s vision, but that can change. The main thing is that we have a united team, we are among the leaders in the standings. Now it’s important to bring the matter to the end, and then we’ll see.
— Information about leaving “Venice” in the winter – rumors?
— The club and I will make any decision in the summer. The most important thing now is to concentrate on the team to finish the championship in the highest place possible. My intentions are to stay at Venice until the summer, train, play, help the team. And then we’ll think about it.
— You said that in the summer you will consider options for continuing your career. Is Russia among these options?
— You need to ask the RPL clubs whether they will be interested in me (smiles). Of course, I'll consider everything. At home we will decide how to continue our career. I feel good, I would like to play football for many more years.
— When were you closest to moving to the RPL?
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— This was probably the period before the pandemic. Interest from top RPL clubs. But then I had one more year left on my contract with Valencia, I was comfortable there, I didn’t want to change Spain for the Russian championship.
— Are you satisfied with the level of Serie B? Does it correspond to ambitions?
— To be honest, the championship surprised me, there are a lot of qualified football players here. I was also surprised in terms of physical requirements, because the emphasis is on physical condition, the teams start from “physics”. A lot of fighting, a lot of running, second balls that need to be won. Of course, at first it was a little unusual for me, strange, because I came from Spain, where football is probably diametrically different – technical, with an emphasis on tactics. But I think this is also a good experience in my career, this is my second year here, I’m already used to it. Improved physical condition. I just want to continue in this spirit, to progress. And then we’ll see whether I’ll play or not. The main thing is to help the team as much as I can, to play every match with a clear conscience.
— How comfortable are you in Venice from an everyday point of view?
– Given the difficult geopolitical situation, did you feel special treatment because of your citizenship?
“To be honest, I didn’t feel anything at any point.” Everyone treats me kindly. Of course, some people ask what is going on with us. But I did not feel disadvantaged in any way, I am grateful to everyone for such an attitude.
“Vanoli has warm memories of Spartak”
< strong>— How would you characterize Vanoli the coach?
— Very demanding, knows clearly what he wants from every player. He has high physical training requirements, which even surprised me a little. When I arrived in Italy, I didn’t think that they work here so powerfully and harshly. But this will have a good effect on the body, we have few injuries on the team, which means the coaching staff needs to be given their due. Returning to Paolo, I must say that he is an honest and frank coach, he always talks to the player, says what he likes or doesn’t like. He has good relationships with all the players, now we are sailing in the same boat to achieve the desired results.
— Did he discuss the period of work in Russia with you?
— Yes, we did. Paolo, like the entire coaching staff, has very warm memories of Russia and Spartak. But now there is a new challenge in their career, now they are completely focused on “Venice”.
— You said that the physical training requirements surprised you. How do you cope with such a load?
— When I arrived in Italy last year, I had a break of three months after the contract with Valencia ended. I signed an agreement with Venice; the club had a different coaching staff. Then everything changed, it was hard for me, for two months I had a special program under the guidance of a physical training coach. You could say we spent a little pre-season with him. But now everything is fine, I’m used to such loads and demands, as is the whole team. If you look at the overall performance during the games, Venice probably has the highest results. We need to continue in the same spirit.
“When I was young, I allowed myself too much”
—Every time you are asked about your health, we will also ask. Are you doing without injuries now?
— Thank God, I’m healthy. There have been no injuries this season, I feel good and can handle it. I will try to keep it that way.
—You once said that with age, injuries have become less frequent. Because of what?
– Yes, that is right. I began to listen more to myself, to my body. When I was young, I didn’t work so much in the gym, I didn’t do much work before and after training. But gradually I began to come to the following fact: the more you work in the gym, pumping up your muscles, the better the results. This is the work that I have been doing much better in recent years.
— You say that in your youth you could have underperformed in training. Didn't you allow yourself something extra?
– Of course, there were times when I allowed it. Especially when I played the first years at a high level. But many things probably happened out of ignorance. You can learn more from bruises, sores, blows than from any good thing or any achievement. A person is formed over time, negative circumstances can help him on the other hand. Yes, we all made mistakes, we allowed ourselves too much. But I understood that I wanted to play at a high level, that I couldn’t continue making these mistakes. Therefore, in the end I drew conclusions. You’re already thinking, okay, should I allow myself an extra glass of wine or should I get up and go to training in good condition tomorrow. Each person makes a choice every day in one direction or the other, it is in our hands.
—I just imagined for a second the guys who ended up at Real Madrid at your age. Probably, many would be blown away, star fever would begin.
“To some extent, I had this too, but, thank God, my dad was next to me, who told me how to approach the matter. He clearly saw when I did something wrong in this or that game or something wrong in relation to some people. At this stage it helps more in terms of football, we discuss games. When a young boy is paid a lot of money, he thinks he is a king. But you must understand that no matter how rich you are, no matter where you play, you always need to remain human and behave humbly.
“I don’t pay attention to the label of a “crystal” player.”
—You are labeled as a “crystal” player. Isn't it offensive?
— I try to do my job as well as possible, what depends on me. I try not to pay attention to comments, there are all kinds of them. In recent years I have been feeling much better. Maybe some impression remains due to the fact that there were many injuries at the beginning of my career. But it is what it is. This is a sport, every athlete can have injuries, it was, is and will be. You just need to proceed from your capabilities and do everything that is necessary – nutrition, rest, exercise, training.
— Continuing the topic of comments. I noticed that you practically do not maintain social networks. Why?
“They interfere with a person’s peace of mind.” After training, I relax, spend time with my beloved wife, and I don’t need anything else. Social networks take away from peace, because you constantly need to see something, show something, I try to limit my presence there.
— What has changed in your life after getting married? How does your wife help you during the period when you don’t go out on the field very often?
— It seems to me that I have become better able to cope with situations when I am not playing, the situation around the contract. At work I do everything that depends on me, then I come home and my loved one is there. Yes, there are different situations in football, but you should never give up, everything can change quickly. Because today in football, roughly speaking, you are a nobody, but then you score and you are already a king. We need to calmly move away from all this, do our job, fulfill the demands of the coach.
“In the summer I will consider options with RPL”
— Is it possible to follow Russian football?
— Not really, I would like more. I watch goals, the best moments, and include segments of some games. Of course, I follow the Russian Championship in terms of who the leaders are, but I can’t watch the matches as I would like. Therefore, I can’t say much (smiles). I know that Krasnodar is now in the lead, it’s good for Russian football that there are alternatives. It will be interesting to see who will end up being the champion.
— There is an opinion that because of the sanctions, our football is deteriorating. What do you think?
— It is clear that fewer foreigners want to go to the Russian championship, probably because there are no European cups. On the other hand, this can have a positive impact on the development of young guys who will improve if they have playing time. I think this is a good moment, we need to use it for good. I hope that many Russian guys will be able to play at the highest level in the RPL. Then the national team will be stronger from this.
— How long do you think this sanction period will last?
“I would like this to end quickly, of course.” So that both our clubs and national teams can return to international tournaments.
—Does the Russian national team need to gather now? Because there is an opinion – why do we need games against the same Cubans who come without boots?
– I think that we need to get together, 100%. So that the guys feel what an honor it is to play for their country. The ban is not eternal, sooner or later there will be games, we need to prepare for them.
— Is your hope of getting on the field again in a national team jersey still alive?
— I would like to, but we’ll see. Not everything depends on me, I will make every effort to achieve this. And then, God willing.
—Have you had any communication with Karpin on this matter?
—There is no communication now. I went to the first training camp when Valery Georgievich headed the national team. And then the situation changed, we didn’t communicate. Let's see, anything can happen in the future.
— Karpin’s words that Russian football players need to go to Europe caused a great resonance. How would you assess his position?
— I think that a good football player will progress everywhere. It seems to me that footballers who go to other countries face difficulties and progress. If a player suffers losses, does not play for some time, goes through this and begins to improve, then he grows faster.
— Many people worry about Arsen Zakharyan. Did he ask you for advice?
– No, we didn’t communicate with him. But the situation he finds himself in is normal, because he went to a very good club. Of course, it will be difficult at first, but he has all the physical and technical data to play there. This difficult time should guide him in the right direction. He needs to clench his fists, grit his teeth and move forward. Sooner or later he will get a chance, which I am sure he will use.
About Cherchesov and Dzyuba
— Stanislav Cherchesov is now without a job. Does this surprise you?
— We haven’t communicated with him about this, but we correspond and always congratulate him on holidays and achievements. I have no doubt that he will quickly have offers, I’m sure he already has. Such a coach is always in demand; he has already proven his worth in many championships and in the national team. I am sure that he will soon make an informed decision and lead a good club.
— Do you often remember your journey together at the home world championship?
– It was a fairy tale. I don't even have words. For me it was a dream, but a dream come true. I just sat on the bench during the game with Saudi Arabia, I wanted to go out for a minute so that I could later tell my grandchildren that I played at the World Cup. And in the end, what happened can be called a dream come true for any boy.
— Are you reviewing the best moments of the tournament?
— While I’m still I’m not so nostalgic (smiles).
— More than five years have passed since that World Cup, some players have retired, others are on the way. But Igor Akinfeev and Artem Dzyuba all play at the highest level and carry clubs.
— And they will play for a long time, you’ll see (smiles).
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— Is it possible that your life after finishing your career will be connected with Russian football?
– Oh, this is very far, I didn’t even think about it. We'll wait and see, I'm not ruling anything out. I’ve been in football since I was five, it’s probably my closest thing, so it will be easier to find myself there.
— Looking back, would you change anything in your career?< /strong>
— If I hadn’t made mistakes and didn’t learn from them, it’s unclear how everything would have turned out. Therefore, there is no need to regret anything. Of course, with my current head, I would not do many things or statements. But, thank God, everything is so.
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