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ROMANTSEV: NO GOOD TO FORCE YOURSELF TO WORK
One of the most eminent Russian coaches Oleg
Romantsev gave a substantial interview to Sport Express.
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Oleg Romantsev Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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He is not a big fan of guests that is why it was very surprising
to receive an invitation to visit Romantsev's flat. Oleg Ivanovic is soft
and communicable, pours coffee. Looking over the room one could see a
fireplace, old books, pictures and a full ashtray of the butts.
- You smoke a lot.
- Not more than I used to. In the Soviet Union they gave us 60 dollars
for three weeks abroad and I was bringing Yava with me. If somebody in
Europe stood me a cigarette - I was thinking about for a week that I was
smoking a Marlboro.
- There were rumors spread last week that you were suggested as head coach
of the Polish national team.
- Probably somebody rang me up. I learnt about Poland from you. It is
not easy to fins me. Nobody knows my home telephone number and I answer
the mobile phone only when the incoming number is known to me.
- Will you work as head coach again?
- Hardly - in the nearest time. It is no use deceiving people. At present
I have almost the same mood as when I was leaving Spartak. No enthusiasm.
I visit Spartak's training with pleasure but sometimes think that I am
not ready to be fully responsible for the team. Trainings twice a day,
guidance, expectations, game, sitting on the bench:
- Do you visit Tarasovka about twice a week?
- Something of the kind. Sometimes I arrive for luck - someone has noticed:
if I am present at the training than Spartak wins the next day's match.
It is an important factor for me.
- What superstitious beliefs do you have?
- I will need them in the future so I am not going to reveal them. I can
tell you an anecdote about my first play for Avtomobilist when I was 16.
Vadim Osadchiy got ill, he was a wonderful player. He played 11 number.
And the team took me to Prokopievsk. I could not think that I will get
to the starting eleven. Before the match I went to the cinema with Tarkhanov
and I got the ticket for 11th seat of 11th row. Then I appear on the field
in the 11th jersey of Osadchiy and score a goal on the 11th minute of
the match. How can possibly I stop thinking that 11 is my lucky number.
- What is you impression of Leonid Fedun? You have a specific experience
in communicating with the tycoons.
- My opinion about Fedun has changed now. Previously there used to be
strangers in the club. And now they seem to take people that Spartak really
needs. They sign players that are really necessary for the coach. I think
Fedun either got interested in football or became more experienced.
- Who do you mean by strangers?
- Some coaches. They did not try to work well. They took on players that
did not suit the Spartak model at all.
- At the end of the last season Valeriy Karpin said that only Pletikosa
of that squad could suit the Romantsev Spartak. Who can you add?
- Today Valeriy would have said different things I am sure. Our Spartak
- I will always call it our - became recognizable.
- So who of the current roster could have played in the 1990s?
- Alex and Welliton. I could not say that they would for sure play but
at least could be competitive. These players are very good.
- At what point did you understand that you could easily do without football?
- I had no such revelation. At some point I realized that I did not want
to go to work. Just did not want. And if you force yourself to work it
will not bring anything good. There won't be creativity.
Sport
Express Daily, 06 Nov 2009
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