Lokomotiv will have a new president - Olga Smorodskaya will be replaced by Ilya Herkus. We explain who he is and what he is going to do.
The new leader " Locomotive"Will be Ilya Herkus, who previously worked in " Zenith" and " League TV". All agreements on this matter have been reached. When asked why this was not officially announced, a source familiar with the situation replied: "And when in structures like Russian Railways issues were resolved promptly?" Most likely, the appointment will be announced on August 10. We talked with people who at different times dealt with Herkus... Based on the information collected, we tell you what kind of person should soon become the main "machinist" " Locomotive».
Where did Herkus work?
Herkus at the end of July it will be 44 years old. He is a financier by education. Graduated from the FINEK University of St. Petersburg with honors. In addition, he studied in the United States, having passed the CPA certificate. For almost four years he worked for the largest audit company Ernst & Young, having traveled all over the CIS. He was engaged in real estate in St. Petersburg, worked in the agricultural holding "Parnas". Since 2008 - at Zenit, where he dealt with issues of strategic development. And until now, Herkus's work book is in the St. Petersburg club.
His achievements include updating the commercial department and writing a blue-white-blue strategy. Gerku since hired Dmitry Mankin, and also found for the club Alexey Pak.
Both are still working in " Zenith»- Commercial Director and Head of the Commercial Rights Service.
On the part of the RFPL, Herkus participated in the creation of “ Strategies 2020", Which was promoted by the ex-president of the RFU Tolsty NS. But participation Herkusa in this project was minimal - in contrast to the creation of the development strategy of Zenit. There he prescribed literally everything: from merchandising to the selection of football players.
Many people know Herkus for his work in “ League TV". He is credited with launching the Our Football channel in HD format. In fact, it was more difficult to create graphics for the TV channel, and more importantly, the appearance of 300 thousand paid subscribers. He achieved this in a year and a half, which is a record figure for Russian pay television. Since last year, Zenit has "delegated" Herkusa to work in the RFPL - to implement the league development strategy developed with the help of Deloitte. It is too early to speak about the results of this work.
Who invited Herkus to Lokomotiv?
V " Locomotive» Herkusa called Oleg Belozerov- the leader who replaced Yakunin as president of Russian Railways. The new head of the railway monopoly was not closely acquainted with Herkus, but, apparently, he was satisfied with the recommendations.
According to our information, Belozerov consulted with Sergey Pryadkin and Alexander Dyukov... Another source said that for the presidency “ Locomotive"Guram also claimed Ajoev- Former sports director of Dynamo (from July 2013 to July 2015).
New President " Locomotive"Will be between two fires. On the one hand, he will report to shareholders from Russian Railways, and on the other, to the structures of Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, which are gradually establishing control over Lokomotiv and should become its new investors. With both sides, Herkus has yet to build relationships.
Herkusa hard to call "someone's person." On the one hand, this is a positive moment - he made himself. On the other hand, the story of leaving Liga-TV showed that he lacked support from above. Have Olga Smorodsko she was - while Russian Railways headed Vladimir Yakunin.
What does Herkus intend to do?
It is obvious that personnel changes in “ Locomotive"Will be. For example, the sports director must leave the team. Kirill Kotov- son-in-law Smorodskoy who is in charge of transfers. Herkus will build his relationship with the agency group, which handles the affairs of many players " Locomotive a". The post of sports director, according to available data, has already been offered to Igor Korneev y, who once worked with Herkus at Zenit.
The team is unlikely to be awaited by personnel revolutions. Now is not the time to experiment. Smorodsku they are fired largely due to missing the European competition zone (6th place in the 2015/16 season). Undoubtedly Herkus understands how important the result is. Attracting sponsors and stabilizing economic activity can be an additional plus, but without winning it will be difficult for him to gain the trust of new employers.
What is characteristic of Herkus?
He is known for being quite uncompromising. In this regard, work in the RFPL helped him adapt to the realities of our football. He has dealt with many people who somehow run the number one game in Russia. After that, few things will surprise him.
They say that Herkus amateur " What? Where? When? ". He tends to gush with ideas 24 hours a day.
The disadvantages of Herkus include the lack of experience in a key position in a football club, and therefore a lack of authority at this level. He has yet to build relationships with many members of the football community. On the other hand, the institute of football management in Russia, in principle, is just emerging, so almost all managers once started from scratch. Herkus already a person in football is not new, so he will even have some head start. What reputation he will earn for himself as a leader of the first rank depends primarily on the results of Lokomotiv.
Lokomotiv will have a new president - Olga Smorodskaya will be replaced by Ilya Herkus. We explain who he is and what he is going to do.
The new head of Lokomotiv will be Ilya Gerkus, who previously worked at Zenit and Liga TV. All agreements on this matter have been reached. When asked why this was not officially announced, a source familiar with the situation replied: "And when in structures like Russian Railways issues were resolved promptly?" Most likely, the appointment will be announced on August 10th. We talked with people who at different times dealt with Herkus. Based on the information we have collected, we are going to tell you what kind of person should soon become the main driver of Lokomotiv.
Where did Herkus work?
Herkus will turn 44 at the end of July. He is a financier by education. Graduated from the FINEK University of St. Petersburg with honors. In addition, he studied in the United States, having passed the CPA certificate. For almost four years he worked for the largest auditing company Ernst & Young, having traveled all over the CIS. He was engaged in real estate in St. Petersburg, worked in the agricultural holding "Parnas". Since 2008 - at Zenit, where he dealt with issues of strategic development. And until now, Herkus's work book is in the St. Petersburg club.
His achievements include updating the commercial department and writing a blue-white-blue strategy. Herkus hired Dmitry Mankin, and also found Alexey Pak for the club. Both still work at Zenit - commercial director and head of the commercial rights department.
What do you remember about Herkus? Recently, Herkus, although considered an employee of Zenit, had more to do with the Premier League. In this structure, he is an adviser to President Pryadkin. It was Herkus who brought MTS as a sponsor of the RFPL (his signature is on the contract). The terms of the agreement have become much better than those that were before in cooperation with Megafon.
On the part of the Premier League, Herkus participated in the creation of the "Strategy 2020", which was promoted by the ex-president of the RFU Tolstoy. But Herkus's participation in this project was minimal - in contrast to the creation of Zenit's development strategy. There he prescribed literally everything: from merchandising to the selection of football players.
Many people know Herkus for his work in League TV. He is credited with launching the Our Football channel in HD format. In fact, it was more difficult to create graphics for the TV channel, and more importantly, the appearance of three hundred thousand paid subscribers. He achieved this in a year and a half, which is a record figure for Russian pay television. Since last year, Zenit has "delegated" Herkus to work in the RFPL - to implement the league's development strategy developed with the help of Deloitte. It is too early to speak about the results of this work.
Who invited Herkus to Lokomotiv? Oleg Belozerov, the leader who replaced Yakunin as president of Russian Railways, invited Herkus to Lokomotiv. The new head of the railway monopoly was not closely acquainted with Herkus, but, apparently, he was satisfied with the recommendations. According to our information, Belozerov consulted with Sergei Pryadkin and Alexander Dyukov. Another source said that Guram Ajoev, the former sports director of Dynamo (from July 2013 to July 2015), also claimed the presidency of Lokomotiv.
The new president of Lokomotiv will be caught between two fires. On the one hand, he will report to shareholders from Russian Railways, and on the other, to the structures of Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, which are gradually establishing control over Lokomotiv and should become its new investors. Herkus has yet to build relations with both sides.
Herkus is hard to call "someone's person." On the one hand, this is a positive moment - he made himself. On the other hand, the story of leaving Liga-TV showed that he lacked support from above. Olga Smorodskaya had it - while Russian Railways was headed by Vladimir Yakunin.
What does Herkus intend to do?
Obviously, there will be personnel changes at Lokomotiv. For example, sports director Kirill Kotov, Smorodskaya's son-in-law, who is responsible for transfers, should leave the team. Herkus will build its relationship with the agency group, which handles the affairs of many Lokomotiv players. The post of sports director, according to available data, has already been offered to Igor Korneev, who once worked with Herkus at Zenit.
The team is unlikely to be awaited by personnel revolutions. Now is not the time to experiment. Smorodskaya was dismissed largely due to her missing the European competition zone (6th place in the 2015/16 season). Undoubtedly, Herkus understands how important the result is. Attracting sponsors and stabilizing economic activity can be an additional plus, but without winning it will be difficult for him to gain the trust of new employers.
What is characteristic of Herkus?
He is known for being quite uncompromising. In this regard, work in the RFPL helped him adapt to the realities of our football. He has dealt with many people who, in one way or another, run the number one game in Russia. After that, few things will surprise him.
They say that Herkus is an amateur “What? Where? When?" He tends to gush with ideas 24 hours a day. The disadvantages of Herkus include the lack of experience in a key position in a football club, and therefore a lack of authority at this level. He has yet to build relationships with many members of the football community. On the other hand, the institute of football management in Russia, in principle, is just emerging, so almost all leaders once started from scratch. Herkus is no longer a new person in football, so he will even have some head start. What reputation he will earn for himself as a leader of the first rank depends, first of all, on the results of Lokomotiv.
The new head of FC was Ilya Herkus... Decision to change leadership football club was adopted by the main shareholder of JSC Russian Railways. Lokomotiv and Olga Smorodskaya parted by mutual agreement.
Ilya Herkus. Photo: Lokomotiv Info
What is known about Ilya Herkus?
Ilya Herkus is 44 years old.
Graduated from St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance with a degree in financial management.
Positions held:
2001 Audit Department of Ernst & Young.
2004 headed the financial department at Parnas-APK, 2008-2011. FC Zenit. Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance, Since 2011 - Deputy General Director of FC Zenit for Strategic Development.
Since 2012 - General Director of LIGA TV LLC.
Lokomotiv is a Russian professional football club from Moscow, founded on July 23, 1922. Two-time champion Russia (2002, 2004), two-time USSR Cup winner (1936, 1957), six-time Russian Cup winner (1995/1996, 1996/1997, 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2006/2007, 2014/2015), two-time Super Cup winner Russia (2003, 2005). The main home arena of the club is the Lokomotiv stadium in Cherkizovo, which seats 28,800 spectators. It takes 67th place in the UEFA rating, the main sponsor is Russian Railways, the budget is $ 125 million.
Olga Yurievna Smorodskaya (née Antipova; November 7, 1956, Gomel) graduated with honors from Plekhanov University with a degree in Economic Cybernetics, qualifying as an economist and mathematician. She worked at NIIPiN under the USSR State Planning Committee. In 1991 she took part in the August events on the side of Boris Yeltsin. Then she worked in different structures in different positions. In particular, she held positions in the Department of Construction and the Department of International Relations of the Moscow Government, CJSC Interros ONEXIM-Bank, Vneshtorgbank, Rosbank and other companies. From July 2010 to August 2016 she was the president of the Moscow football club Lokomotiv.
Kirill Blagov spoke with Ilya Gerkus, CEO of Liga-TV, a company that, starting this season, turns Russian football into a television show and sells it.
You worked as a financial director of Zenit, then as a development director. Why did you decide to contact Liga-TV?
- When I was engaged in strategic development, my main task was to shape the path in which the club should move. Leaving aside non-market situations and opportunities, each club has four areas in which it can make money - matchday income, sponsorship, merchandising and sale of broadcast rights. Our rights are sold centrally through the league, and this area is one of the most problematic for Zenit, and from different sides. Firstly, due to the very low level of income. It's no secret that this money is incommensurate with the needs of the club. Secondly, the image of the competition, in which Zenit takes part, is not developing, and this indirectly affects other sources of income. That is, the club within itself can do everything well, but the competition itself will not remain best quality and we will continue to be judged primarily as part of this competition.
At least three other clubs - Anji, CSKA and Spartak - experienced the same feelings. At some point, consultations began between the presidents of these clubs about the time to change the situation. I and colleagues from other clubs were involved in consultations - all this smoothly transformed into a working group. We sketched out several documents, one of which was our vision of the RFPL development strategy - in particular, it contained a proposal on how to implement media rights at a long distance. Gradually, everything transformed from a working group into a working body that was engaged in negotiations, and a little later - into Liga-TV.
If you were not satisfied with the level of income, did you consider the possibility of leaving the club from the general pool - to start selling rights on your own?
- Of course, at the consultations this issue was raised from time to time. But this approach makes no sense. Firstly, everyone understands a certain responsibility for other clubs. Affairs in Russian football are not going very well - we have several clubs dying on a regular basis, and this is the situation in which we live.
"Self-sale of TV broadcasting rights for Russian clubs is suicide"
Is it not more useful for the league if only the strongest clubs remain in it, which are striving to earn money? Why is this responsibility for those who do not set such tasks for themselves?
- A well-rounded, well-functioning league hierarchy is a sign of a healthy football community. This is the foundation on which all the leagues of the world live. And even in an unprivileged position, you should feel comfortable. If we do not think about those whose position is less stable, then we will simply finish off the Premier League. In principle, this is very easy to do, but how can you restore everything later? Therefore, we are extremely interested that the same “Amkar” has normal, reliable funding, so that there are no problems with the stadium, and the fans buy merchandise.
Selling rights yourself would make you earn more?
- In a short period of time - yes. But in the long term, this is suicide. In order for the system to live, it is necessary to develop it as a whole, and not individual organs.
Is it objective to demand for Russian football more than 120 million over the three years that NTV-Plus paid?
- The fact is that we do not have one buyer who would determine the price of a product. Our end customer is people. How much people are willing to pay for football, no one knows. No one has conducted the relevant research, and we can only operate on the data of our European colleagues. So there, in terms of a given fan, they pay many times more.
Maybe because we have nothing to pay for in comparison with European leagues?
- How good was the English championship in the early 90s when Sky bought it for the first time? English teams were banned from European competitions, stadium occupancy is less than 50%, injured and killed after each round - what other problems are needed? However, Rupert Murdoch came in and said he saw a different side to all of this, and laid out for the potential £ 50 million. It was a lot of money at the time, but he took a risk. We simply do not have such people and corporations who could discern the potential in Russian football and risk investing in it.
NTV-Plus has made a product that is recognizable and understandable. We start with this product, and it will change for the better. "
That is, would you take a risk if you had a sufficient amount?
- This is how I invest everything that I have - everything that I own. free time and even more. I am 100% confident that we are able to create a league that can rank among the top three in Europe. We have a large country, which means a large market. We have a huge market for Adidas sports products - now Russia is among the top three. It would seem that there is a stereotype that the Russian consumer buys clothes in the clothing markets and does not need branded products. However, Adidas believed in the potential of the market and made a difference. They invested hundreds of millions and got a huge market. I don't see how sporting goods are fundamentally different from watching football.
What is the main task that League-TV should solve?
- Implementation of media rights. Media rights in our country do not exist in the form of a formed product, and we start from the same basis as when all the rights were transferred to NTV-Plus, and the TV company began to independently develop the product, in fact, performing the functions of a prime minister. league. There are various reviews about the work of "NTV-Plus" - I personally believe that they have done a great job. The Premier League gave them a semi-finished product, and NTV-Plus made some kind of product, recognizable and understandable. It is clear that there were complaints about quality, but such is the reality - if any Russian product is compared with the best Western models, the advantage will not be on our side. One way or another, now we are starting with this product, and now it will change for the better. There are clear steps to improve the quality of broadcasts, to fill the broadcast network. It is necessary to invest in each of these areas - ideologically, organizationally and financially.
Who is going to change the product for the better?
- The main production facilities remain with NTV-Plus, for the time being more or less in the same form as before. This does not mean that we ourselves will not dive. They just have some competence, experienced people, and well-established production. But we are starting to work together. We will conduct external expertise, bring in new people, arrange trainings, and provide an opportunity to improve technologically.
Now we are trying to improve the quality of broadcasts. For this, a certain minimum standard of broadcast quality has been developed - from the 1st round, in most cases, we have fulfilled this standard and tried not to deviate for the worse. We used a set of equipment that had not been supplied to the regions before - the latest generation OB van, a set of cameras, and two cars that allow you to replay from eight cameras. Nevertheless, somewhere the quality of broadcasts remained at the level of last season, and now we are working to eliminate all the shortcomings. Two or three more rounds, and we will reach the level that we have designated for ourselves. But the work will not end there. We will continue to buy and rent equipment, train people. I think by the end of the year we will have broadcasts of the level of the leading European leagues.
“We pay between $ 20 million and $ 30 million over three years to produce a picture.”
It is also important to understand that there is a so-called stadium part that even a brilliant cameraman with the most advanced camera cannot influence. The operator takes pictures of what objectively exists, and if the stadium does not have one of the stands, then it will not be in the picture either. We, of course, will formulate a list of problems that exist at various stadiums. But this will require work on the part of the clubs. First of all, this will concern the light, because if we play at night, the picture will be bad for us - simply because there is little light and it is cheap. You need to invest here. The second point is the quality of the fields. Yes, it will also cost money, but if the clubs earn more on the rights, why not reinvest part of this income.
How much is spent on the production of a picture now?
- I would not like to give an exact figure, somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars over three years. If something needs to be improved, we will invest additionally.
After the first rounds, there were many complaints about the quality of the broadcasts. For example, a match in Perm - part of the stadium's structure was constantly included in the frame, the cameras had problems with focus, and so on.
- This is an example of a bad broadcast, but right there we had a beautiful picture from Mordovia, from Nizhny Novgorod. Yes, there were problems in Perm, but they are removable. It's just that there were a lot of local guys working at the match, who simply did not have time to adapt to the new technique. You need to meet with them for a few days, hold a seminar, tell how each camera should act at a particular moment. It is impossible to move to a new level with a snap of your fingers. Yes, it so happened that we did not have time to prepare, but we will overcome all the problems. Give me and the guys three more tours - we will tighten everything up, and we will not be ashamed of the quality of regional broadcasts.
“Give three more rounds - we will tighten everything up, and we will not be ashamed of the quality of regional broadcasts. By the end of the year we will have broadcasts of the level of the leading European leagues "
Many are still outraged by the start of matches at 13.30.
- In my opinion, this is a contrived problem. We live in a certain reality. And I consider it a serious achievement that the federal channel provided its airtime for broadcasting matches of the Russian championship. Many thanks to NTV for the fact that they decided to participate in this deal at all.
Excuse me, but wasn't VGTRK ready to show more on its channels?
- I'm not ready, in their proposal, which was on our table, it was about five matches a season at Russia-1. The rest went to Russia-2, which has a lower coverage than the federal NTV. Although this is a debatable issue, of course, the leaders of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) are convinced of the opposite. But we operate with neutral sources.
Returning to the timing of the matches. The federal "NTV" has two time slots, which we talked about: from 13.30 to 16.00 and from 16.30 to 19.00. These are the intervals between the end of one newscast and the beginning of another. But in the second case, there is a certain danger - as a rule, the news release at 16.00 goes over and ends not by 16.30, but later. If we started, say, at 17.00, then there would be a high probability that we would have already sorted it out - and climbed up to the news at 19.00. This cannot be done, because news broadcasts for NTV are sacred cows, we would have to cut the match.
Yes, in the summer it is not always convenient to play at the chosen time, there are force majeure situations with temperature. But if we speak not in the accusation mode, but reasonably, then in the second round the temperature was above 30 degrees in only one match, in the rest it was lower. Yes, playing at temperatures slightly below 30 degrees, maybe not very comfortable, but, in my opinion, not fatal. Everyone immediately began to say that in other leagues they are postponing matches until the evening, but let's see the schedule of other leagues right now - Spain, Italy, where it is really hot. On April 17, at 4 pm, a match in Seville - because there is hell at this time, 40 degrees. Last year Barcelona played at 42 degrees, Real Madrid at 41. In England, matches start at 12.45 and 13.30. So I would like to ask people to somehow calmly relate to this.
“The start of the matches at 13.00 is a far-fetched problem. People need to be more calm about this "
Do you have any strategy for additional products that would accompany the broadcast of matches?
- We talked with our colleagues from NTV-Plus that the broadcast from the match should be more than just a broadcast. You need to start at least half an hour in advance, and end not with the final whistle, but devote time to analyzing the game, some minimal analytics. That is, to strive to make a show around each match - we had such a conversation, we have such a concept in our heads. NTV-Plus was not ready to do this from the first round, but we will return to this issue later. I think serious changes will take place between the summer-autumn-winter and spring parts of the championship. We will try to come up with a new brand, a new visualization and a new presentation of the show. We understand all the weaknesses of the current football pitch. We could concentrate entirely on the product if we had time and a large budget, but now we need to prove our worth in front of the clubs and start active sales, this cannot be postponed.
How will you supervise this work?
- "NTV-Plus" remains the main production site, we cannot ignore their vast experience - therefore we will work together. There are also Western companies that are ready to help us, exchange experience - of course, not for free. This is IMG, which produces the English Premier League channel, which is sold abroad, and Infront, with their rich experience in organizing world championships, and many others. We are counting on close interaction, and not on seminars for the sake of seminars, when everyone listened and dispersed. We want our viewers to see progress all the time. I think these companies will soon start working with us and NTV-Plus.
“We are not continuing negotiations with VGTRK. Colleagues from the RFPL voiced what they are continuing. The situation here is politically sensitive "
You said that you plan to make $ 300 million in three years. How?
- We are talking about the sale of broadcasts on all platforms, and about the implementation of commercial rights. We have a title sponsor format and regular championship sponsors. Sogaz remains the title sponsor, other sponsors have not yet been signed - the terms of the agreements with the previous partners have expired with the television contract. All together this should give a figure of 300 million, we are working on this now. There are already preliminary agreements, I think, in a couple of weeks, the new sponsors of the league will be named.
Are negotiations with VGTRK continuing now?
- The situation here is politically sensitive. We - no, we do not continue. Colleagues from the RFPL voiced what they are continuing. Personally, I am a categorical opponent of giving the second match to anyone else, because it just kills the product. It turns out that 25% of the product will be available for free. The more hidden, the more interesting.
Don't you get paid for this?
- So far, VGTRK is not ready to give the money we are counting on.
“We named the amount of 600 thousand dollars for one match of category D - VGTRK considered that this was biased. Time will judge us "
As far as I know, you were counting on $ 600,000 for the second choice.
- Yes, we are talking about this money. Not really about the second choice. We have divided all the matches into categories. Category A - 6 matches between CSKA Moscow, Sparatk and Zenit. Category B - matches between CSKA Moscow, Spartak and Zenit on the one hand and Dynamo, Lokomotiv, Anzhi and Rubin on the other. Category C is the matches between Dynamo, Lokomotiv, Anji and Rubin. Category D - matches of the first three with the remaining teams, the second nine. Matches in this category were offered by the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company - there are more than 30 matches, there is a choice, and on the one hand, there is always a top team. We have named the amount at which we estimate ourselves. All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) considered that we assess ourselves biasedly. We replied that time will judge us, and then we parted.
And what can NTV choose from?
- The "NTV" package is formed in such a way that it includes half of the matches of each category. It turns out that all matches of category A on the federal channel will not be seen, half will only be on our paid channel. That is, we make the quality of the paid channel heavier, there will be a premium product that cannot be seen anywhere else. Therefore, we are not ready to give one more match for little money, and VGTRK offered just little money. I would even say scanty. They say that our product needs further development, and they see this development in the continuation of the free show. Yes, VGTRK has an understanding that eventually the transition to a paid basis should be made, but they believe that this should be done in three years. And what's the point of waiting another three years?
Didn't the VGTRK offer for the entire set of rights also suit you?
- It could be called competitive, but it was about a different model. "Plus" counted on one match on the federal channel, showing the rest of the games on its paid platform and Internet rights. VGTRK wanted all media rights, that is, this is a closed scheme. In the case of the NTV-Plus paid channel, we have the opportunity to attract hundreds of thousands of new subscribers and in the future work in proportion to them and earn additional money. In the case of VGTRK, we would receive conditionally 40 million a year and not a penny more. We would just sit there for three years and wait.
- Ilya Leonidovich, recently we celebrated the Day of the Railwayman, within the framework of which a charitable race "Achieving the goal" was held in Moscow in Victory Park. You also took part in it. Wasn't it hard for you?
- I try to run regularly, so I covered the distance without any problems. The holiday was wonderful: the organization was excellent. It's nice that all the clubs related to Russian Railways were represented in Pobedy Park. This is us, and the volleyball Lokomotiv, and the basketball Lokomotiv-Kuban, and the hockey Lokomotiv from Yaroslavl. The festive program turned out to be extensive and very interesting. And most importantly - sports.
- On the eve of the holiday, it was announced that the Lokomotiv stadium will be renamed into the Russian Railways Arena. What is the reason for this step?
- Yes, the renaming of the stadium was timed to coincide with our professional holiday. For modern sports, this is a common practice: the name of the sponsor, and in our case the owner, becomes the name of the stadium.
- The former Small Arena is now called in a new way. Now it is Sapsan Arena. Why is that?
- Because it sounds (smiles). We chose from several options. Let me tell you a secret: both "Swallow" and "Swift" were discussed, but . We wanted to present another modern railway brand, which at the same time already has both history and recognition. Our youth team and Kazanka train and play in this arena.
- How did the fans react to the renaming of the stadium?
- The overwhelming majority of fans were in favor. We speak quite frankly with the press and fans about the club's economy and sponsors. And we get understanding.
- There was not only a new name for the arena, but the stadium itself has seriously changed. Installed four huge monitors, new chairs in the colors of the club. What is the reason for such a major update?
- Already 15 years have passed since the construction of the stadium. Sooner or later, repair work must be carried out. We need to meet modern requirements. I would like to be in no way inferior to the modern arenas of the capital, like those of Spartak and CSKA, and to make our stadium attractive, bright, fresh, pleasant for the audience. And at the same time maintain individuality. In my opinion, we succeeded.
There is a lot of positive feedback. Our task is for people who came to us once, with friends or relatives, to get the most pleasant and positive impressions and want to come back here.
We do our best to attract viewers. It is enough to see how in recent times the pre-match program at the stadium has changed. Music sounds here, action takes place on stage, contests are held, spectators try treats, etc. The spectator comes to the stands in a good mood, it is the turn of the players to improve this mood.
We want to show that football is a great family vacation. I would like the latter to be chosen between a trip to the famous metropolitan park and football, because it is more fun and interesting. And we are especially happy when we see railway workers with their families at the stadium. At the same time, we try to make sure that fans come to the stadium not only on match days. As they say, you need to meet more often.
On August 20, on the territory of the stadium for everyone, a grandiose celebration will take place, which we have given the name "Loko-Land". And it will be much more interesting than a day off in the famous metropolitan parks. Exclusive program! We will arrange a yoga festival right on the football field. We will ride the children on a camel around the stadium. In addition to a variety of entertainment, guests will be able to chat with the stars of Lokomotiv - and this is a more daring plan than an autograph session and joint photos.
- The fans traditionally gather at the South Stand of the stadium. Do you often meet with them?
- The staff of the club have regular communication with the fans. We try to communicate live. One of these meetings took place quite recently, with the participation of representatives of the online community of Lokomotiv fans. We answered the accumulated questions and ourselves were interested in the opinion of people. It is very important for the club to take into account the needs of its audience and various focus groups.
- Surely at such meetings the question arises as to whether Lokomotiv will acquire new players this season.
- This is true. Any fan is interested to know if we will have newcomers. This question is more serious than it sometimes seems. To begin with, we, like all subsidiaries of Russian Railways, work within the budget set for the year. And, accordingly, our policy is built on the basis of this budget and the strategy set by our leaders. The company's management has repeatedly said that in the development of Lokomotiv it is necessary to focus on training its young players. And we are pursuing a certain course, conditionally calling it "import substitution".
Our strategic goal is to educate young footballers and train personnel for the national team. So for this season, the task has been set to play young players. The coaching staff readily accepted these goals and objectives, and it is being fulfilled.
As for the reinforcement by already experienced foreign players, we in no way abandon this area. But we are working within the budget. Finding football players who suit us and at the same time agree to modest financial conditions by European standards is, one might say, a jewelery task. The transfer market in Europe is financially overheated. We do not have such funds as the leading European clubs. Our task is to find players with good potential, but at the same time able to help us right now. And we solve this problem at the speed that seems right to us.
- With the current roster, Lokomotiv is playing confidently, isn't it?
- Yes, the team is all right now, it is in the group of leaders. By the way, the excitement about transfers and urgent reinforcement, as far as I remember, began even before the start of the championship. We try to calmly carry out our tasks. The team had a great start, everything is under control.
Yes, work on possible reinforcement is underway, and we will finish it before the end of the transfer window. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a number of young players have already been signed, including Aleksey Miranchuk, who already showed himself well last season. Such footballers as Solomon Kverkvelia and Maciej Rybus were acquired.
Transfers are painstaking work. The overwhelming majority of Russian clubs operate on the market in the same way. Who else from the Russian clubs, besides Zenit, is pursuing an aggressive transfer policy? In fact, no one has such opportunities.
- Lokomotiv will fight on three fronts this season - in the championship and the Cup of Russia, as well as in the Europa League.
- Three tournaments sounds menacing, but don't panic about this. We will start in the Europa League in September, and in the Russian Cup in October. Now we are not torn, we play in the same tournament and show solid results.
- Maybe you will aim for the "gold"?
- There are such moods among the fans, and it's great, because their faith in the future of the club is growing, they have a dream. But if one of the fans thinks that we are the first contenders for the championship, then this is rash. We are hardly ready now to really set such a task.
The goal, as I said, is to play with young people and take a place not lower than fifth. I understand that the fans want us to impose a struggle for the leadership on Zenit. But let's look objectively - we are more modest in resources, and at the moment there are no conditions to challenge. But this is today.
We strategize in such a way that the team can claim the title after a while and achieve this with the help of their cool players. We cannot buy ready-made stars. We will rely on our strengths, to really look at things.
- If, with the current funding, Lokomotiv jumps over its head and takes second place, then reinforcement will still be needed for the Champions League. Where then to get the funds?
- The second place is already additional funding from the Champions League. A serious financial maneuver appears, thanks to which one can strengthen and remain in this two leaders. It's just difficult to get there. For us, of course, getting into the top two or three will be a wonderful result. Such a task can be set in the next season.
Now it is important for us to take the place that gives us the right to play in the Europa League, renew the roster, build the foundation of the new team, from which it will be possible to start to solve more serious problems.
- By the way, what impression does Zenit's game leave, will someone be able to impose a serious struggle for the championship on the residents of St. Petersburg?
- It's too early to say that Zenit is already a champion. But it is he who is the main contender for the title. The game that we see in the performance of this team, which has two almost equal rosters, shows that it will be very difficult to compete with Zenit.
- With the invitation to the post of head coach Roberto Mancini, did the St. Petersburg leadership guess, or did they just buy players for the team who, in fact, don't even need a coach?
- This is how Mancini coached high-class players at Manchester City who, to put it bluntly, have nothing to teach. Mancini is a good motivator and a very reputable coach. In addition, he has extensive experience in Italy and England.
- Let's go back to Kazanka. The club decided to revive after a break of several years the second team, which plays in the second division. What is the reason for this?
- Looking over the expanses of the Premier League, we see a large number of former Lokomotiv pupils playing at the top level in other teams. It is frustrating that they failed to save them for the club. To prevent this from happening in the future, systemic efforts have been made to complete the educational pyramid with the creation of the Kazanka team, which now plays in the second division and is called upon to be the “graduation class” for our youth.
The guys got the opportunity to gain experience in performing at a professional level. Speaking in the championship of youth teams, they did not have such an opportunity. Now Kazanka is called upon to fill this gap. We hope to create a coherent system of three teams. Football players under 19 years old will play in the youth championship. The most outstanding and promising will go to Kazanka, from where, having constant playing practice, they will be able to make their way to the main team of Lokomotiv.
- Is the role of the club academy increasing in this system?
- Undoubtedly. We are working hard to make it the best in Russia. We invite the best specialists with extensive experience, we develop the structure.
- It is known that on September 1, after a three-year break, the Lokomotiv secondary school reopens.
- We are looking forward to this event. The resumption of the work of the school will help streamline the training process. It's no secret that it is difficult for young footballers to combine study with training - this is both a load, and a road, and lessons. Our conditions are unique in this regard: the school building is located on the territory of the stadium, in the immediate vicinity of the academy, boarding school and football fields. Walk a minute or two, no more.
The school building was renovated. All licensing procedures have been completed, the teaching staff has been formed. The Academy and its students are a priority for us. At the same time, the guys must understand that basic knowledge is no less important than football education.
- Are there any plans to attract foreign coaches to work in the academy?
- We trust the specialists who work for us. Both the Kazanka coach Denis Klyuev and the youth team coach Alexander Katasonov are wonderful specialists. They have great potential!
At the same time, the club's sports director, Eric Stoffelshaus, has experience working with young footballers at Schalke, Germany, one of the best academies in Germany. Many of its pupils are now stars precisely because at Schalke they deliberately relied on young players who were taken to the main squad. And we are planning to follow this path.
Now we are focusing on the academy, on building a balance between the main team and Kazanka, the youth team and the academy. All this is a priority for us now. We are very pleased with the progress of our players - Dmitry Barinov, Mikhail Lysov, Artem Galadzhan, who have shown that they can compete with the players of the main squad. We hope this remarkable trend continues.
