State Duma Deputy Anton Belyakov: “The conflict with Arshavin distracts from the real problems in our football. Arshavin: If we did not live up to your expectations, this is not our problem! What did Arshavin say after the Euro?

Russian national team players explained why they lost

The Russian national football team, having crashed out of the Euro 2012 championship, returned home quietly and without fanfare. Fans did not, as usual, meet athletes at the airport. And no wonder: our team’s game with Greece turned out to be a severe disappointment for all domestic football fans.

While experts and ordinary fans are analyzing the results of the match with Greece and the results of Euro 2012 in general, the Russian national team players did not even try to name the reasons for their unsuccessful performance. Captain of the Russian national team Andrey Arshavin and completely turned his attention to the fans. In the first hours after the failure, the footballer did not comment at all on the result of the match with Greece: “I have nothing to say yet,” Arshavin quotes him as saying. official site. However, then he still deigned to comment on the team’s loss - in his characteristic manner.

The fact that we did not meet your expectations is not our problem. These are your problems,” said the football star. “We lost because we didn’t score, but the Greeks scored.” These conversations will still not change the result.

The goalkeeper of the Russian national team spoke less aggressively Vyacheslav Malafeev. In his opinion, the team lacked drive and desire.

We are very angry because we didn’t get the result we wanted,” said Malafeev. “I was sure that we could get out of the group. I didn't expect such a defeat, and now I'm very disappointed. I didn't see enough emotion on the field. Unfortunately, there was no passion in our game, we just played football.

Russian national team midfielder Roman Shirokov did not dwell on his team’s defeat and simply said: “Sorry.” And to the question - what did he say to the team? Dick Lawyer after the game - answered:

What can he say? "Thank you and goodbye". Do I want him to remain the coach of the Russian national team? It seems to me that the decision has already been made. And what I personally would like doesn’t matter,” Shirokov noted.

The only team player who decided to talk to reporters and spoke more or less clearly about his failure was Alan Dzagoev:

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the fans of the Russian national team who supported us in Poland and cheered on the TV screens,” said Dzagoev. We tried to show everything we were capable of, and we are incredibly upset that we couldn’t do it. In the match against Greece, we were the first to concede and the opponent dug in on the defensive. We tried to score, but unfortunately we couldn't. I repeat, it’s incredibly disappointing, because the whole country expected us to leave the group, and we understood this.

Your opinion about the loss Russian team unexpectedly expressed... and the Orthodox Church. Famous archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin believes that the departure of our team from the European Football Championship is a reason to make peace with the Polish people.

Andrei Arshavin, in an interview with the St. Petersburg TV channel "100 TV", explained what happened in his ill-fated conflict with State Duma deputy Anton Belyaev, and also apologized to the fans not only for the team's performance, but also for the fact that the players did not thank the fans after the match with Greece.

“First of all, I would like, a few days after we were eliminated from the tournament, to address the Russian fans and tell them a huge thank you for the support they gave us at the championship, and not only at the stadium, but also in the city, in Warsaw Near the hotel, on the streets and everywhere where the players met them. Of course, many people want to hear excuses from my side, from the players’ side. I would like to say that we wanted to win this championship for at least four years. ago, in 2008. Yes, the result we showed upset us and, of course, the fans, and I, on my own behalf and, as a captain, on behalf of the players, would like to apologize for the result we got. showed in Poland. I just want to say that this is football, and one way or another, someone has to lose. This time we were the losers, and, of course, I and all the other players are very sorry about this, so naturally. "We're not in the best frame of mind right now."

Arshavin also commented on his conflict with State Duma deputy Anton Belyakov, it was in a conversation with whom the sacramental was said: “Your expectations are your problems: “I want to say that in that video my words were addressed to a specific person in a specific situation. It had nothing to do with the large number of people, fans, fans all over the country. The national team players have never complained about the support of our fans; our fans do everything. Everything possible that is possible. They shout and support. We cannot make any claims to our fans."

Arshavin expressed regret that after the unsuccessful match with the Greeks the team did not come up and thank the fans of the Russian national team who filled the stands: “Naturally, we should have applauded our fans, of course, this is wrong and we have a lot to learn from the players of other national teams not only on the field, but also how to behave outside the match, outside the stadium. But everyone makes mistakes, and I think that the fans still need to understand that we wanted to win just as much as they did in the stands. and that responsibility and understanding that we didn’t do what we all wanted - that’s the only way I can explain it.”

Andrei did not determine the reasons for the defeat - however, what is the point of looking for reasons now, the matter has, unfortunately, already been done: “We didn’t talk much, neither in the locker room, nor on the bus. Because everyone had an understanding of what happened, everyone was worried Almost no one slept. The entire staff was packing their things, because, naturally, no one had done this before the game. Hard time. We had a good team during the Euro, in principle, why should it break up because of a yes, disappointing defeat? We have been together for many years, we have been through a lot, there have been even worse situations, so it is natural that there was little conversation. Everyone was waiting to return home. “Of course, there will be an update, there will be young players. Already at this Euro, Alan Dzagoev shone. I think that several more guys who were in the squad but did not play are capable of replacing those who left, or who will leave. Therefore, I think that Our team will be fine."

I think that Andrei Arshavin’s now catchphrase has spread all over the Internet - “the fact that we lost is not our problem. It's your problems".
But few people know that Arshavin said these words, addressed to all fans it seems, to me.
Here is the original video:

I, like thousands of Russian fans, came to support my favorite team. There is no point in talking about the disappointment from the game, but I want to say one thing - we, the fans, came to the Bristol Hotel, where the team was staying, not to criticize the team, but to support it after the defeat, because we sincerely believed that our favorite team was so just like us, he is experiencing failure. But it looks like we were wrong.

Fans were not allowed into the hotel, which was cordoned off by police. Me and several other comrades managed to pass only because our friends lived in Bristol and we had booked a table in advance, planning to celebrate the victory with our favorite team. Unwittingly, we became participants in the farce of complacency and contempt on the part of the “Russian team,” which, unfortunately, was intended for the entire country.

Yes, there were players who were sincerely worried about the defeat - Alan Dzagoev was worried (Alan, you’re great, you really played for the country. Don’t look at your “older comrades” - they are a bad example to follow). There was no face on Malafeev, Sharonov, Semshov, but our “super-stars” behaved differently. Zhirkov, Lawyer and Shirokov went to the restaurant, snapping at the fans who tried to support them. And if Advokat and Shirokov quickly retreated, then Zhirkov, passing by us, who were still waiting for the command, said quite loudly: “Shut your......mouths..., ye... (I’m giving a synonym, because I can’t stand swearing).”

He said this to people who were much older than him in age and said this to self-respecting men who were not used to letting such things go. The situation became tense, a verbal altercation began, and the fans demanded an apology from Zhirkov, who, hiding behind the security guards, left the hotel lobby.

And then Arshavin came down into the hall. Lounging in his chair and throwing his leg over the armrest, he looked with contempt at the fans crowding around. I tried to resolve the conflict that occurred with Zhirkov and explain to Arshavin that the fans want to see the bitterness of defeat on the faces of the team, and not contempt for their own country. The answer to me was the famous phrase - “if we did not live up to your expectations, that’s your problem.”

After that I simply had nothing to add. What else can you say when the whole country has been spat in the face?

After that, information appeared in the press that I fought with Arshavin. No, I didn’t fight, the video I shot confirms this. Now I’m thinking, maybe I should have kicked him?

P.S. It is symbolic that today is international children's football day. It is now obvious that the football future of our country can be saved if only football functionaries, after the collapse of the national team, turn their complacent gaze to children's football. We must admit that our team has outlived its usefulness - not so much physically, not so much technically, but morally and spiritually. After all, a team is not a collection of football units, a team is a spirit, it is cohesion, it is the shared joy of victory and the shared bitterness of defeat.
We need to raise new football players, those who will fight for their country, and not for dollars, those who will “die” on the field for the sake of the country and their fans, and those who will find the strength and courage to admit that they do not want to play more, but just want to live well and star in commercials for chips and Pepsi, and will be able to give way in time and with dignity to new young players, with sparkling eyes and faith in their country and team.

How Andrei Arshavin, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and other Euro 2008 stars managed to slide to the very bottom...

The most successful in the history of the Russian national football team international tournament Euro 2008 gave the world many new stars. But just a couple of years later, all these stars went out as quickly as they lit up. At the same time, most of the heroes of that Euro still continue their playing careers. We tell you where they are now and how they got to this life.

Andrey Arshavin

After the triumphant Euro 2008, where the Russians for the first time in modern history won bronze medals, it seemed that the team leader Andrei Arshavin was about to turn into not only a Russian, but also a world star.

From Zenit he moved to London's Arsenal and initially showed incredible results - just two weeks after his debut in England, Arshavin scored his first goal, and a month later he scored a poker goal against his principal rival, Liverpool. That same year, Arshavin entered the field wearing the captain's armband - no one expected such rapid growth.

However, after a bright start, a series of failures followed. Andrei has ceased to evoke sympathy among the British, both with his actions on the field and beyond. Arshavin has repeatedly stated that he does not like the climate, the people, or England as a whole. The Russian also failed to make friends with his club partners; colleagues noted the striker’s arrogance.

Photo: Ilya SMIRNOV / Komsomolskaya Pravda

In 2012, Russians were also convinced of Arshavin’s arrogance. After the disastrous Euro 2012, Andrei, who acted as captain of the Russian national team, became a catchphrase: “Your expectations are not our problems. It's your problems". After this, not only the whole of England, but also the whole of Russia took up arms against Arshavin.

This reckless phrase played a cruel joke on Arshavin, because after the Euro he had to return to Russia, where he was not particularly welcome. Over the next three years at Zenit, Arshavin scored only three goals, and in another year at Kuban, none at all.

Now Arshavin is defending the colors of the Kazakh “Kairat”, and things are going much better for him there. He scores again and is the leader of the team, but it is unlikely that a football player who not so long ago was the captain of a top club of the strongest was counting on this football league peace.

Pavel Pogrebnyak

Tall and combative forward Pavel Pogrebnyak has been knocking around top clubs for many years, and only in 2007 was he noticed by Zenit. Pogrebnyak did not miss his chance, began to score regularly and as a result was called up to the national team. Despite the fact that the striker did not show any effective performance at Euro 2008, he was appreciated in Europe and a year later he set off to conquer Germany.

The fate of Pogrebnyak in Europe practically repeats the story of Arshavin: a successful start, followed by an incessant decline. The footballer lasted a little over two years in the German Stuttgart, but after the expiration of the contract, the club did not want to sign a new one. Moreover, in Germany there were no people willing not only to outbid the football player, but even to take him for free.

Pogrebnyak’s only option was the modest English “Reading”, which was relegated from the Premier League that same year. Although the Russian managed to score there, the team still languished in the second division, and in 2015 Pogrebnyak was forced to return ingloriously to Russia. Since then, he has been registered with Dynamo Moscow, but in three years he scored only one goal.

Roman Pavlyuchenko

The most productive Russian at Euro 2008, Roman Pavlyuchenko, was signed immediately after the tournament by Tottenham, one of the top clubs in the English Premier League. Much was expected from the Russian, but the first games showed that Pavlyuchenko lacked dynamics, because the game in England is played at completely different speeds than in Russia. And the striker himself complained that the training system used by the head coach did not suit him.

As a result, Pavlyuchenko sat tightly on the bench, appearing on the field only as a substitute. The Russian has had the opportunity to move to another European club more than once - in 2010, Liverpool wanted to buy the forward, and in 2011, Espanyol. Perhaps if Pavlyuchenko had made a different decision then, his career would have turned out differently, but for some reason the striker refused the offers.

With the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor at Tottenham, Pavlyuchenko became a reserve player and soon left the team, but went not to another European club, but back to Russia. For the next five years, Pavlyuchenko’s career went downward: from Lokomotiv to Kuban, from Kuban to Ural, and from Ural to the newly formed Moscow club Ararat, which plays not even in the second, but in the third league. Just today Pavlyuchenko broke his contract with this club, but the footballer is unlikely to find options to continue his career.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

The last of the failed “conquerors of Europe” is Lokomotiv graduate Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. They fought for him for a whole year after Euro 2008 best clubs Old World. As a result, the Russian went to the English Everton. At his new club, Bilyaletdinov quickly became the best passer, surpassing everyone in the number of assists. However, due to high competition, even these successes did not give the Russian a place in the starting lineup.

Photo: globallookpress.com

Gradually coming to terms with his reserve status, Diniyar lost his form and interest in the game. Therefore, when Bilyaletdinov’s competitor for a place in the starting lineup, Leon Osman, was injured and the Russian had a chance to gain a foothold in the base, he was unable to use it. Critics noted Bilyaletdinov's passivity, and he soon returned to the bench.

In 2012, following the rest of the cohort of Russians, Bilyaletdinov returned to his homeland, to Spartak. However, an injury prevented him from playing at the same level - during his absence, the midfielder lost his place in the lineup and continued, as in England, to marinate on the bench.

This is where Bilyaletdinov’s career actually ended - he changed three more clubs, but did not take root anywhere. This season there was no place in Russia for the footballer, and Bilyaletdinov again went to play abroad, only not in England, but in the small Lithuanian club Trakai. There, Bilyaletdinov, although he does not flatter himself with hopes of great results, can feel like a real star.