The best is Fonseca, but they will choose Semak: who will become the new coach of Zenit

Strengths and weaknesses of candidates for the post of Zenit coach.

We will move towards the right result and identify the best and strongest specialist,” R-Sport quotes Malafeev as saying.

And after the victory over the Khabarovsk team, the club’s management from the banks of the Neva, through the mouth of its millionth fan Ivan Zamankov, named all five candidates - in addition to Semak and Sarri, they were Paulo Fonseca (Shakhtar), Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate) and Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina national team) ).

News | Zenit held a vote on the new team coach

Voting among users of the social network VKontakte unexpectedly became a way to “determine the best and strongest.” Everyone can vote there. Regardless of club preferences.

Later, the press secretary of the St. Petersburg club, Anton Makarenko, announced that the list would be reviewed by the board of directors and, most likely, reduced.

SERGEY SEMAK, 42 YEARS OLD

Citizenship: Russia
Team:"Ufa"
Debut*: 03/01/17, “Ufa” - “Anzhi” (1:0) - Russian Cup
Achievement: 6th place in the RFPL in the 2017/18 season

PROS

The most likely candidate, in whose services the St. Petersburg leadership has been interested since the moment everything became completely clear with Mancini. On Monday, May 14, he visited the Gazprom office.

Even as a football player, Semak showed himself to be a very smart player, who gained his strength not through technique and talent, but through hard work and intelligence. Therefore, he was always loved by fans, no matter where he played. The only team on his resume so far, Ufa, appears the same way - modest, but efficient and tactically well-trained. This is exactly what the current Zenit lacks - daily painstaking work for the benefit of the team, without the accompanying noise and regular self-PR.

In addition, Semak is not a stranger to Zenit - since 2010, not a single blue-white-blue championship has been achieved without his participation. In 2010 and 2012, he won RFPL gold on the football field, and in 2015 - from the coaching bench, where he helped Andre Villas-Boas.

News | Shamil Gazizov: Ufa perceives the possible departure of Semak normally

The epic with the choice of a new Zenit coach is coming to an end. His name will be announced in the near future, we need to make preparation plans and decide which players are needed and who are not. But perhaps the more important question is: who will take the post of sports director at Zenit, which has been vacant for a long time? In football clubs that are organized correctly, in a Western way, this is a key figure. He determines policy, conducts transfers, controls the preparation of the reserve, etc. There was a serious struggle for this post at Zenit.

Parallel Processes

Konstantin Sarsania was in many ways an ideal figure for this position. In any case, President Sergei Fursenko assigned all sports work to him. On the one hand, this was a convenient option. On the other hand, everything “collapsed” as soon as Sarsania passed away on October 7th. The system of checks and balances that made it possible to control the activities of Roberto Mancini and the fate of invited players failed. Plans for the reform of the Zenit academy and other sectors, which Sarsaniya had planned to implement, were curtailed. The club spends about 500 million rubles a year on the academy, and everyone understands that the return does not meet expectations. St. Petersburg football students play for Zenit only at training camps. Even Zenit-2 is saved in the FNL by the middle-aged Andrei Panyukov (23 years old), Ilya Zuev (24), Mikhail Kerzhakov (31). Ilya Skrobotov scored a goal for Zenit in the RFPL, but he is a graduate of the Zenit Sports School for Youth. In connection with the possible appointment of Sergei Semak to the post of head coach, there was talk that 34-year-old Igor Denisov could return to the team. End your career. So that they can see that Zenit still has its own students.

Who would be appointed coach of the team also depended on who would take the post of sports director. Although elections for both positions took place in parallel. Zenit managers traditionally took the issue with the mentor into their own hands. Sergei Semak was heard by the board of directors of Zenit. They went to Europe for negotiations with candidates (the same Maurizio Sarri), according to sources, Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FC Zenit, and Maxim Mitrofanov, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of the Club (this post is held by Sergei Fursenko), former General Director. Sergey Fursenko, according to some reports, I wanted to try the option with Wild Lawyer but this idea was killed. And in general, according to media reports, the powers of the Zenit president were somewhat “cut” at the end of the season, although Fursenko received a mandate for further management. Under stricter board oversight. If nothing extraordinary happens in the coming days, Sergei Semak will be appointed coach, as Sport Day by Day predicted. He is patronized Alexey Miller, Zenit cartridge. Around the same time, the club will receive a sports director.

Three parties

Conventionally speaking, three “ruling parties” have formed in Zenit, each of which seeks to nominate its own candidate for this post. The first is a team of foreigners led by an Italian Oreste Cinquini, holding the post of Deputy Sports Director. With him there is also a mysterious in its essence and functions Elizabeth Bartosche, a former FIFA match agent who worked at the RFU when the Russian national team was still coached by Fabio Capello. They deal with transfers, selection policy, and manage the affairs of foreign players invited to Zenit. Someone compares this company with the collective Biron - there was such a foreign regent who led the Russian Empire during the era of palace coups. He was then “pushed aside”, to the relief of the entire Russian court. But if you ask the club’s managers whether these are useful workers, the answer will probably be in the affirmative. The influence of "foreign labor" on Zenit in recent years has been noticeable.

There is a party that can be called “former managers,” which means Maxim Mitrofanov and his many associates. Although it was partially “destroyed”, resettled in the back streets, fortunately Zenit is a big club and there is something to do there, especially considering the addition in the form of a new stadium, but it is alive, and one of its representatives probably wants to return the lost positions. Again, we hear different things. And about the “fifth column”, and about the fact that these people are more administrators than “football players”, to such an extent that it is better to keep them away from football... But they also have successes behind them (titles, transfers, economic achievements), and calling them “written off” is not entirely correct.

Finally, there is a sprout of young functionaries, people with a football background, who are grouped around the figure of the former Zenit goalkeeper. Vyacheslav Malafeeva, holding the post, so to speak, of deputy deputy sports director. They also want to manage and determine Zenit’s policy, at least in its sports part. And these people managed to do something. And with a minus sign (for example, not everyone liked Malafeev’s role in the story of the loan of Artem Dzyuba and Oleg Shatov), ​​and with a plus sign (in particular, negotiations between employees of the “Malafeev camp” with agents of the Argentines and, in general, representatives of football players playing for different “Zeniths” led to the fact that these players sharply increased their fighting shape at the end of the season). Of course, the ambitions of these people extend further. They see Zenit as a club that should be replenished by graduates of St. Petersburg football, where only strong foreign players should play - and if they do not play as they should, measures must be taken against them - where there is a clearly defined strategy that allows them to rely on local personnel (this applies not only to football players) and fight for titles through a more correct organization of the economy and its business component.

Favorite - Vyacheslav Malafeev?

All these “parties” have their own strengths and weaknesses, achievements and merits, and weight in the eyes of their superiors. It is clear that if one of them gains the upper hand, the role of the others will sharply decrease, if not be reduced to zero. And given that the previous administration of Zenit is now in the shadows, the foreign vector of development is being questioned, the chances that the post of sports director will be entrusted to Malafeev are regarded as high. His figure looks the most advantageous in the eyes of the football community. Other Zenit managers have already received a lot of blows, and foreigners always come under attack in case of failures. Of course, Malafeev lacks managerial experience in a big club. But he was involved in business, made films, was Vladimir Putin’s confidant in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation, knows languages, and most importantly, he went through a football career that was several decades long, achieved outstanding success as a player and had already established himself as a functionary. It is precisely such proven personnel that the leading clubs in Europe rely on, here we can recall Bayern, Barcelona, ​​and Juventus.

If Malafeev takes one of the key positions at Zenit, it would be logical to appoint Sergei Semak to the post of head coach. And, as it turns out, there are no other candidates left. In any case, Zenit’s choice will have to be respected - no matter who he entrusts with solving the main problems.

Roberto Mancini will play his last match as head coach "Zenith" On May 13, when the St. Petersburg team will host the 30th round of the RFPL "SKA-Khabarovsk".

At this point, Zenit had lost its chances of getting into the Champions League and will play in the Europa League next season.

And they were voiced by the famous insider of Russian football, commentator Nobel Arustamyan.

Sergey Semak

Zenit representatives confirmed in an interview that Russian specialists appear on the short list, and of course, this is none other than Sergei Semak, whom fans have long dreamed of seeing on the team’s coaching bridge.

After finishing his playing career, he remained at the St. Petersburg club as an assistant to Luciano Spalletti, Andre Villas-Boas and Mircea Lucescu, from time to time acting as acting. head coach.

After working as an assistant in the Russian national team, Sergei Bodanovich set off on his own and headed Ufa, practically leading the RFPL middle team to the Europa League (if the Ufa team retain sixth place in the last round).

Semak himself has said more than once that he is not against trying himself at a club with league championship ambitions. According to rumors, in addition to the option with Zenit, he also has an offer from Krasnodar.

The management of Ufa will not prevent Sergei Bogdanovich from leaving for promotion, and will even be glad that they managed to develop such a specialist.

Shamil Gazizov

General Director of Ufa

Zenit did not contact us about Semak. But I have said more than once that if Sergei Bogdanovich has an offer from a grandee, we will not interfere. There is such an option in his contract. Information about his possible departure appears quite often. Therefore, we take such news calmly. But, of course, we will be very pleased if our coach leads such a club. In other words, we will be proud if Sergei Bogdanovich becomes the head coach of Zenit. We definitely won’t create any obstacles! If people grow and progress like this, it should be welcomed.

Sinisa Mihajlovic

The Serbian specialist, according to Arustamyan’s sources, is very interested in an invitation from Zenit, but he is not a favorite of the St. Petersburg team, which is not surprising.

The specialist’s career, who managed to work as Mancini’s assistant at Inter, did not develop as a successful independent coach.

Mikhailovich failed in the Serbian national team and Milan, he works best as a “firefighter”-motivator, saving small clubs from relegation, or with middle peasants like Sampdoria and Torino, for whom reaching the European Cup is already a success. Although they even asked Mikhailovich from the Turin club back in February.

The St. Petersburg club sets itself more serious goals, and even the Europa League here is equated to failure.

Drazen Mihajlovic

Brother of Sinisha Mikhailovich,

Sinisa is ready to move to Russia. This is a great country where you can work well and progress. Such a move will definitely not be a problem. I know about interest in him from Russia. Will he lead Zenit? I think the chances are 50/50.

Maurizio Sarri

According to Arustamyan, the chairman of the club’s board of directors, Alexander Dyukov, really wants to see the head coach of Napoli at Zenit.

The moment for this turned out to be good - the specialist, who missed the Scudetto and performed unsuccessfully in the Champions League, quarreled with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and is ready to leave the Neapolitans, having bought out his contract concluded until 2020 for 500 thousand euros.

But the St. Petersburg club is unlikely to be high on the list of priorities of a serious Italian specialist, for whom, according to media reports, Chelsea, Tottenham, Monaco and Borussia Dortmund are vying.

And Napoli itself hopes to find mutual understanding with the coach, whom the fans fell in love with after two years of successful performance of the Neapolitans.

All these options look much more attractive than Zenit, and the only way the St. Petersburg team can seduce Sarri is with a huge salary.

Maurizio Sarri

Head coach of Napoli

If the president is happy with my work, great. If not, it's a pity. Then there is only one way out - to break up. If he calls me, I'll talk to him. Napoli fans may make the experience here a memorable one, but it also instills fear about how things might end. This makes you think that it is better to leave when there is mutual love between you, than to wait for difficult moments.

Questionable

Several more candidates for the post of Zenit coach appear more as rumors of varying degrees of reliability.

Dick Lawyer

There is conflicting information regarding the Dutch specialist. According to Nobel Arustamyan, which, according to him, was confirmed by two competent sources, Advocaat, like the three previous coaches, is on the Zenit shortlist.

Meanwhile, first commentator Georgy Cherdanetsev on Twitter, and then an unnamed representative of the St. Petersburg club in an interview with Sovetsky Sport, stated that Advocaat is not among the contenders for the post of head coach of Zenit.

However, the Dutchman, who leads Sparta Rotterdam until the end of the season, at one time became an undoubted success for the St. Petersburg management. The period of his work included the championship, the UEFA Cup, and the European Super Cup.

Under the Advocate, Arshavin shone and went to England, Shirokov blossomed, Denisov spent his best years. At the same time, a balance was maintained between the Russians and legionnaires and there were no conflicts or squabbles.

Of course, you can’t step into the same river twice; it’s unlikely that Dick Advocaat will be able to return Zenit’s golden years, but he could tighten the nuts in a loose mechanism by concluding a one-year contract.

But it wasn't cheap. Zenit fans know the Little General’s love for St. Petersburg, but the Dutchman’s love for money has become an even bigger talk of the town.

Dick Lawyer

Head coach of Sparta Rotterdam

Zenit is still playing in the Russian Championship. It would be unethical for me to comment on any rumors that I am a candidate for the new coach. Let's wait until the end of the season.

Carlo Anchelotti

The least likely candidate, who surfaced in rumors only because he is currently free.

Of course, Zenit would be happy to get a specialist who successfully worked and won trophies with Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern, but Ancelotti himself is not at all interested in the St. Petersburg club.

A month ago, he rejected the offer to lead the Italian national team, saying that he wanted to work with clubs. According to rumors, the Italian specialist could lead Chelsea or Arsenal.

Giovanni Branchini, coach Carlo Ancelotti's agent, said at the end of April that the specialist did not have any negotiations with Russian clubs.

Miodrag Bozovic

A Montenegrin specialist is the most budget option. He manages to put on a nice attacking game for the outsiders and the middle peasants, who regularly begin to painfully pinch the Big Five clubs.

Zenit, for example, recently became convinced of this, having barely escaped Arsenal, led by the enraged Artem Dzyuba, in Tula.

As a result, Bozovic falls into the sphere of interest of more serious clubs, but it turns out to be much more difficult to prove himself there.

Miodrag already has a not very successful experience at Lokomotiv. And Zenit has already been burned with Mircea Lucescu, who was taken as a “budget option”, and is unlikely to repeat this mistake.

What works in Bozovic’s favor is that he has already worked with Luka Djordjevic, Artem Dzyuba and Ivan Novoseltsev, who were on loan from Zenit, and knows how to get results from them.

And this is not the first time for the Montenegrin to build teams from the customer’s material.

Miodrag Bozovic

Head coach of Arsenal Tula

I heard something like that, but no one talked to me. If they call from Zenit and say: “Miodrag, we are waiting for you,” I am ready to negotiate.

Whom to choose?

The situation at Zenit is like an old toast that wants our desires to coincide with our capabilities. The St. Petersburg club could easily get Mikhailovich or Bozovic as their coach, but they don’t want to. He wants to get Sarri or Ancelotti, but he can’t.

Against this background, Sergei Semak looks like the most balanced and compromising figure. He managed to prove himself as a head coach in the Russian Premier League, worked at Zenit, his financial needs are much more modest than those of Sarri/Mancini/Mikhailovich, and the loyalty of the fans will be ensured even in case of failures.

There will be no problems with leaving Ufa; the Bashkir club has already found a candidate for a possible replacement - ex-mentor of Akhmat Mikhail Galaktionov.

Why not support domestic producers?

The management of the St. Petersburg football club began to look for a replacement for Mancini after Zenit lost its chances of qualifying for the Champions League. The team is in fifth place in the standings, which allows them to participate only in the Europa League. This season, the blue-white-sky blues dropped out of the Russian Cup at the 1/16 final stage, losing to Dynamo St. Petersburg with a score of 2:3. In the Europa League, they managed to reach the 1/8 finals, losing on aggregate to the German Leipzig with scores of 1:2 and 1:1, respectively. By the end of the Russian Championship, Zenit was in fifth place in the standings with 53 points. It was previously reported that the management of FC Zenit is considering five candidates for the position of head coach. The list has not yet been officially announced, however, the media are already learning details about the alleged contenders. So, according to domestic and foreign publications, Italian Carlo Ancelotti or his compatriot Maurizio Sarri can take over the team. Also among the contenders are Montenegrin specialist Miodrag Bozovic, currently head of Arsenal Tula, Russian Sergei Semak, head coach of Ufa, as well as Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who already coached the team from 2006 to 2009 and won the UEFA Cup with it. .

Mancini Failure: Poor Transfer and Difficulty of Understanding

Roberto Mancini took over Zenit in 2017. According to press reports, after signing the contract, he became one of the 15 highest paid coaches in the world. Before the St. Petersburg club, Mancini headed Inter, Galatasaray, Manchester City, Fiorentina and Lazio. The fact that Mancini would leave his post immediately after the end of the Russian Championship, on May 13, was known a month ago. This was reported by a reputable sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. On April 8, the coach flew to Rome and discussed signing with the Italian national team. Presumably, we are talking about a two-year contract with a salary of more than two million euros and a bonus in case of qualifying for the 2020 European Championship.

Alexander Kanishchev, a former Zenit player, said in an interview with Channel 5 that he considers Mancini a good coach. The reason for the bad game lies in the difficulty of understanding. The players did not feel the coach’s plans and did not give their all on the field.

Video: Channel Five

“The first mistake is a transfer one. If he recruited a team and, with his instructions, with his consent, players were bought, then it is obvious that these people did not produce results. At least for the first year of being on the team. He also failed to bring his football idea of ​​how the team should play. It is clear that he is dissatisfied with the game. And the team also did not produce what the coach wanted from them. No contact. It happens. Good coach. It just doesn't get results. I couldn't convey my idea to the players. But again, it is performed by the players. But if they fail, the coach is fired. I don't blame Mancini for the result at all. The players' fault. Guilt is a strong word, but the fact that they did not show all their capabilities on the field is absolutely certain. They didn't show themselves 100%. There was no dedication, no coherence, they were not united in the goal of becoming champions. Everything caught my eye. Just incompatibility", - summed up the ex-Zenit player.

Boris Rappoport, who served as head coach and sports director of Zenit from 2002 to 2004, assessed Mancini’s work much more negatively. The point, the footballer believes, is in mentality. Allegedly, the Italian professional looked down on the team’s players, and even did not fulfill the terms of the contract. After each game he left for his native Italy. In other words, I absolutely did not understand the mentality of the Russians.

Video: Channel Five

“Mancini underestimated the level of the Russian Championship. He wasn't ready. He was euthanized during the first months when everything was going well. When problems arose, he was not ready, in my opinion. There was no serious assessment of the opponent, no analysis of who we would have to play with. It seems to me that in the Russian Premier League, like in any other, you need to prepare for each opponent. Then, the second mistake - he turned out to be a very difficult person in relationships with people. I say that he did not understand our mentality, that we need to communicate with people differently. It seems to me that “footballer Mancini,” an extra-class footballer, was still firmly in him. And he looked down on his players: what are you compared to me when I played. And this prevented me from building normal relationships with the guys. Those mistakes that were made in determining the composition and inviting people. I don’t even understand how anyone can part with Dziuba and Shatov. Juliano left before that, having won well under Lucescu. And instead of them, invite players who, obviously for any fan, are of a lower class. I think these reasons led to a disastrous result. And instead of biting into his work, he took a different path. I don’t understand how a coach with a two-year contract could fly away after every game. There is talk that he is negotiating with the Italian Federation, although he does not have the right to do so. This should, without a doubt, be a closed topic. But when a football player hears that their coach hangs out in Italy after every game and conducts negotiations there, this in no way unites the team, does not in any way focus on the result. I'm surprised the club's leaders didn't put an end to this from the very beginning. He is at work, he has a long contract, he must fulfill its terms. The club took the position of an outside observer. In my opinion, this was the reason that the team has become practically uncontrollable over the past month and a half.”,” Rappoport said in an interview with Channel Five.

Dear Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti

Free coach Carlo Ancelotti will most likely be too expensive for Zenit, believes Alexander Kanishchev. It is known that in early May the Italian refused to accept the leadership of the national team from the Italian Football Federation. However, the Federation intends to find a coach by May 20. And this decision will indirectly affect who will lead the Russian blue-white-blue club.

According to media reports, the 58-year-old Italian is preparing to take over as Juventus coach. So the possibility that he will take the post of Zenit coach is not great. Ancelotti already worked at Juventus from 1999 to 2001. The Italian has worked with the teams Parma, Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, as well as Bayern Munich, which he left in the fall of 2017. The information that Zenit was not looking closely at Ancelotti was confirmed to Channel Five by former midfielder and TV commentator Alexey Strepetov.

Video: Channel Five

“He was offered the Italian national team, he said that he was a club coach. Of course, Ancelotti is great. He won everything. I think Carlo Ancelotti will stay in Europe. We don't need a famous coach, but an ambitious one. Hungry for victories, like football players. If he is like this, his team will play and win. This is proven by Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool coach who worked in Germany. He is proving his worth, a young and strong coach, he is already in the Champions League final. A coach who is starting to work, has already won victories, but has few trophies. Hungry for trophies. He will be pleased to win for Russia, to enter the Champions League, to win there in order to show his name in Europe. It's my opinion".

Star Maurizio Sarri

On May 13, the club’s deputy sports director Vyacheslav Malafeev announced the shortlist of candidates for the post of Zenit coach. There were only two names included. Current coaches: Ufa coach Sergei Semak and Italian Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. However, the day before, Sarri’s representative Alessandro Pellegrini conveyed his words to Sport Express, saying that no offers had been received from Zenit. The representative noted that the coach has a valid contract with Napoli and there is no sign of his leaving his post.

Football expert Alexander Kanishchev considers Sarri the best candidate for the post of Zenit coach.

Video: Channel Five

“Out of all the candidates listed, I would choose Maurizio Sarri. The man now heads one of the most serious Italian clubs. An active coach with a very good style, with the psychology of a winner. I would give my vote for him. Everyone else... Dick Advocaat is no longer an active coach. Already quite old. Ancelotti will be too expensive for Zenit. Top trainer. It's unlikely he'll want to. As for Mikhailovich, from my point of view, this is not a candidate that would suit Zenit. He is also a man who has not worked for a long time. As for the coaches working in our championships... Miodrag Bozovic is a coach in the middle part of the standings, but not in the top clubs of our Premier League. With all due respect, he is not at that level. Semak is also possible as an experiment. But I think he needs to be allowed to level up. And only then head a club like Zenit. This club requires results first. I don’t know if Semak is ready today. Perhaps Sarri is the most acceptable candidate.”

Dear Sergei Semak

Only Semak - the rest do not understand the Russian mentality, says Boris Rappoport. At the same time, Semak has the potential to lead the team to victory. In second place, whom the ex-coach sees in the place of the team leader is Dick Advocaat, a stranger to the St. Petersburg team, who has only one drawback - his advanced age.

Semak, according to the former head of Zenit, while working with Ufa, showed himself to be a very strong tactician who knows how to organize a team, and therefore he should be entrusted with leading the blue-white-blue.

Video: Channel Five

“I am a supporter of inviting Russians. Of these, only one Semak could lead Zenit. I have doubts. Several years ago, Zenit relied on foreign specialists. Although, frankly speaking, nothing serious was achieved. For the last three years we have not qualified for the Champions League. What nonsense in general, having such a budget, such infrastructure and everything else. This mess. I would trust Semak. Many say that Semak will not cope. And who will guarantee that one of the foreign specialists with big names will cope? I would trust Semak."

"Older" but proven Lawyer

The Dutch football coach is an honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, as well as an honored coach of Russia. He first headed Zenit in the summer of 2006. And in 2010 - the Russian national team. Dick Advocaat left after Euro 2012 when we lost 0-1 to the Greeks. As a result, Russia took third place in the group and left the tournament. On May 12, the press secretary of the Zenit football club, Anton Makarenko, said that Advocaat’s candidacy for the post of head coach was not being considered.

However, the ex-Zenit coach believes that Advocaat was abandoned early. “Like a real man,” he rallied the team perfectly. He did what Mancini failed to do.

“In recent years, I have become convinced that things have not worked out with foreigners. If we talk about who they want among foreign coaches, Advokat is the best choice. Despite the age. Everyone knows him here, he knows everyone. And there is only one munus - he is quite an old man. Although Lucescu, who is two years older than him, was recently here. The lawyer is no stranger to the city. He had excellent results here. If I were them, if Semak is an unsuitable candidate, I would invite a lawyer. There is a certain problem that new players are bought for every new coach. Zenit needs to analyze all this. There was Villas-Boas, there were some players, Villas-Boas left - they began to be removed. Lucescu came and recruited an incomprehensible group of people. During this time, there are practically no players of our own. Due to the fact that each coach is given a task to achieve results as quickly as possible. Why do I have a plus in the direction of the Lawyer? Every one of the people who comes here, they don’t know Russia. Our mentality is generally a fog for them. They begin with greetings and end with funerals. The lawyer is closer to us, to our people. He's Dutch. This guy is normal. If Semak doesn’t suit you for some reason, although I think he can handle it, then of all the others it would be Lawyer.”, Boris Rappoport said in an interview with Channel Five.

Miodrag Bozovic first person

The Montenegrin specialist, currently heading Arsenal Tula, the day before flatly denied his possible participation in the fight for the post of head coach of Zenit.

“I don’t want to say anything on this topic. Rumors are rumors, but if you believe me, no one talked to me. Some people may like to mention my last name. But it wasn’t like someone called me and I talked to someone.”, - the publication quotes him "Sport Express" .

Who else?

However, an offer may arrive at the very last moment to any of the applicants. Alexey Strepetov believes that you should not limit yourself to the list of media outlets. He also completely excludes the possibility that Bozovic will be invited to the post of coach.

Video: Channel Five

“Bozhevic, with all due respect to him, is not a high-task coach. No offense meant. A coach may even appear who is not on the list of five. We know that Wenger is out of work. I do not rule out that he will be the one to head Zenit, and I will be pleasantly surprised by this. If he comes to our city, it would be very, very interesting to see his work at Zenit St. Petersburg. There is Lawyer, there is Spalletti. We know these people very well. A sincere person with an open soul is a Lawyer. And, of course, Luciano Spalletti, who while working at Zenit, gave us two brilliant seasons. There are no questions at all about Luciano Spalletti as a brilliant specialist. The board of directors and club president Alexei Borisovich Miller have a wide choice. And now they must not make a mistake. All candidates are worthy. The club management must choose a direction. Either we are an elite team with stars, or we are a team for the future, which will also fight, but solve other problems. That is, give the same Sergei Semak a boost, don’t ask the full program. He needs a season or two. It’s hard to say whether the club’s leaders will agree to this. What we have now is that we have a very interesting team. Why it didn’t work out is a question for the coaching staff. Zenit simply failed the second part of the Championship.”

Today Sergei Semak arrived at a meeting of the Zenit board of directors. So, perhaps, the answer to the question that is now tormenting all the fans of the St. Petersburg team will appear in a few hours. However, we should expect unexpected suggestions from management.

Aniya Bataeva