Preseason press conference: “Surgut must win in Surgut”

After the cup victory over Fakel and before leaving for the return game in Novy Urengoy, the team, The management of the volleyball club and the coaching staff found time to talk with journalists and fans in the most open format. Stakeholders on the podium, team on site, microphones here and there – it turned out to be quite intimate communication almost in a home environment. Solaroval, of course, Rafael Talgatovich.

About the new season

Main coach Rafael Habibbulin: “We are starting the 23rd season in the Super League, In terms of stability, we are somewhere in the top five teams in the country. We don't talk about it, but as far as “price-quality” is concerned, we are world champions. Introducing Ugra, this is the main donor, the backbone and support of the country for many, many years. 23-th season, we support this reputation as best we can.

In April we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the club, but now is a difficult time, there is a war going on, we will not have a feast during the plague. Our job is to play volleyball. We spend the whole season under the auspices of the SVO, we know these guys, veterans, we're friends with them, they will sit in our VIP stand.

We all see, How is the preliminary stage of the Russian Cup going?, which we consider as a stage of preparation for the championship. Return match with Fakel in Urengoy 15 We also look at October through the prism of the training process, main game – 19 October in Krasnoyarsk.

A difficult season awaits us. As always, there is a minimum task: get into the playoff zone, where we are almost always. And then how the suit falls. I still see, I think, that we need to go back to those times, when Texas won. Surgut must win in Surgut, At home we must make the most of our victories.”.

Senior coach Alexey Rudakov: “We have done good preparation, all tasks, who set themselves, completed. The guys played well and are playing in the National Cup, but the Cup is a separate competition. We have to play in the Cup, then put this story aside and think about the championship. There are many examples, when a team performs well in the Cup, and then fails in the championship. And vice versa. Many teams were now playing without foreign players, so in the championship we will have to start all over again. I hope, that we are full of strength and determination to show a good game".

Educational program about Gazprom-Yugra

Rafael Habibullin: “What is VC “Gazprom-Yugra”? we 23 God in Superliga and 22 of the year we are the best team in Ugra in Olympic team sports. We are the best 22 year in Ugra. We do not represent the capital of a federal subject, but we are from the oil capital of the country. This is a small educational program, so that there is understanding, who's who".

About the commands

Rafael Habibullin: “We have Uncle Chernomor, Oleksiy Rodychev, there are young people, there are experienced guys, everyone is very motivated. The most important thing is that we have no glamor, everyone is normal, real men. Today we have a balanced composition, there is interchangeability, this is our trump card - in the clip 15 human, two interesting compositions".

Senior coach Alexey Rudakov: “Well done guys, try, no complaints. Everyone trains and plays with full dedication, everyone is working hard, know the goals, trying to prove something in this life. If they prove it themselves, the team will also prove it, if individual players play well, the team as a whole will play well.

From the last game you saw: we use the entire roster of players, looking for options, where we can strengthen. The guys were coming out, Well done, helped. This is very good, that at any moment you can change something on the site, a person can fall into a hole - we release another, which will strengthen our game".

Team captain Oleksiy Rodychev: “We haven’t fully played together yet.”, grinding in progress, it takes time. The guys are picking up the pace and the further we play, the better we will have mutual understanding on the site. And it will give results. The guys are all ambitious, hungry for victories and will gnaw the floor and prove. The atmosphere is good, positive, good, with the right attitude towards training and the right attitude towards games. Pah-pah-pah, this is how it should be".

About the arena

Rafael Habibullin: “Our arena is one of the best in the country. Such an intimate atmosphere, home. We maintain it ourselves and this is also from the Guinness Book of Records series. Budget money is not involved here, vice versa, we formulate the budget of the building owner, Surgut region. We maintain the arena ourselves thanks to our partners, Gazprom Transgaz Surgut represented by General Director Oleg Viktorovich Vakhovsky. We're like a one-man band here, we do everything, so that everyone feels comfortable and happy".

About farm clubs

Rafael Habibullin: “We have always had YUKIOR and today it is at the top in the youth league. Also, our farm club from this year will be “Tyumen” from the major league “A”. We show, how volleyball can become a factor of integration in our big Tyumen nesting doll.

Farm club status means, that we can exchange players in a more or less free mode. Three people came to us from Tyumen - Nikiforov, Bobrov, Demakov. They sent Parkhomenko there, Ivanova, Garaeva offer. Today Tyumen needs us more, Why do we need Tyumen?, but in any case it will be a mutually beneficial cooperation.”.

About the calendar

Senior coach Alexey Rudakov: "Normal calendar. true, some months we spend seven, eight games each is, of course, Badly. Every four days we play throughout the vast country, arrived and left. so, there will be no training process, We will only try to restore the players before the games. If the calendar had a game once a week, teams would progress, there would be more interesting games, it would be better for everyone. But it is what it is".

About the fan shop

Rafael Habibullin: "All, As for the fans, this requires a separate budget, this needs to be done, need people. While we're thinking: as if our roof weren't leaking. We do the repairs ourselves, we think, how to change the light, how to insulate walls. Our uniform is Italian, best in the country, we can't give it to the fan shop, it costs more than money. And to make some replicas... Until we grow up to that, my hands don't reach. Not enough resource, there's simply no room, no space. No time for fat today".

About the submission

Rafael Habibullin: “Feeding is the only element, which completely depends on the player. From the series or it exists, or she doesn't exist. Mom and dad tried their best, born powerful: the coach sets up the technique. Equipment can be "Mercedes", sometimes "Moskvich". We got a man - we can serve him, do maintenance, fill with fuel, but nothing more. It is impossible to learn to serve like Slavi Kostadinov, it's a gift".

About the competition between Slavi Kostadinov and Maxim Kirillov

Rafael Habibullin: “Slavi knocked Max out of the lineup, these moments will help him, he should add. We know Maxim's capabilities, competition is a motivational component for him. by the way, Slavi will not be in Urengoy. Play, prove. Slavi himself was never the main setter, was a role player, going out to serve. This is also a challenge for him, opportunity to grow".

About the Kostadinov brothers

Rafael Habibullin: “We were interested in getting two brothers. When two out of six are of the same blood, this is an explosive mixture. Now we met their mother, Slava had a baby - she came. I think, this is interesting, promising union. Surgut – forge, she puts people on the wing. We will be only glad, if one of the guys opens up and the big ship will have a long voyage. Today we have the final match of the Victory Cup - on one side Igor Kobzar, on the other - Anton Semyshev. This is great".

About Andrey Bobrov

Rafael Habibullin: “Bobrov is a very sporty surname. Our child with his left hand, we want to make him our Kovacevic. We count on him very much and are more than confident, then he will succeed as a Super League player".

About Alexander Chefranov

Rafael Habibullin: “The appearance of Chief is our figure, We were together for six years. He has good charisma. Rudakov alone conducts the training process day after day, - hard, difficult and there are always questions. Sasha Chefranov – connecting moment, our trump jack, such a figure. He and Rodichev are practically fellow countrymen, they have a good connection, old. He is just starting his coaching career. One of those moments, that the team looks quite cheerful, let it not be quality, More fun for now, easy game, - his merit is also due".

About the youth

Rafael Habibullin: “Volleyball can be for men, female, veteran... Youth is a completely different sport, there are only a few people who reach the Super League. the, that they are second, third, fifth in the championship is not so important. the main thing, so that he comes to the Super League, this man. This is more difficult.

Here are Gusamov and Golovanov - players of the Russian youth team. What does this say? Our reserves in Russia are weak. In fact, there is a result on paper, but the end result is not so simple. There must be conditional 50 clear people with good prospects. And today we can strengthen ourselves like this: once or twice and got it wrong.

Conditions in YUKIOR are cosmic, this is the best platform in the country, regarding safety, conditions - everything under one roof, better conditions in the country. But not everything depends on us. There is intense competition for young people. Novosibirsk, Peter, Moscow, Kazan – today it’s an auction. Parents, children's trainers, you have to fight for everyone. It's very difficult".

About the absence of legionnaires

Rafael Habibullin: “I have always been skeptical about this topic. Yes, we had Serbs, Bulgarians, there was Prygel. Great players and people. But today, when there are no European Cups, I don't see the point in this. If it was yesterday 30 rubles per dollar, and today it’s three times higher, and besides, there are no European cups, what's the point? What for? We need to practice our volleyball".

About Surgut fans

Rafael Habibullin: “The people of Surgut are very complex, self-sufficient. Surgut resident spoiled by big volleyball, Give him Zenit, give me Moscow, others are less interesting. It's there. But at the same time, he’s a smart fan.”.

About playing against “formers” and future career

Oleksiy Rodychev: “When we play with Lokomotiv”, I want to beat them and that's it. Now my team is here, and I will only play for her. In principle, you always want to show good volleyball. I had other options for continuing my career, but I don’t really consider them anymore. Already such an age, I want stability. I will play, I'm still ready to compete. When the guys outplay me, we’ll think about it.”.

About the locker room leader

Oleksiy Rodychev: “The mood for the game is mine. We need to gather everyone into a fist and give the right attitude to the game., to keep concentration. Sure, the basic instructions are given by the trainers. I'm just following a little.

Criticism from me is always factual.. There is no such thing, that I'm in a bad mood and I lost my temper. Only in fact - I want, so that the guys learn a lesson and correct the mistake. I think, no one is offended.

I follow hockey a little, but the accent, of course, volleyball. There are always new features coming out, technical, tactical, we need to add them to the team. After the World Cup, new rules appeared, in formations you can immediately run to your attacking positions, These points need to be instilled faster.”.

About the swing game

Alexey Rudakov: “We have not only yesterday, but also in the first round of the Cup, and on the second, there were such differences. I have this feeling, that we continue to play that part, which was easily won. And when we meet stronger resistance, we're starting to crumble. Strained - good, relaxed - got it. Need a stable game, so that we play each game from the beginning, and didn’t continue to play what they had already won”.

About meetings with fans

Rafael Habibullin: "Let's agree, at the end of the season we will meet and talk about the result, eye to eye. In general, after every home game, you can hold press conferences for fans with the participation of coaches, players. 15-20 minutes, captain, Coach, via microphone, we can try. We are always open, we don't have a barrier. You can come to training, communicate after them".