"I'll ask Glebov to give the team a theory on Rostov."

After competing for gold last season, many expected something similar from Dynamo this year. However, the team is still outside the top three, and there are rumors about Marcel Lichka's not very stable position in the club. Nevertheless, Dynamo supports him and generally trusts the coaching staff, he is only four points ahead of the first line, but Marcel is still confident and optimistic.

"A good team consists of 15-17 high—class football players"

— Marcel, let's start with a pleasant one for you: at the end of the transfer window, Rostov defender Glebov and right defender from the national team of Paraguay Caceres became Dynamo players. What will they give the team?

— This is really good news. First of all, these two players will give us more aggression on the field. So far, Dynamo is a good team of gentlemen. Which sometimes lacks a little bit of hard music. Something in the spirit of hard rock or heavy metal. Talented players who work well with the ball are great, but, for example, against Fakel or Akhmat, you have to show character. Otherwise, they can "kill" you through their attitude to the game, aggression, and physical characteristics. Always hard work will beat talent. The Argentine league itself is aggressive, and in the national team of Paraguay, Caceres was different. For example, against Brazil, where he often played against Vinicius, he played a good match.

Danil is the former captain of Rostov. He's a leader, he talks on the field. Communication between players is important, when something doesn't work out, you need to tell your partners. The two newcomers are good players, they will add to the competition in the middle of the field and in defense.

— Is Caceres' offense worse than his defense?

— I think he's physically good enough to connect. The main thing for a defender is defense. The attack is an additional bonus. We already have three offensive players, plus Bitello, Carrascal, Fomin, and Chavez, all with a creative plan. It turns out that six people are attacking, and four are defending. In such a situation, balance is important from the extreme defenders, otherwise there will be no one to defend. In this regard, the arrival of Caceres is important to us. And depending on the opponent's style, you can choose options — to release more attacking Dasu from the right or Skopintseva from the left.

— It has been said a lot that Dynamo lacks a real prop that would burn out. Is Glebov the one?

— Only Laxalt acts as aggressively as possible in this position. Chavez and Fomin have other trump cards, they are good with the ball, they play a great game. Glebov, like Laxalt, knows how to play hardball. He will add aggression in the center of the field, will be able to insure the "eight" and "ten" operating above.

— A video of you discussing something with Glebov at a padel tournament was very popular on social networks. We can tell you now.: Was it a "come on in" conversation?

— For some reason, everyone thought we were talking about a transfer, but we were talking about something else. I think I spent a lot more time talking with Kolya Komlichenko about his scoring record in the Czech Republic with 29 goals, about Czech beer. Or with Lesha Mironov, whom he coached at Orenburg. He missed a lot due to injury, and is now returning to action. I have spoken with both Andrey Arshavin and Valery Karpin. But of course, no one was interested in those conversations, and communication with Glebov caused a lot of excitement.

— Two newbies have arrived. What do you think about the results of the campaign?

— We talked to the executives about new players. Although it is clear that life sometimes makes adjustments. For example, Bitello could have left. In that case, I would have a question about this position. There should be serious competition. Today in the center of the field I have Laxalt, who can also act defensively, Chavez, Fomin, Glebov, Carrascal and Bitello. Six people are very strong. If we want to compete with Zenit, Krasnodar, Spartak, then we need to have a serious bench. For example, in the 60th minute I will replace Laxalt with Fomin or Glebov, and it will be comparable in terms of level. It will also add freshness. This choice is very important for me as a coach and for the team.

Plus Alexandrov, Smelov, Okishor. I would like to mention these three youngsters and the attacking Side separately — they fully withstood the training camp on a par with the base.

As a result, we have a good choice now. I don't want there to be 7-8 cool players, and the rest are at a lower level. A good team consists of 15-17 high—class players. Each of whom puts the interests of the team above his ego. Is my friend playing today, not me? Okay, I'll help by coming on as a substitute. Football is not ping-pong or lawn tennis, where everyone is for themselves, it is a collective sport.

— In my opinion, it was the team spirit that was not all smooth in the fall. It was as if there wasn't enough courage and emotions, don't you agree?

— I immediately remember the match with Akhmat. It's hard for me to understand how a football player tries for a week, prepares, the coach talks about the importance of the meeting, and then... It's very easy to play against Spartak and Zenit. Big matches, excitement, motivation goes automatically, you don't need a coach. Just choose the squad, explain the tactical things. But problems arise when you face teams from the bottom of the table — Khimki and Akhmat.

Fakel is a very heavy team. We need to convince the players that you can't win such matches with your naked talent. First of all, the level of physical struggle is important. Otherwise, you start thinking about winning the class — if it doesn't work, you turn on the engine at the 60th minute. It's already too late.

Positive emotions are always needed. Without emotions, if you don't care, you can't play football. We had a bad match against CSKA at home. It didn't work out at all. And one of the best emotional games was against Lokomotiv at the beginning of the season. Although it was difficult with the squad — the guys were at the America's Cup, Balbuena went to the Olympics. Bessmertny, Lepsky, Majstorovich played, the young ones had to be helped, but the team showed emotions and character. It was 1-1, and Lokomotiv could have scored two goals after our individual mistakes. We didn't score, but Majstorovich made it 2-1. We won 3-1 in the end. Lokomotiv looked better, but Dynamo was looking for a chance and deserved three points.

In general, we started with three wins — there were good games, there were emotions. The opposite examples are with Akhmat and CSKA. This is unacceptable. Unlike, say, the match in Voronezh. I had no complaints there, although we missed it when the compensated time was over, and the referee added a little more. We were leading 1-0, there were two more absolute situations, Tyukavin and Fernandez could have scored. And in the end, there were no tactics, there was a rush, in the 97th minute the ball flew over all the tall ones, a small football player scored with his head. It happens — it's football. That's why they love him, that you can't calculate everything. Take Manchester City. How much money has been invested and how many months they haven't been able to do anything. And what players! What a coach is sitting on the bench! It looks like it's easy, but it's not.

"Bitello did wrong"

— Do Lunev, Mauhub and Artur, who came in the summer, live up to expectations?

— You knew Lunev from Zenit. Plus, he spent two years at Leverkusen, one of the best clubs in the Bundesliga. This is professionalism, German discipline. You might be a Neuer, but the first time you were late, you got a fine, and the second time, goodbye. Lunev is well prepared mentally and physically, knows when to concentrate as much as possible. He has a good pair with Leschuk. Andrey started the season with the first number, helped us a lot, saved the team. I got injured — Igor already showed a strong game. And he scored against Akhmat, equalized the score, and then made a great save in the 95th minute. Goalkeepers have good fair competition.

And don't forget about Andrey Kudravets. There is a difference: one came from BATE as a 20-year-old, the other, an experienced one, went through Bayer and played at Zenit. But Kudravets has taken a giant step forward in a year. Great desire, diligence — super. This progress is the result of his attitude, the work of him and goalkeeper coach Dima Izotov.

Mauhub came to Europe from Morocco at the age of 21. He's adapting. He's young, he's trying to get everywhere, he's running around. Sometimes you need to be a little calmer, perform some tactical things more competently. But Mehdi has a sense of goal, he knows how to peel off in the penalty area. Plus, it's very unpleasant for the opponent — he constantly strains, presses, sticks.

Artur is a soccer player who plays super one-on-one. When I arrived, I needed time to get used to the team. It didn't always work out so perfectly, but here, at these winter training camps, he already looked very good. Arthur can move both to the left and to the right. Quite often we see that in 9 out of 10 cases this one will put the ball under the left or right, all these analytical programs give a complete alignment, and it is easy for defenders to predict. And you can't count Arthur. Plus, I've prepared well physically.

— What is your attitude towards the act of Bitello, who refused to return to Dynamo?

— Bitello was resolving the issue with an agent who told him: "There is an offer from Botafogo, Dynamo does not want to let you go, you will not go to the training camp." He is not the first or the last Brazilian in a similar situation. It happened at Real Madrid, at Inter, and there will be many more places.

I always say that only the player decides what he should do. An agent can help you find a club, sign a contract, but the rest is your life, your career. You should not rely too much on the decisions of the agents. Bitello is a good guy. The team loves him for his positive thinking. I told Bitello: "You did the wrong thing because you have a contract. Dynamo fulfills contractual obligations, and you have to. The fees begin — we need to come. Do you want to leave? It's up to the club leaders, the agent, and you're training with Dynamo. If they come to an agreement, pack your suitcase and leave in good shape. No, not really. What about instead? I skipped training, I did it myself. The club fined you because you didn't arrive on time for training camp."

You journalists are asking: how was the football player accepted, and did he apologize or not? Who needed all this? We've discussed it all, and I think Bitello understands everything, and he's got a lot going on in his head. He said that he concentrates on playing for Dynamo because one day he wants to take a step forward. If you play badly, Botafogo won't take you away.

— Lunev said that he was waiting for Bitello's words after his return. Didn't you advise him to apologize?

— He is an adult, he decides what to do. I can't bring you by the handle, so I'm sorry. It was important for me to talk to Bitello. In order not to get a football player who will be offended that he was not released. Your head should be clean, and your thoughts should be only about football.

— Did you notice any decrease in his desire?

— Bitello comes to training with a smile, in a good mood, and works hard. And judging by the matches, the Brazilian has no mental problems.

— How scared were you of losing one of the leaders?

— I'm not afraid, to be honest, because I have no influence on this situation. Of course, I can say: "Dmitry (Dmitry Gafin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dynamo. — Ed.), please don't give it back." But if you bought a player for €10 million, and then another club came and put €20 million on the table, then Dmitry will most likely answer me.: "Marcel, I'm sorry, we have to make money so we can buy others later."

And why keep a football player who wants to leave? Should I grab his hand and not let go? And his mood will drop, and his efficiency will decrease. It's better not to be scared in such a situation, but to say: "Okay, we lost Bitello, but Carrascal remained." There is Fomin, there is Chavez. Now Glebov has been added. There is an 18-year-old Vitya Okishor. I want to give him 20 minutes to play, because he's a very talented guy. So there would be no tragedy in Bitello's departure. Of course, it would be a big loss for the team, but you need to be able to work with those who are in the squad.

"Tyukavin does not have a recession"

— Last season Tyukavin became the best player in the RPL, now he is not among the contenders. Why?

— He couldn't score at the beginning of the season, and he got a little nervous about it. I told him: "Do you remember when you didn't score in 11 games last season? As a result, he finished in second place among the scorers, and was recognized as the best." Let's not score, but try to work for the team — to hold the ball, to give a pass. There were matches without goals where he played well. With Krasnodar, for example, where others should have scored from his passes. But we lost, and in that case, no one pays attention to how you looked. You lost, you didn't score, you don't deserve high marks. For me, Tyukavin has not lost anything from his skill at all, he has no decline. And in the last round before the vacation, he scored two himself and made an assist for Carrascal. I'm sure everything will be fine in the spring.

— So you don't agree with those critics who thought that the title of the best last season could turn your head?

— No. Maybe at the very beginning of the season, these conversations: I run a lot, they don't give me passes. But in general, nothing like that. With the assists, you make ten openings, you don't get the ball, you make the eleventh. And on the twelfth, you'll get it and score. You can't stop. With negative thoughts, you won't score until April. We must always look positively, only forward. Believe in yourself and work hard. Some random goal will fly in, and then a successful series will go on.

— Dynamo is the leader in many attacking metrics: chances created, shots, passes into the penalty area. Are you paying attention? Or the most important thing — how many flew into the gate?

— Of course, the most important thing is goals. And the indicators... Yes, if we create not ten chances, but five, then the chances of scoring will decrease. But implementation is still important here. And luck is somewhere. With Spartak, there were two crossbars and a takedown from the line, with Krasnodar, there was a great game, a lot of chances, and a bar. As a result, we lost twice 0:1. We see in Europe: Mbappe or, say, van Nistelrooy earlier: the moment is a goal. And if he didn't score the first time, then he definitely scored the second time.

But it's not just the goals scored that are important, but also the goals missed. Maybe someone will laugh, but I'm glad that we have fewer of them than last season after 18 rounds. Then the goal difference was 29-22, now it's 37-20. We scored eight more goals and conceded two fewer. Yes, we are an attacking team, but the ideal score would still be 15 goals conceded over such a distance. This is what we would like to strive for. We can improve in this regard, we are looking for a balance in defense. Although the search is one thing, but life is another.

At the same winter tournament, I would like to have 6:0 in three matches, but we got 0:6. And so it happens. Food for thought. Although, I repeat, the matches against Spartak and Krasnodar were good, but the score is on the scoreboard. We have to overcome difficult moments, endure and work to become a champion one day. The most important thing is that everyone gives their best, it will definitely pay off on the field.

— There is a lot of talk about your future in winter, how strong your position is. Is it unnerving? Distracting?

— Does not distract at all. And I don't use social media, I don't read much. Now my brother Mario has sent me the news that supposedly Karpin can come to Dynamo in the summer. But the situation is simple. My contract is valid until the end of the season, and anything can happen. As a coach, I know that at any club, at any moment, they can say to me: "Thank you, goodbye." At any moment.

I don't think about such things at all, it's just a condition of our work. Mourinho won how much, so what? They said thank you to him at Manchester United, then they said thank you at Roma.

And if you read all this... If you win, people will say, "Super! The handsome man! Bravo!" If you lose, the same people will swear at you. I don't see the point. You should always keep your feet on the ground and do your job as well as possible, without thinking about what will happen tomorrow. Maybe I'll go out tomorrow and meet a car. So live for today and change everything for the better today.

— But is this the first time in your career that you are working under such pressure?

— No. In Brest, Belarus, my Dynamo had a very ambitious president. I didn't have time to lose once — he immediately came to the locker room. I try to look at everything positively. If Karpin, the head coach of the Russian national team, replaces me, then there is nothing to be ashamed of. It would even be an honor for me. It's not some kind of nouname, right?

— Your contract is automatically extended if Dynamo gets into the top three or wins the Cup. How realistic is it to complete any of these tasks?

— On the one hand, it seems that the nearest road is through the Cup. You have to go through CSKA, then the winner of the Zenit—Rostov pair, and you're already in the superfinal. You can get a trophy in five matches. On the other hand, there is no room for error, as in the championship. It is clear that from the Path of the RPL, you can end up in the Path of the regions, but nevertheless. And in the championship, the distance is longer, you can catch up. Yes, Krasnodar and Zenit came off by four points, Spartak by two. So we should win about 9 out of 12 matches. Why not? Competitors will also lose points. CSKA is strong, Lokomotiv. For me and Rostov, they are a very unpleasant team that can take points from all of them.

— You've weakened it a little bit now.

— Haha, yes. I'll ask Glebov to give the team a theory on Rostov. He knows him better. Seriously, we're strong too. Why should we be afraid of anyone?