Champions of Russia in 1998 we know by heart. Some of them moved away from hockey a long time ago, someone moved to managers, but some still remain in hockey. Moreover, in sight and on hearing, as the coach of the Togliatti "Lada" Ilnur Gizatullin. It is in Tolyatti that Ak Bars will play the next match of the KHL championship, so it was time and place to talk to Ilnur. As it turned out, Gizatullin does not follow Ak Bars very carefully, but he remembers everything, and most importantly, he is already ready to accept the KHL club as head coach. Read more in the interview with Realnoe Vremya.

The first goal was scored by Izhstali

Do you remember when exactly we played the first game in the SK them. Uritsky in the 1986-1987 season, when you were still at school? Exactly 30 years ago you made your debut in your native SC. Them. Uritsky. Season 1986-1987, do you remember what match it was, just one in a season?

No, I don't remember, to be honest. In May 1986 I graduated from high school, apparently in the fall. I remember well the summer training camp in 1986, which I went through under the guidance of the then head coach of the SK.im. Uritsky Vitaly Stain. After that I was sent to Almetievsk, "Neftyanik" in those days was considered a farm club of the Uritsky Sports Complex, to gain experience. Then there was military service in SKA (Sverdlovsk), but he also managed to play at home, however, only 4 matches. And only in the 1988-1989 season I was able to get into the main team of my native team, I even played 20 matches. And I remember my first goal. We played with Izhstal, their goalkeeper Karklinsh rolled from one corner of the goal to another, his defender threw the puck out of his zone, it hit me, and I scored it almost into an empty net from a patch ...

- What do you think, who had it easier, those coaches who worked with you or those who work today?

I think that you can’t even compare different times - hockey is changing, everything is changing. What then, what today, for a number of reasons, it was difficult for the coaches. It's hard to compare your time, your difficulties, your circumstances.

- But you will agree that the methods and principles of the work of coaches have changed a lot?

Yes, sure. You need to find a golden mean in everything, then you will live in nirvana.

- It seems to me that you have not yet reached nirvana?

Yes, and not only me. I'm still discovering, and discovering a lot... Coaching is like any other job. Live and learn. Who cares about our profession… But hockey is changing, that's a fact. I remember that I played in the Higher Hockey League in Ariade-Akpars in 2008. And what I see now, everything has changed a lot, especially how we played, and how they play now ...

Ilnur Gizatullin, No. 30 (third from right) in the champion team of Ak Bars, 1998. Photo ak-bars.ru

Lost five teeth in CSKA…

Was it difficult to hang up your skates in Volzhsk, or were you told in advance that they were counting on you as a coach?

No. I ended my playing career after I got hit in the eye by a puck. I was 37 years old, it was in the first game of the preseason, it was in August 2007. I knew right away that this was it. That you can’t get out anymore, there is a long rehabilitation path ahead. And in November I decided that everything, it's time to finish ...

It is unlikely that you forgot where your health suffered the most obstacles, five knocked out teeth and three head injuries, remember where it was?

Yes, this is CSKA. Nowhere have I had such damage. This is pure coincidence. It was in training. The majority played, I rolled out for a fiver, Kolya Semin threw, Kolya Pronin put a stick, the puck soars up, I turn my head at that moment ... Moreover, I remember how Vova Starostin got into a television correspondent in Kazan, he still works. A man came to interview, and during training, Starostin threw and hit the television man right in the temple. I myself saw how the correspondent was sliding down the wall, everyone was frightened, not only hockey players were suffering. Anything happens.

Was your long game biography and Slovenia, "Jesenice" (Bled), season 2002-2003, was it a resort or did you have to work?

At that moment, I had no other options, the bidding campaign in Russia had already passed, and then Sergey Stolbun suggested that I come and play. Came and played. I remember in the first game, I arrived four days ago, our team met with the base club of the Slovenian national team Olimpia (Ljubljana), half of the team played in this team, for which Ildar Rakhmatullin from Kazan also played. We won 3:2, I scored three goals, then Ildar told me that I should buy beer for my team on this occasion. Bought, put down. How else?

- Was the contract in Slovenia modest?

More than humble. I will even say that I was not paid part of what they promised me, and Seryoga Stolbun paid me something out of his own pocket.

“I'm still discovering, and discovering a lot… Coaching is like any other job. Live and learn". Photo kazanweek.ru

I do not regret the transition from Volzhsk to Tolyatti

- It turns out that you were invited to Tolyatti back in 2002, did it grow together only after 12 years?

Yes, in 2012 I accepted the invitation of Neftekhimik after I left Ak Bars, and the next day the head of the Lada team invited me to talk ... Probably, it was destined that I came to Tolyatti already as a coach.

It's okay that Main coach VHL team becomes a member of the coaching staff of the KHL club, are we talking about you - Ariada-Akpars and Lada?

It depends. I want to immediately go to promotion, but I made such a decision for myself. And I don't regret it. However, this is strictly individual. I don't regret my decision.

- Do you communicate with colleagues in the workshop, fellow countrymen from Ak Bars?

Yes, sure. What about Dima Yachanov, Almaz Garifullin from CSKA, what about Dima Kvartalnov, the head coach of the same CSKA, Rafa Yakubov, and almost everyone and Sanya Zavyalov. As we communicated in the Kazan team, we continue. Of course, one thing is in a narrow circle, not in public, another thing in public ... Everything is fine. No problem.

- Can you call yourself an established coach or a young one?

I'm ready to become a head coach. Moreover, at home I played at home in Kazan, in Nizhnekamsk, Almetievsk, Leninogorsk ... Everywhere, except for Naberezhnye Chelny. But let me emphasize right away that I wish success to all my colleagues. It is clear that coaching has its own specifics, at any moment it can be interrupted, I remember Yuri Moiseev saying that a coach is hired in order to be fired. It all depends on you and your leadership.

- Which of the coaches had the greatest influence on you?

I received something from each of my coaches. But most of all in relation to the case and in terms of relations between players and coaches, I received from Yuri Moiseev. I learned a lot in communication with Vladimir Krikunov, when he was the head coach of Ak Bars, I talked a lot with him, specially came to him, learned a lot of coaching tricks, we talked for a long time. He did not hide anything from me, he explained everything what and how he does, how he sees. Krikunov always says to his face what he thinks. That's why the players call him "Man" behind his back...

The next match at Lada is with Ak Bars. Photo facebook.com/hclada

Purely professional interest in Ak Bars

- And what do the players call you, you know? When they played, Lawn, Gazik, me now?

I don't know, maybe there is some nickname...

- Is it easier for a coach who has played himself to get used to the coaching workshop than for those who have not played themselves?

Probably easier. At least in the little things. You can know the theory, but show it, feel it... Even working with great players in the recent past, I understood why they don't understand some things. They had it at the level of the machine, to take the puck, to pass, we were taught this, including Moiseev, moreover, to do all this quickly. And when great players finish their careers, they just can’t understand how other hockey players can’t do such elementary, simple things, it’s incomprehensible to them. For the same striker of Metallurg (Magnitogorsk) Sergey Mozyakin, it is probably strange that after a pass with a throw-up the puck tumbled, came to the partner inaccurately, but for some this is a problem. Of course, it is easier for someone who has played himself to become a coach, knowing many things ...

Today's "Ak Bars" causes you some feelings or purely professional interest, is it with Kazan that your "Lada" will have the next match?

Yes, purely professional interest. But I like that today many of their own pupils play in the Kazan team ... The club vertical impresses: Ak Bars - Bars - Irbis, the guys do not leave their hometown, they grow up. And they grow under the supervision of those with whom I played - Misha Sarmatin, Airat Kadeikin, Dima Balmin ...

- Do you have any profile, specialization in Lada?

We have only two assistant coaches this season, not counting the goalkeeping coach, so we do our best to work with both attackers and defensemen.

- Do your wards pay attention to how you show this or that element on the ice?

If you can show it, then yes. You can still see it on the ice. I know for sure. When an attacker loses the puck in the corner of the court, then there are some nuances, I show them. The guys see and understand, sometimes they even approach, they say, yes, everything worked out. But if you yourself cannot show the player this or that exercise, then it’s better not to go on the ice ...

Sergei Gavrilov

ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE LEADERS OF AK BARS IN THE END OF THE 90S, AT SOCHI-2014 THE RUSSIA TEAM HAS A CHANCE TO REHABILITATE FOR THE DEFEAT IN VANCOUVER

One of the legends of Kazan hockey, the 1998 Russian champion Ilnur Gizatullin is now the head coach of the Higher hockey league"Ariada-Akpars" from Volzhsk. And before the start of the next meeting of the regular season, in an interview with a sports correspondent for BUSINESS Online, he spoke about his career at Ak Bars, about the lessons of Moiseev and Krikunov, about the young Pavel Datsyuk and the ability to work as the main success factor in big-time sports.

"IF YOUR FINGER WORK, DO YOUR FINGER"

Ilnur, now that you yourself have become the head coach, do you remember how Yuri Moiseev worked, under whose leadership Ak Bars became the national champion in 1998?

Yes, sure. Moiseev then clearly set the task - who does not work, he does not eat. Those who did not work, Moiseev fired them. As an example, he fired the then best center forward Oleg Tolokontsev at the end of last season after two months of pre-season. The same thing happened to several more talented guys who thought that, nothing, it would pass, but it didn’t work out. Those who began to whine or express dissatisfaction, he released from the team without question.

I remember how Moiseev came to the recovery camp at the end of the season in Turkey. Met with the team. Previously, you could always go a little to the left, say that I was overheated, I was sick. And some didn't charge. The first thing Yuri Ivanovich did was to raise everyone up. And I went there with a broken toe. And every morning I went out with everyone to exercise, since Moiseev had such a principle - all in plaster, and the finger works, so work on the finger. What doesn't work doesn't work. What works - work on it, improve ... At the same time, I tried to fulfill all the conditions of the contract with the player.

In my opinion, the words that “Yuri Moiseev taught me how to work” are spoken by almost every player of that “Ak Bars”.

Yes it is. And now we are trying to instill the same attitude in the current generation, the so-called next. It is clear that they do not want to work too much. For example, in the gym you explain that you need to do the exercise 15 times, and he does 10. And he doesn’t understand that it’s not for me, but for him, if he wants to develop as an athlete. And Moiseev taught us - as it is said, so it must be done. Of course, we also had “I don’t want” or “sachkan”, but then it stopped. At first, it was interesting to watch the guys who came from abroad, how they did stretching, for example, before training. And we arrived in 10 minutes, quickly changed clothes, practiced and ran away from the sports palace. Now it's completely different. Warm-up before training, after training on a bicycle simulator, that is, you treat your body professionally. He feeds us, so we need to carefully treat and love him. Then he will answer you the same.

Moiseev could easily heal the injury. If you “mow”, then it was worse for you, because the player outside the squad, the one who hurts something, worked twice as hard. Therefore, no one wanted to be out of the squad for a long time, because they understood what it was fraught with.

- They say that he quarreled with the doctors about the recovery time of the players.

Yes. For him, a bruise or a sprain was not an injury at all.

- Do you, as a coach, think that it was right?

You know, there are situations when you need to behave that way. I experienced it myself, and told the guys about it. Of course, if there is a fracture, then the player does not need to be touched and aggravate the injury. And if he himself approached him, Moiseev, and explained the situation, he always reacted normally. You know, situations like this still happen. He knew that there is a player who can, as they say, "mow down", and there are those who will play and "I can't through it." But if it's impossible, then it's impossible. Bruises are also different, and the body of each person can react to such sores in different ways. Somewhere you just need to warm up well before training or a match, for example, a bruised thigh. I know for myself that it immediately becomes easier. But he did not allow to lie on the couch at all.

WE ARE MOSCOW, AND WHO ARE YOU? FROM KAZAN, IN "FAREWELL"?

- And how does your coaching staff in Volzhsk react to various player injuries?

For example, we ask whether a person can play or train today. If you want to take a break from training, then you can refer to a groin injury. Can't be checked. Smell means smell. Well, you don't play, so you don't get any bonuses. There is, of course, a downside as well. Let's say a player has a sore abs, and you make him do some exercises. He himself is silent, and the doctor is afraid to tell you. This can only worsen the damage.

But it also happens, of course, that there is no injury, but only a simulation. We had one such player in Ak Bars. There was a friendly game at the heavy training camp in Finland. Well, he got a little bit in that meeting. And he sits, writhing in pain - such a one-man theater, and he quietly says to me: "So I don't have anything." And he himself quietly “recovered” for a whole week, walked around Finland, enjoyed forest walks (laughs).

- Moiseev, as they say, was a master of strong words.

It was, it was. And he could send us a foul language (laughs). My friends even came to training specifically to listen to Moiseev scolding us with his last words. But he, if he offended his hockey players with some words, I even tell my wards about this, then he would definitely discuss it with us later. Edik Kudermetov was somehow sent far away in training, and he took it and went to the locker room and shower. Ten minutes later, during the next training exercise, Moiseev asks: “Where is Kudermetov?” We say: "So you sent him!". Moiseev: “Well, I didn’t send forever!” And then he gathered us together, said that we should not be offended and that he was not going to offend us. And then we began to perceive these words much more calmly. But Moiseev never climbed into his pocket for a word, anywhere.

Even senior colleagues in the journalistic workshop say that then in 1998 the capital's press was very sensitive to the leadership and championship of Ak Bars. Yuri Ivanovich was asked at a press conference, for example, if he had been circumcised?

No, I personally didn't feel anything like that. Of course, upstarts from the provinces are not liked. Tolyatti, Magnitogorsk, Kazan - who are they? And in Moscow there were giants. This can be traced even in children's hockey. When we came somewhere in childhood and youth, we were told: “We are Moscow, and who are you? From Kazan, in the “farewells”?”

- Can we say that times have changed since then and Kazan is one of the hockey capitals in the country?

Certainly. Both we and Magnitogorsk. Rather, on the contrary, now they are again trying to return Moscow to the number of giants. So now our young hockey players psychologically feel much more confident. Now, when they see the players from our Ak Bars Youth Sports School, they say - oh, this is Ak Bars itself! This name.

SOMETIMES SUCH CURRENT PLAYERS COME FROM MOSCOW

Ilnur, in the next season after the championship in 1998, the team retained its backbone and strengthened even more. Bautin, Davydov, Prokhorov came. Why didn't a dynasty team that won several gold medals in a row happen?

I will tell my feelings. We won the championship but then the stars came Olympic champions. And all attention turned to them. That is, they had to make a result, bring Ak Bars to new heights. And we, the old-timers, seem to be second-class people. Well, or softer - shell carriers. But, in the course of the season, we are waiting, but the result from the stars is still no and no. And then we had to get down to business and try to correct the situation as much as possible. But, in the end, this situation did not have a good effect on the team and we lost in the playoffs to the capital Dynamo in the semifinals, and then to Yaroslavl in the series for bronze medals.

- That is, the team has a division into two camps?

Yes, right away. It was visible to the naked eye. That old team was very friendly. We still keep in touch and meet. And then immediately there was a division of the team. And yet, then it was still a curiosity, a colossal difference in salaries. The same cannot be hidden in the team, although they tried to do it.

That is, the club's management made a strategic mistake here? But after all, in principle, cool players were needed to strengthen the team.

Yes, but you also need to be able to work with the stars. You can’t deal with them like with an ordinary, say, young hockey player. This is where the conflicts come in. A mistake is not a mistake, but it was the first such experience, such a touchstone. Probably not very successful.

It was still those times when the capital's hockey players came to Kazan and they were not satisfied with the provincial way of life and the organization of the business. Remember how the elder brother of Alexei Morozov Valentin came? He didn't seem to like the helmet that Ak Bars offered him or something like that.

Yes, it was. I remember Valentin Morozov in the pre-season before the championship season. Such a fun and friendly guy. A talented player, but he lacked efficiency. Well, yes, such capricious players sometimes came from Moscow. But he never played for Ak Bars, everything was limited to the preseason. Apparently, it did not fit exactly in terms of performance. I played with him in the same trio and I remember that I was angry that he didn’t work here and there. And the coaches told me - do not be indignant, play. It's not your concern.

WE JUST STARTED BEATING KRIKUNOV'S HOCKEY PLAYERS

There was another bright coach in your career - Vladimir Krikunov. I remember the words that the then head coach of Ak Bars said personally about you. He said that at first he did not put Gizatullin in the squad, because he did not know what kind of player he was. But you were able to prove to him, Krikunov, that you are the leading hockey player on the team.

Yes, when he came to the team, we met him very calmly. Still, we recently won the national championship. And Krikunov comes and says: “And I am the champion of Slovenia. Brought Yekaterinburg to major league". Well, we, and what kind of Slovenia is this. Well, he brought me to the big leagues and it's good. In general, we look at him, and he looks at us. And Krikunov says: "I always work on the edge of conflict." I mean, it was kind of a break. He tried to impose his dictatorship, but we, the players, did not perceive it. They thought it was wrong.

You understand it only now. When you yourself stand on the coaching bridge. And then I thought that we were right, but he was wrong, and he was tormenting us on purpose. He said, they say, you don’t know how to run, you don’t know how to throw, you don’t know how to receive the puck. I remember those famous balloons too. And we are dying. The first pre-season with Krikunov was the hardest in my life, I lost 8 kilograms during it. And he tells us, yes, you haven’t started working yet, you just warmed up so far. Well, we, hockey players, think, so what will happen when the “real work” begins in Krikun’s way, we’ll definitely die. And the head coach also says that in Yekaterinburg he has Datsyuk, Simakov, Kraev, Sokolov and others, so they knew how to do everything, but we didn’t. And we think, what kind of team was there in the local Dynamo, that they knew how to do everything, because they had just got into the big leagues. And they came just to us to play a friendly match. And, apparently, Krikunov turned us on so much that we had no time for the game in that match. We just started hitting them. And the players from Yekaterinburg will not understand, they came to visit a friendly match, and here it is. They ask Captain Rafik Yakubov: “What is wrong with you? What's happened? A friendly game, and your eyes are burning. They don't play in the championship either." And we nodded in the direction of our head coach and answered - say thank you to him. Of course, we beat Yekaterinburg in that game.

Therefore, there was of course the lapping of the team and the new coach then. But then, I don’t remember whether some conversation took place or something, but we ourselves realized that the problem should be sought not in the coach, but in ourselves. Show that you know how to play - everything will be fine. And if I continued to grimace further, I would simply fly out of the team and she would not even notice it.

But it is believed that these dictatorial habits prevented Krikunov last season during his return to Ak Bars. And what do you think?

You know, I talked to him before the start of last season, and he radically revised his views. Became much softer, calmer. Yes, he is a straightforward person. If it's bad, he'll say it's bad. Probably a lot of people don't like it. Even here in Volzhsk, my players don't like it when you tell them they can't make accurate passes. And in a team of the Ak Bars level, you need to be more subtle in working with star players. And Krikunov cuts from the shoulder. He said so, so it must be so.

Although he is a good and fair person. I left Ak Bars immediately after he was removed from his coaching position during the 2001-2002 season, it happened. We had a very good talk with him then in Novogorsk, where he was one of the coaches of the national team. Krikunov was always fair in terms of pay. Even though he was a dictator.

AFTER AK BARS, PETER VOROBYOV CALLED TO TOGLIATTI

- After Ak Bars, it didn't work out for you in Nizhnekamsk. What were the reasons?

It was hard in Nizhnekamsk, especially after 14 years at Ak Bars. It was a serious psychological blow, I did not want to leave home. It was not about hockey. Still, when you get used to home, family, friends, then, leaving, you find yourself at ease. Although Nizhnekamsk had an excellent team. Roma Baranov, Lenya Labzov, Misha Sarmatin, Rinat Kasyanov, Rafa Yakubov and others played there. But the leadership just changed there, they removed the head coach Vladimir Golubovich, who called me, it was not a very clear situation. Plus, as far as I know, there was a problem with the monetary compensation that Ak Bars asked for me. In general, they told me to leave Nizhnekamsk.

Right after Kazan I was called to Tolyatti by Pyotr Vorobyov. I remember that we just played against Lada and I, Denis Metlyuk, who played there, asked about the city, about the team. I was never afraid of work, although I knew that Pyotr Ilyich had his own vision of hockey and training. Maybe you should have gone there. But, in hindsight, we are all smart.

- Then in your hockey career there was even such a stop as Slovenia.

There was a moment when the period of additional applications in the 2002-2003 season ended, but I didn’t work out with the offers that I had. And in January Sergey Stolbun called and invited me to play in the Slovenian championship. I went. There was plenty of playing time. The local championship is not very strong. Two teams stood out in it - Jesenice, in which Krikunov worked, and Olympia from Ljubljana. Ildar Rakhmatullin played for Olympia. The only negative is that they cheated with money. Otherwise, quiet and calm Europe. Everything is clear, everything is on schedule. No stress.

- Did you have a desire to stay there?

No, there was no such desire. Still, I wanted to continue my career in a serious championship. Well, in terms of life there, too, there are difficulties, I talked about this with Rakhmatullin then. And for him, although he played there for so many years, it was difficult in terms of obtaining citizenship and other things.

- Is he still in Slovenia?

Yes, he stayed there.

- Is Rakhmatullin still connected with hockey there?

According to the latest information I had, it works in hockey school in Ljubljana.

- But Sergei Stolbun eventually returned.

Well, yes. In principle, they went there to earn money. There were quite a lot Russian hockey players, but there were actually no known players.

AND I SAY TO DATSYUK: "PASHA, ARE YOU ill?"

Ilnur, season 2000-2001 you spent on the same team with Pavel Datsyuk. Did you think that this would be the best center forward in the world of the “zero”?

We knew that he was a very talented guy, it turned out that he was also hardworking. And very humble. Yes, he is now. You can easily call him with some question and no problems. My son so wanted to see Datsyuk live, he saved up money himself and bought his T-shirt in America, it seems, for $ 120. I tell my son: "Buy yourself toys with this money." And he - no, I'll buy a Detroit jersey with number 13. Now it hangs in his room, Pavel wrote something to him there.

I give an example, if Niklas Lidstrom said that he had not seen a hockey player more hardworking than Datsyuk, then this is true. And these Krikunov balloons. I remember in Kazan they ran with them. And Pasha is sitting. It happens when a person sits all red, and then turns pale before his eyes. We were sitting somewhere in a corner on the ice, and I said: “Pasha, are you feeling bad?” "Yes," he replies. Come, I tell him, over the side. He flew overboard. I don’t know if he vomited there or they gave him ammonia, but he endured any load, calmly and silently. The coaches said, so it must be done. He is still a little "clubfoot", one leg is shorter than the other. At the same time, during the cross-country, I could not keep up with him. I told him: “Pash, it’s hard for me, but how are you running, and even so fast?” And he still "puffs up", but runs.

- And on the ice, exactly how did the player stand out?

Yes, it was visible. His hands are wonderful. I could play great. It seems that here he is, nearby, and Datsyuk has already passed through you. He could give an excellent pass to any “hole”. It seems that the pass should not pass, but he gives exactly to the club. And not a word to anyone, if one of the partners made a mistake or an inaccurate pass was given to him, he will catch up, run, and correct the situation. Never complained to anyone. But it was clear that the guy was very talented, he did not immediately get lost in the Russian national team.

Another of the leaders of that team, Dmitry Kvartalnov, had a good start as the head coach of the KHL clubs. And he worked well in Severstal, now Sibir is confidently going in the playoff zone in the East with a rather modest selection of players.

Kvartalnov has always been very charismatic, a leader by nature, a leader. Sometimes the coaching staff and I try to be calm and not yell at the players. And they begin to perceive it as a weakness of the coach. They start bending. And Dima, he is very lively, constantly active, constantly screaming. Here in Kazan, he showed me when he came to Kazan with Severstal. They lost to Ak Bars, and right in the locker room he began to fine hockey players for unjustified removals. I ask him: “What is it?”. Then Kvartalnov takes the stick from the player, walks with me along the corridor and shows: “I showed him! Put the sticks back! Legs are working! So I walked along the corridor of the Tatneft-Arena. So, he can show how it should be on the ice as well.

By the way, then in 2001, after a wonderful season in the top three with Datsyuk, Kvartalnov (in the 2000/01 season 36 matches, 19 goals + 20 assists) was not taken to the World Cup. There was talk of a conflict with Krikunov, but he was part of the coaching staff of Boris Mikhailov's national team.

Yes, it was. It happens when two leaders by nature collide. Dima had his own opinion, the head coach had his own.

HOW MUCH DO YOU DRINK! YOU CAN NOT DO IT THIS WAY!

- Ilnur, name your favorite partners in the top three in Ak Bars.

I felt comfortable with everyone. And with Edik Kudermetov, and with Seryozha Zolotov. Of the central forwards, this is Vadik Shakhraichuk with his power style. Igor Stepanov loved combinational hockey, he knew how to give a pass.

By the way, when you started playing on the same line as Kudermetov, you changed your attacking flank accordingly. Moved from the right side to the left side. Did it affect the game in any way?

At school, I generally played in the center of attack. Then they put me on the flank. Yes, at first it was much more convenient for me to play on the right flank. And then, apparently, with experience there was no fundamental difference. Where the coach puts, he played there. The only thing is there are some nuances. For example, if you play on the left, then for me, I am a left-handed hockey player, it was not so convenient to complete the attack right off the bat. But it also has its advantages.

- You found the first legionnaires from far abroad. How it was?

Well, it was very interesting. We look at them to see what they can do. What kind of life they have, it was also interesting. How they live in a hotel, how they work. To be honest, they didn't work as hard as we did. Jan Benda, I remember, could hardly run cross-country and also lift the barbell, although he seems to be a healthy guy. As the saying goes, what is good for a Russian is death for a German. I exaggerate, of course. He tried, puffed. But the player, it was evident experienced, skillful.

- He spoke Russian well, as I remember.

Yes, he is a Czech, he just left for Germany later.

And in one of the interviews, Benda told how at a banquet about the “silver” -2000, he tried vodka for the first time in his life.

Our first legionnaires arrived for the first time for the pre-season, which took place in Turkey. And we have such a concept - rallying. And here we are together (laughs). And they looked at us like this: “How much do you drink! You can not do it this way". And they drank some beer.

"AK BARS" IS NOT AVERAGE

- Then a little more about current events. Do you have time to follow what is happening in the KHL?

Of course, I am actively watching. There is the Internet, you can quickly switch channels, there is KHL-TV. So there is no lack of information.

What are your general impressions of the first half of the regular KHL season. Are there any discoveries, maybe disappointments?

There are no supersensations. Of course, Ufa still upsets its fans and is not in its place. A sensation with a plus sign, of course, is Metallurg Novokuznetsk. And not because we have partnerships with them, but because the team, despite not the strongest line-up and huge financial problems that we had in the summer, performs so well. This once again proves that even without stars, with a certain attitude to business, you can achieve good results.

- Do you have your favorites this season in the KHL?

To date, there are no clear leaders. Even SKA and CSKA with such a set of performers often lose. Ak Bars can also improve their game. "Magnitogorsk" with the advent of Malkin has changed. You watch the match and you understand that Malkin, the same Kulemin, are people who simply decide the game.

- Will the possible end of the lockout in the NHL greatly change the alignment in the KHL?

Probably. If Malkin leaves, then it will be very difficult for Magnitogorsk, since a lot is tied to him in the current game of the team. I don’t think that Dynamo Moscow will suffer much - it’s stable and such work team. Of course, the Enkhael players give color to our championship and people go to them. Although some teams, like Ak Bars, decided to completely do without players from the ocean. But Yemelin still signed.

But if you, as a head coach, had the opportunity to sign a player like Datsyuk for the duration of the lockout, would you do it or agree with the point of view of the Ak Bars bosses?

Of course, this is an internal affair of the team, and you should not interfere in this. But I would certainly be in favor of signing such a player, given my personal attitude towards Datsyuk. But here after all different nuances play a role. Financial, etc. and so on.

In Kazan, a statement by the well-known hockey expert Sergei Gimaev caused a great resonance that Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev this season are ordinary middle peasants.

Looking at standings- Ak Bars is no longer an average player. Let's see, hockey chickens are counted in the spring. Dynamo did not have such big names in the squad last season either, but it won the Gagarin Cup. You can argue any way you like. There was a 2005 team in Kazan from one of the stars. Wherever you poke, everywhere is a star. And what came of it? Therefore, I do not think that the current Ak Bars is an average one. Recent matches show that Zaripov again began to score, and the youth are pulling themselves up. I would not even compare Kazan with Ufa. My opinion is that Ak Bars looks much stronger than Ufa this season.

REAL MASTER REALIZES ONE MOMENT IN TWO

- Did the lockout in North America somehow affect the VHL?

So far, we can say for sure that the lockout had no effect on the VHL. The only thing is Alexander Semin, who collected full stands in Krasnoyarsk. And just played his last game against us.

- Well, how could it be seen that it was Semin?

Yes, although it was noticeable that he was not physically ready. But when he was with the puck, the player's class was visible to the naked eye. And it's good that our guys were able to see and feel it. They have long wanted to play with the KHL team and understand their current level. Here in Krasnoyarsk they could feel this difference. We explain to them what Yury Ivanovich explained to us. That a real master does not run faster, but simply realizes one of two moments, and you need five to realize it. That's the whole difference.

- And more about the difference between the KHL and VHL. Does cooperation with Novokuznetsk Metallurg help you a lot?

- "Ariada-Akpars" signed an agreement with "Forge" before the start of the season. They send players to us so that we can test them at the VHL level. And these players really help us. Klyuchnikov, Turukin, Kapotov have already played in the KHL this season.

- Surely it is not easy for a small Volzhsk to compete in such a league as the VHL?

Not easy. Our city is one of the smallest in terms of population in the VHL. Behind "Ariada-Akpars" there are no budgets of territories and areas. Our club is private, it is maintained by the management of Ariada CJSC, thanks to him. It is difficult, but we have serious tasks ahead of us this season. I hope that in the playoffs we can solve them.

OLYMPIAD MUST WIN

Ilnur, how do you like the prospects of the Russian team in Sochi-2014? It is believed that we have big problems with defense and there is not a single truly stellar defender.

Yes, such a problem exists. But there are quite solid defense players. Including those who play for Ak Bars. The same Alexey Emelin, and Nikulin, I think, will play. Medvedev has been looking great lately. And we have a great offense, including the younger youth. The same Yakupov. Well, Malkin and Datsyuk should show themselves in all their glory on Olympic Games. The goalkeepers of our team are good. I think we should win in Sochi.

If there are no elite defenders by world standards, then we will play, first of all, in attack. Attack - it decides a lot. The last World Championship showed that one arrival of Malkin is fifty percent of success in such a tournament. So, at home at the Olympics, we have to rehabilitate for the defeat two years ago from the Canadians in Vancouver.

Reference

Ilnur Alfridovich Gizatullin, date of birth: 05/13/1969 - head coach of the Ariada-Akpars Higher Hockey League club (Volzhsk)

Champion of Russia in ice hockey in 1998 and silver medalist in 2000 as part of Kazan's Ak Bars

Pupil of children's and youth sports school"Ak Bars-Itil" (Kazan). Ultimate forward. Master of Sports of the Russian Federation

During his hockey career, he played for the following teams: SK named after Uritsky, Itil, Ak Bars (Kazan); SKA (Sverdlovsk), SKA (Serov), Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk), HC CSKA (Moscow), Jesenice (Slovenia), Neftyanik (Leninogorsk), Khimik (Voskresensk), Neftyanik (Almetyevsk) , "Ariada-Akpars" (Volzhsk)

Since the start of the 2011/2012 season is the head coach of Ariada-Akpars, previously holding the post of assistant head coach in the same club. Last season, he led his team to the VHL playoff series.

Ilnur Gizatullin headed the Almetyevsk HC "Neftyanik"

Russian ice hockey champion with Ak Bars Ilnur Gizatullin has been appointed head coach of Neftyanik Almetyevsk. Gizatullin will be helped to prepare the team for the matches of the 2017/18 season

Russian ice hockey champion with Ak Bars Ilnur Gizatullin has been appointed head coach of Neftyanik Almetyevsk.

Coaches will help Gizatullin to prepare the team for the matches of the 2017/18 season Alexander Shakhvorostov, Evgeny Mukhin And Airat Mukhitov.

47-year-old Gizatullin is a native of Kazan. He spent most of his playing career in the Kazan team of the Uritsky SC, renamed Itil, and then Ak Bars. As part of Ak Bars, Gizatullin won the Russian championship in the 1997/98 season, and in the spring of 2000 he became the silver medalist of the Russian championship. He also spoke for Russian clubs Neftyanik (Almetievsk), SKA (Sverdlovsk) Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk), CSKA (Moscow). He finished his playing career in Slovenian Bled.

As a head coach, he worked with the VHL club Ariada-Akpars (Volzhsk), in the 2012/13 season he was recognized as the best VHL coach.

Gizatullin in an interview with KazanFirst said that it is too early to talk about the renewal of the team.

Ilnur Alfridovich, have you been told the tasks that Neftyanik will face in the upcoming season?

Not yet, but Neftyanik is considered the top club in the VHL. And they expect a spectacular game from him.

Comment on the composition of your coaching staff, which included Alexander Shakhvorostov, Evgeny Mukhin and Airat Mukhitov.

We will work together for the first time, but before this appointment we knew each other. We crossed paths with Alexander Shakhvorostov in Kazan, with Evgeny Mukhin in Sverdlovsk. And I have known Airat Mukhitov for a very long time.

How serious will the changes in Neftyanik's line-up be?

It's too early to talk about it - I think we have to wait until April 30, when my contract with Lada ends and I sign an agreement with Neftyanik. But work on staffing the team is already underway.

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Kazan "Rubin" was allowed to register newcomers

Beginners were allowed to register Kazan Rubin. The corresponding decision was made by the Dispute Resolution Chamber of the Russian Football Union, according to the official website of the RFU. The ban was due to the fact that Kazan

Beginners were allowed to register Kazan Rubin. The corresponding decision was made by the Dispute Resolution Chamber of the Russian Football Union, according to the official website of the RFU.

The ban was due to the fact that Kazan did not pay ex-footballer Shota Bibilov, with whom the club unilaterally terminated the contract last year, salary for August 2016 and interest for delayed payment of wages and compensation for early termination of the contract.

As soon as Rubin fulfilled all obligations, the ban on registration was lifted.

The head coach of Almetyevsk players about the seasonal failure of his wards, squats with a barbell and alcohol

"Oilman" Ilnur Gizatullin sensationally lost in the quarterfinals of the Petrov Cup Karaganda "Saryarka", which eventually won the trophy. Disappointment from the playoff result is largely due to high expectations: the team finished the regular season in second place, it faced the minimum task of reaching the final. The sports editors of BUSINESS Online spoke with the head coach and found out what happened in the knockout games.

Ilnur Gizatullin: “Of course, I want to try my hand at the KHL, but in this league [VHL] I have something to prove” Photo: Aidar Garayshin

“OUR FAILURE IS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE THAT HAPPENED AT HC Tampa Bay”

- Ilnur Alfridovich, you have been working in the VHL for the second year. Didn't you personally get tired of working in this league, especially after your experience in the KHL, where hockey is on a completely different level, and living conditions are much better?

- Of course not. Of course, I want to try my hand at the KHL, but in this league I have something to prove.

- In the regular season, your team lost only 8 matches and showed aggressive hockey. Perhaps the players simply burned out and could not prepare for the playoffs.

- Yes, we scored a record number of goals in the history of the team and became the first in the majority in the league. Of course, the comparison may seem strange, but our failure is somewhat similar to the one that happened at HC Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup. Best team championship was eliminated in the first round. That's the beauty of hockey: it doesn't matter who you were at the beginning and middle of the championship, it matters who you are and where you are in the last playoff match.

— Maybe in the regular season it was worth playing more calmly and not chasing first places?

- We fought for the first place, set the guys such a task. Perhaps it was necessary to let go of the situation a little, drop to third or fourth place, think more about the playoffs. At the end of the regular season, we did not have enough benches. We expected to give the team leaders a rest during the last trip, but we simply did not have players to replace them. We got hurt.

Photo: BUSINESS Online

— Ak Bars has a lot of young people who play in Bars, which is devoid of tasks and, as it seems to us, of purpose. There was no desire to take players from there?

- Perhaps one of the guys from Barca could help us. We attracted young players from Sputnik Almetyevsk to the games, but they still do not reach the level of the team of masters.

— That is, we can say that in part Bars reduced your resources?

- You can't say that. Bars have their own task - getting into the playoffs. He is working on it.

— He has no task. Even if there is, why is it? This team needs to prepare players for Ak Bars, and not solve tournament problems. Let's take striker Vladislav Karu: he was at Ak Bars all season, but then he was sent back to Bars. Would he interfere with you in Almetyevsk?

“I think he could help us. But as it is, so it is.

- We understand that you are in the same system with Ak Bars and it is not entirely correct for you to say that they somehow manage the youth in a wrong way. In our opinion, forwards Maxim Marusheva and Dmitry Voronkov, as well as defenders Mark Marin, Mikhail Sidorov and Timur Fatkullin, would have looked just as good in Neftyanikae as those players at your disposal. There is no doubt that the player of the Russian youth team Artem Galimov, who is not given a chance at Ak Bars, would also suit you.

- You are right, it is not quite correct for me to answer this question.

Photo: Aidar Garayshin

"IN ONE MATCH 19 ERRORS IN THE SIMPLEST SITUATIONS"

How do you prepare your team for matches? For example, Kurban Berdyev in Rubin makes players watch videos from games and look for their mistakes, and then compares them with what he found himself.

— Video analysis is an integral part of the preparation. We watch how the opponent rolls out, how he plays in the majority and in the minority. More often we try to analyze our own game, analyzing our mistakes. Several times we told the guys: "Tomorrow will be like at school." We put a video of our game - and the guys themselves find, comment on their mistakes: what they do wrong and how they should have played in this situation. And the most interesting thing is that theoretically they understand everything, but in practice they are still mistaken. In meetings, we try to remove denial and avoid the phrase “you can’t”, on the contrary, we say: “You can, play with your strengths". And it works.

What other tricks did the team use?

- For example, in relation to myself applied some things. From experience with coaches, I know that sometimes it is better to remain silent after a player's blunder. It doesn’t always work, of course, but I try to control myself, especially when the concentration of these mistakes is very high. For example, a player one and a half minutes before the end of the match, leaving his zone, begins to look for a diagonal pass, although the task for the game is to exit through the near side. As a result, his pass was intercepted in the center and scored into our goal. Then inside I start to “bounce”. I tell myself: "Calm down!" 10 times inhale-exhale, helps to calm down and not lose concentration.

Sometimes guys, if something doesn’t work out for them in the game, they start to “bite”. We say: “You are all different, and the one who makes claims can himself go out through the shift and make exactly the same mistake, so we sat down on the bench, calmed down, and we will analyze the moments later. Now get ready for the next shift." Swearing and panic should not be in any case.

- Another football coach said that he starts reprimanding the player only from the third mistake, when he sees that this is already a trend, not an accident.

- Sometimes players see the coach's eyes and understand everything. But the error is different error. When the opponent played great, so that you didn’t have a chance, that’s one thing, and when it’s a clear blunder on the part of the player, it’s quite another. The player knows for sure that he should not make such mistakes.

For example, we had to remove one of the options for getting out of pressure, because the players lacked skill, although nothing supernatural needs to be done. Our rivals punished us by intercepting the puck, or we ourselves simply could not give the pass accurately. The peculiarity of many VHL players is such that we still sometimes do children's technical exercises.

“We try to have more passes in training: long, short, in touch, from the reception to give” Photo: Aidar Garayshin

- The VHL coach has a hybrid job - you also need to be a children's coach.

- This is also found in the KHL, in Togliatti we also worked with some guys.

- But then you "Lada" had a team above the level of the VHL.

“I understand, but what can I do? We have to train the culture of transmission. Passing is the language of hockey. How much we give exercises to the guys on this element, but still there are a lot of mistakes. In Togliatti, we did this: three team errors in a simple exercise - the coach's whistle, the guys run a circle at speed. In Almetyevsk, they also practiced this - and, you know, it worked.

Is there any progress in two years?

— Yes, but still too many mistakes in simple situations. This year, when we played in the playoffs, in one match we counted 19 errors in the simplest situations, when no one is around, and the player cannot give or receive an accurate pass. I think that for a game, for example, a defender, when no one is attacking him, can make a mistake in a cross pass to his partner once, but not four or five.

Is it a lack of concentration or skill?

- And this and that. Eat different exercises. We try to have more passes in training: long, short, touching, giving from the reception.

How to train concentration?

They must develop this in themselves. The most interesting thing: when you give some kind of punishment, for example, the same run for three mistakes, you see that the players tense up in each attempt and try not to make mistakes. And for the most part, everything is different: it didn’t work out - and that’s fine.

“Once a week we take blood from the players and look at the level of lactate and other important indicators. It is important to monitor the physical condition of the players" Photo: Aidar Garayshin

“I DO NOT TAKE ALCOHOL AT ALL, MY MEDICINE — TRAINING"

Do you keep track of your training heart rate?

- Yes. It all depends on the direction of the training session. If we train endurance, we give long exercises that end at about 150-160 beats per minute. If the pulse is 170-180 beats per minute, then this is already anaerobic work. It cannot be long. The most important thing is recovery: if the athlete finished the exercise on a pulse of 160 beats per minute, then in a minute and a half the latter should fall to 100-120 beats per minute. It starts training with preseason.

Now crosses for general endurance run on a pulse of 140-150 beats per minute, but before we ran on time - a circle for a certain time, no one looked at your pulse. Now they look at it differently. An unprepared person can be ruined in this way.

— How to feel that a player is tired or in bad shape? He can't even come up and complain.

- Firstly, it will be clear that he does not have time in the game. Secondly, in addition to the feelings of the player and the coach, there are objective data: medical indicators. Once a week we take blood from the players and look at the level of lactate and other important indicators. It is important to monitor the physical condition of the players.

— You can't go up to the coach and say that you're tired?

- Of course not. What does "I'm tired" mean? I will hear the player, but I will draw conclusions.

— How is the interaction between the players and the coach? It is believed that it is impossible to communicate directly with the coach.

— Why not? But there is a type of player who starts to get under the skin: “Yes, coach, thank you, coach.” Such a good boy, no one likes that.

— Can a player come up and say: “Coach, I’m sorry, but I can’t play, I have problems at home”?

- Maybe, of course. Everything happens in life, but they never approached me. Here, one player had a child - and he immediately dropped out of hockey life. For example, for the second year in a row, I gathered wives before the playoffs and talked to them. It helps a lot, you learn a lot of interesting things. I am interested in any information about my guys - this is food for thought. Wives say they are not afraid.

After all, they play an important role in the life of any athlete. I know several cases when the wives of athletes swear among themselves and hockey players are also in counter. Can you imagine how this affects relationships within the team?!

Photo: BUSINESS Online

- Personally, how do you deal with stress when the team loses?

- This season, after the games, I went to the gym, squatted with a barbell. If there is a pear, then you can throw out all your negative emotions on it.

— Do hockey players still squat? It seems to be an outdated exercise that aggravates injuries.

- They sit down. Where do you get the strength from? Rubber bands won't help. There are many exercises, but we also use the squat. I will soon be 50 years old - I do the deadlift and squat. The main thing is to maintain the technique and take adequate weights. We also have goalkeeping coach Dmitry Yachanov in the gym, and other assistants. There is nothing special about this. And if, after defeats, you sit and delve into yourself, then this is a big blow to the psyche. I need to be tired to calm down. And the best pill from all this is victory.

- Alcohol calms many people ...

- This is not for me. I don’t drink alcohol at all, because my medicine is training.

— Can players drink alcohol? How do you feel about something like this?

- I am sure that this does not help either in life or in sports. I always tell them: time, place, quantity. I have repeatedly said in an interview that on a day off I will never go up to a player who is sitting in a restaurant with a glass of wine. But everything is within reason: if a hockey player, who is considered a media personality, lies face down in a salad, this is wrong, to put it mildly.

Photo: BUSINESS Online

“SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOU WORK WELL FOR YOUR PAY. NONSENSE!

— What hockey do you try to focus on more?

- I want to see intensive hockey, but not house, but systemic. We try to take the NHL clubs, the matches of the national teams at the World Championships as a guideline. I'm not saying that I looked, took it and everything works. It is clear that the level of players and competition is different, but globally, hockey in the NHL, KHL and VHL is one and the same game with a clear goal: you have to score the puck into the goal. Of course, all ideas, findings and techniques need to be adapted to our hockey.

— Who did you outplay as a coach? We knew that they would play this way and were ready for it.

- This has happened many times. Even in the playoffs, we rebuilt during the games with Saryarka. We won the first two matches, but changed the formation of the defense. It worked. But the key role in the final result was played by the game in unequal lineups, in which the opponent surpassed us.

— How manageable is your team now?

- 80 percent. The problem is that the guys flirt. Again, this is about discipline. For example, for us, the problem is the imposition of a shift when the opponent’s far bench is on. The same "Saryarka" changed better than us during the games.

— And in the KHL, which team do you like the most in terms of the organization of the game?

— CSKA. In terms of organization and system, this is the pinnacle. For example, during positional defense, the puck often reaches the goal after shots, while CSKA almost all shots are blocked. The players are trained and clearly feel the line of the throw: they instantly run at the opponent with the puck, and if he starts to shoot, they immediately block the shot. It seems that the hockey player does not lose the position, but the puck still reaches the goal, that is, he did not block the throw line.

— Hockey in the VHL has become smarter?

“And much faster. He moves forward. The competition has grown, the league is getting younger, the 25-year-old qualification is introduced - you can only keep 10 players of this age. In addition, the coaching staff is being updated, there are many young specialists.

— They say that training needs to be constantly changed, because you can’t do the same tasks every year.

- Exercises can and should change, but the building system training process practically unchanged. We do not have such that we do the same exercises all year round, although, for example, I was told that a very famous Canadian specialist who also worked in the KHL had only five exercises. He worked in all teams according to this principle, even the sequence was always the same. It is rightly said that there are no bad exercises, there is bad execution.

Photo: Aidar Garayshin

— Do you see potential for the next season in this Neftyanik squad?

- In my opinion, it is definitely necessary to rejuvenate the team. Young players are fresh blood, they are hungry for the result. We have excellent conditions in Almetievsk, but some guys quickly get used to good things. This is not only my opinion, many people tell us about this. We sometimes have to just make a person work well for his salary. This is nonsense!

— And at the expense of whom to rejuvenate? "Leopard"?

- Yes, there is Bars, then negotiations are underway with several young players. In addition, you need to understand that any young hockey player is attached to his team, they will not just give him away. For example, in KHL clubs many good players who have outgrown the youth team, but do not reach the level of the first team. They should play in the VHL clubs, after all, this is a higher level than the MHL, and they are “marinated” in the youth team or they sit.

— You have already taught your schemes to experienced players, and young players will have to explain everything again. This is problem?

- No. For example, the Alshevsky brothers came and quickly understood everything. We don’t give anything complicated, we don’t turn hockey upside down. Just a young man should be able to carry out the task of the coaches.

Ilnur Gizatullin

Place of Birth: Kazan.

Player career: Itil (Kazan) - 1991-1995; Ak Bars (Kazan) - 1995-2002; Neftekhimik (Nizhnekamsk) - 2001/02; CSKA (Moscow) - 2001/02; "Neftyanik" (Leninogorsk) - 2003-2005; "Ariada" (Volzhsk) - 2005-2007; "Neftyanik" (Almetievsk) - 2007/08.

Trainer career: Ariada (Volzhsk) - 2009–2014 (head coach); Lada (Tolyatti) — 2014–2017 (senior coach); Neftyanik (head coach) - since 2017.

Achievements as a player: champion of Russia (1998), silver medalist of the Russian championship (2000).

Achievements as a coach: VHL bronze medalist (2013), VHL best coach (2013), VHL bronze medalist (2018)

After it became known about the appointment to the post of head coach of Neftyanik Ilnura Gizatullina, the press service of the Almetyevsk club called the new mentor and took the first interview in a new position.

- Ilnur Alfridovich, for you, Almetyevsk is not a foreign city at all. With what feelings do you return here?

Here in 1987, one might say, I started my playing career. After graduating from school in Kazan, they took me to the Uritsky Sports Complex and immediately sent me to Almetyevsk. In "Neftyanik" I managed to play with his luminaries: Abdulkhaev, Zainullin, Mingazov, Mordvintsev. That season I became, if I'm not mistaken, the team's fourth scorer. (In the 1987/88 season, Ilnur Gizatullin scored 23 washers - Author's note). Therefore, about returning to the city, I have the most pleasant feelings.

This is your third visit to the club. And it turned out that they finished playing in Almetyevsk. And another interesting coincidence - everything that you have connected with Neftyanik is connected with the number seven. The debut took place in 1987, ended their career in 2007. Now, here is 2017 and a new stage in the coaching career.

True, interesting coincidences. I didn't even pay attention to it.

- Have you considered the proposal to head the Neftyanik for a long time? Was it unexpected?

We are with Rafik Yakubov started discussing this option back in March. But I had a valid contract with Lada and I had to work it out. Of course, I wanted to continue my independent work as a head coach. And Almetyevsk is a good option.

- Does the transition from the KHL to the VHL bother you?

The highest tasks are always set before Neftyanik. Especially after the conquest of "Bratina". Is this a plus for you as a coach?

Of course, a plus. I repeat, Neftyanik is a top club and it is simply pointless to set tasks below our level. High goals are always interesting, this is an additional challenge.

Before the holidays, while the issue with the head coach was being resolved, Alexander Shakhvorostov and Evgeny Mukhin worked with the team - also new people in the club. Of the former coaching staff, only Airat Mukhitov remained. What can you say about your coaching staff?

We know each other. But they never worked together before. Guys are experienced. Shakhvorostov and Mukhin have experience in the KHL. They also worked with young people. I think we should be able to. We are the same age. Let's find a contact.

It is known which of the players remains in Neftyanik. In your opinion, how combat-ready is this composition? Do you have any suggestions for new candidates?

Selection work is in full swing. We call Rafik Khabibullovich almost every day. Now the rules have changed, age restrictions have appeared. Therefore, due to circumstances, I had to part with someone. Now we have a point selection. There is a backbone, and the youth is good. Everything will depend on the guys themselves. The team is capable. Well, we are waiting for those who are on viewing in the KHL clubs.

- With whom do you like to work more - with young people or experienced and proven hockey players?

I think there should be a symbiosis here. Hockey has changed a lot. Even when compared with what it was three or four years ago. The so-called total hockey - "five in front, five in the back." This is a very energy intensive style of play. And if a veteran can withstand such a pace, then why not? Plus, he has experience, he can tell young people. But, the veteran must be adequate, understand what he is asked for, what role he has in the team. In general, it makes no difference to me how old the player is - 35 or 17 .

When you worked in Volzhsk, young people from Novokuznetsk showed themselves very well. Does this mean that you manage to find contact with young people?

For me, there are no problems in communication, even with young, even with experienced players. I don't see them as robots. We are all human, we have ups and downs. Each has its own character. You just need to find an approach to everyone, you need to direct a person, become like-minded people and do one thing. To go out on the ice and fight for the name on the back and for the emblem on the chest.

- And it is very important to create a healthy psychological climate in the team.

Certainly. And in this, just, a very large role of experienced players. It's one thing when the coaches talk, it's another thing when the players themselves communicate well with each other, there is a good microclimate. This is very important for victory, and indeed for life. After all, we spend most of the season together: trips, games, training camps.

- What is your coaching credo? What kind of hockey will Neftyanik strive to play?

Probably, I have already mentioned this, as a basis - "five in front, five in the back." This is the call of the times. Even if you look at the last matches of our Olympic team, how the same Swiss played. How quickly they switch from defense to attack. The defender, if he sees that he can go forward, he must go forward. Of course, serious attention will be paid to defensive play. No defense anywhere. Let's just say - there will be systemic hockey.