One of the main heroes of the 1995 Russian Cup, Andrei Smetanin, recalled the final match at Luzhniki Stadium, the victory celebration and the instructions of Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov.
– Are you in great shape, are you continuing your active sports life?
– Now I play for veterans, I work in Moskomsport in the Youth of Moscow Sports Club, where I train young goalkeepers. We also conduct training camps in Astrakhan, where parents with children of any age can come. There is a luxurious accommodation, food, all conditions at the base: fishing, tennis, volleyball, basketball, you can go on boats. In general, everything you need for rest and training.
– At the last home match of Dynamo, your 1995 team, which won the Russian Cup, was honored. How do you like the event?
– It's great that we are not forgotten. The club management supported this idea, with which the president of the Dynamo veterans Club, Vladimir Vladimirovich Dolbonosov, came. Everything turned out great, we met with the guys. I haven't seen someone for a long time, we meet with someone all the time. It would be great to be constantly invited to such events. Unfortunately, we only won the Cup in 1995. Yes, there was silver and bronze, but it's still not the same. The main prize is either first place in the championship, or victory in the Cup.
– Who do you communicate with most often from that team?
– We constantly meet with Eric Yakhimovich, with Lesha Kutsenko. Vitalik Safronov lives in one place, Ruslan Ishkinin lives in another. Sergey Bogomolov works in Khimki. Mostly I meet with those guys who play on the "Never-Fading Stars".
– Now teams play at least 12 matches before the Cup final. Was it easier to win in your time?
– Judging by the number of games, yes. We played five games – almost three times less. Naturally, it was easier than with the new draw system.
– Do you like this format of the Cup?
– People like it, fans come, visit stadiums more often, watch their favorite teams more often. Plus, a lot of young people are put on these cup matches, who then get into the main squad, gain a foothold and start playing.
– Do you often remember your first big trophy?
– When someone approaches or there are shots on television. Calls are coming right away: "Look, they're showing you!" That's when they say, then I remember.
– Konstantin Beskov was the coach of that team. How do you remember it? What was its uniqueness?
– He really was a unique coach. When I joined the team, there was talk that Beskov would come right now and tighten the screws. But everything was calm. Maybe someone didn't like him, but everything was cool with me. When we played in the final, everything was calm too. Not like now, when crazy people are running around the edge.
Before the penalty shootout, Beskov approached the correspondent and said in a calm voice: "Well, why are you filming us? Remove the Rotor command. Another person would have yelled at a reporter in his place. Konstantin Ivanovich, on the installation, conveyed to us this calmness of his, which was important because we had half the teams young. And we calmly went to the match and played.
– Beskov never raised his voice?
– I raised it when it was necessary. But before this game, he understood that half of the base does not play for various reasons and there are a lot of young people in the squad. So everything turned out great.
– You said that there were a lot of young people in the squad, and Rotor was perceived as an unequivocal favorite at that time. Did you believe that he could be defeated?
– Yes, we believed, that's why we won. The confidence of Konstantin Ivanovich and Adamas Solomonovich Golodets was transferred to us, and we calmly went out and won. Yes, Rotor had the main squad, they said that they had ordered a banquet there in advance – we already found out after the match. Well, well done, but the score is on the scoreboard!
– And as a result, the match turned out to be quite equal without any overwhelming advantage.
– Yes, we had one good moment in the first half. Lech Kutsenko and Vitalik Safronov fell out on the goalkeeper and could have scored, but it's good that they didn't score. Who knows what would have happened there later. And so we played 0-0 and won on penalties.
– But it might not have reached them – after all, at the end of extra time, a penalty was awarded to your goal.
– Igor Siner gave a penalty, which was not. He was standing two meters away and saw everything. Maybe he overheated too, because it was already the 117th minute. Then we met him. He kept saying, "I was, I was." I told him: "Let's get serious!" and he confessed. "A stone has fallen from the soul?", I say. He answers: "Yes!" Well, well done.
– After Oleg Veretennikov did not score a penalty, Dynamo captain Sergei Podpaly was removed, and this episode did not even get into the broadcast. What happened there?
"He said something to Siner. Maybe he heard it himself, maybe the assistants suggested it. Sergey received a red card and gave me the captain's armband.
– Did she add emotions and mood to you before the decisive penalty shootout?
– No, the armband does not apply to the penalty shootout. But confidence is spreading in the guys, coaches, doctors, massage therapists – in general, in everyone who was at the match at that moment.
– It was already your second penalty shootout in that Cup draw, because before that, in the quarterfinals with Lokomotiv, you also pulled out the decisive blow.
– Konstantin Ivanovich is there again – well done, I read this moment. The score is 2:2, the 118th minute is coming, and they shout to me: "Go, Konstantin Ivanovich is calling you!" I run up, and they let me out to replace. I go out and think: God forbid someone will hit the goal in these two minutes. As a result, I caught the fifth penalty from Smirnov. We won 5-4 and went on.
– That is, you didn't know in advance that you would go to a penalty shootout?
– No, it was a shock, to be honest. It was in this state that I caught the ball (laughs).
– Were you just guessing or trying to react?
– It is almost impossible to react if only the ball flies nearby. React – don't react, you won't get it anyway. We played in the Czech Republic with Hradec Kralove, and the boys trained penalties there at the stadium. Once he punched into one corner, then into the other. And I thought, if there are penalties, then I will jump like that. As a result, he did so, reflecting three penalties in a row.
– Konstantin Ivanovich called this victory a feat after the match – do you agree with him?
– Well, naturally. How not a feat? This was created!
– They wrote that in the locker room even champagne was not prepared in advance, right?
– We didn't cook much, but it's good that there was a restaurant nearby. Our receptionist quickly ran out and brought everything, so we had a full cup of champagne. I took a sip and ran away – I felt bad because of dehydration. It was hot, nervous tension – all together.
– How did you celebrate afterwards?
– Then we went to a restaurant. The wife of one of the players had a birthday, so we sat there. Nothing special! The next day was a day off, and the next day we all met at the base and began to prepare for the next match.
– What was the atmosphere at the final match? Did you feel the support of the fans?
– I looked at the protocol – there were twenty thousand people at that game, which, of course, is not so many for Luzhniki, but we heard our fans well.
– They wrote that they were carrying you to the club bus in their arms, was there such a thing?
– There is even a video confirming this. When I left the stadium, they broke through the cordon, picked me up in their arms and carried me to the bus. It was, yes. We still communicate with many Dynamo fans. Well, which other veteran team is so rooting for? Only for Dynamo! They come to every tour and support us with drums and chants.
– Now the players are competing on how to take a more original picture with the trophies. Did they give you the Cup to take home then?
– No, we just took a general photo. Whoever wanted to, took a picture. And so we just made a lap of honor with the cup and that's it.
– When are you waiting for the next Dynamo trophy?
– I would like to have a new coach next year!