Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov: "Before the match with CSKA, enthusiasm reigns inside"

— You've been on the team for almost three weeks now. How have you adapted to the new conditions? Who helped the most at first?

— The guys took it well, that's the most important thing. I think after a week I have already adapted to the team. The guys I knew before joining Dynamo helped – Danya Glebov, Maxim Osipenko and Dima Skopintsev, we crossed paths with them at Rostov.

— After the game with Sochi, Valery Karpin said that you are not in optimal shape yet. How do you feel now in terms of physics?

— I feel much better now. I additionally worked with the physical training coach Luis Martinez twice a day. In principle, I feel much better when compared with the match against Sochi.

— You worked with Valery Georgievich for a year and a half at Rostov, you said that you learned a lot from him. Did his figure become one of the main factors in the transition to Dynamo?

— Valery Georgievich Karpin is the man who invited me from Kazakhstan to Russia and opened my way to the Russian Premier League. He is a very important person in my football career, so, of course, I can say that this was a key factor in making the decision to transfer to Dynamo.

— How has he changed in the last 5 years? Have his requirements for players changed?

— In principle, nothing has changed globally. Maybe there is more discipline and demands on the players. This is something I noticed right away.

— You said that you are very happy to return to the RPL, which has a special vibe. What is it expressed in?

— I played in Turkey for two years, and there the mentality is still different, everything is arranged differently. No one spoke Russian there at all, it was hard for me to adapt. But here, from the very first days, everything was completely different: everything comes easy to me, I saw the guys, heard old jokes, that is, everything is cool, cool feelings.

— In the RPL, you scored the most goals (3) against Spartak. Your favorite opponent?

— You can say, yes. So it happened. Maybe it was an accident, and maybe not (smiles).

— Which vibe is in the Turkish championship? How different is it from the Russian one?

— Completely different. There is a Muslim country, a different culture of pain. You can even see babies at matches, families go there. That is, you already know from birth who you will be rooting for. In Russia, a lot has changed over the past three years, and the first thing that caught my eye was the fans.

— What was the most difficult thing for you in terms of adapting to Turkey?

— I think the language. In this regard, it was difficult to adapt. In terms of Muslim culture, Turkey and Kazakhstan can be said to be similar, but it was the language that was the real barrier for me. The first six months it was hard to communicate with the guys, coaches, but then I adapted.

— 5 head coaches have changed in Besiktas in two years, how hard is it to prove yourself in such conditions?

— Maybe even more. There were also acting coaches, and I counted nine coaches in general. Of course, it's hard. In addition to the constant change of coaches, three or four club presidents have changed. But every coach has his own requirements, which need to be adjusted to. It was a difficult period. However, the first year turned out to be good.

— How to evaluate this period as a whole. What do you remember most?

— I would divide it into two parts. The first year was great, we played in European competitions, I played almost all the matches in the group stage of the Europa League. In the second season, with the arrival of Van Bronkhorst, I sat down on the bench, and after he left, I started playing again. But he got injured, which is why he missed about six months.

— In your debut match for Dynamo, you came out on the left in attack, and in the second – in the center of defense. How are you given such realignments?

— The most important thing for a football player is to be on the field and play. Of course, sometimes it's hard: it's easier to rebuild from attack to defense, and from defense to attack - more difficult. But nothing, somehow I adapt and get used to it. I repeat, the main thing is to play and help the team.

— Tell me your favorite position on the field.

— Just being on the field (laughs). To be honest, I'm already a little confused myself, but for the last four years I've been playing left–back, both at Besiktas and at CSKA. In principle, I feel comfortable in this position.

— You demonstrated your versatility at CSKA, where you played in all possible positions. With what emotions do you remember this time?

— I spent three wonderful years at CSKA. At that time, it was, one might say, my second family. It was hard to leave the club, I said goodbye to the guys for a week. It was a good time, which I always remember with warmth.

— Are you in contact with someone from the army now?

— Plus or minus, I correspond with all the guys in instant messengers. We support each other, congratulate each other on victories, some achievements. I mostly communicate with Oblyakov, Diveev, as well as Chalov and Kuchaev, who no longer play for CSKA.

— With what feelings are you looking forward to Sunday's match?

— There is some kind of enthusiasm inside, I'm looking forward to the game. I will not say that this is some kind of fundamental match, but it is important for us to score points and correct the situation in the standings.

— CSKA started the season well, won the Super Cup, goes undefeated in the championship, defeated Rubin in the last round. How to stop the army?

— Valery Georgievich will show us how to stop CSKA. We are preparing, watching videos, analyzing theories and should approach this match in the best possible conditions. We will try to interrupt their series without defeats.