Kirill Panchenko: Return to Dynamo brought me the second youth

– You played your first match in your adult career for Dynamo Stavropol, you scored the most goals for Dynamo Moscow, where you are now starting a new stage in your life. It turns out that Dynamo is fate for you?

– It turns out so. My professional career began in Stavropol Dynamo. After junior football, I decided to try my hand at the Second League right away, and fate itself brought me together with Dynamo. And after a while I started playing for Dynamo Moscow. Therefore, we can really say that Dynamo means a lot to me in my football career. I have always treated the fans, the club staff, and all the players with great respect, because Dynamo is truly imbued with the spirit of a great team.

– It's been 4.5 years since you left the club. Did you miss Novogorsk? Have you noticed any changes?

– Of course I missed you. Returning to Dynamo was my dream. Thank God, this dream has come true, which I am very happy about. Certain changes have taken place, the base has become even better. The lobby at the base was made in blue and white colors, a lot was changed in the gym, I saw a new hall for theory, a hall for physio. Well, the fields, as they were then of high quality, have remained.

– Last year you said that there were no thoughts about ending your career. What has changed during this time?

– To be honest, until now I could not imagine that my life would change so dramatically. Just recently, I said that I felt the strength in myself, I could really continue to play. But it was stupid to refuse such a good option with the team, where they are waiting for me and where the coach who is personally interested in me is calling me. I had very few such offers, so I made this decision.

At the beginning of 2025, while on vacation, I met a physical training coach, Andrei Igorevich Gorbants. We have been friends for a long time, played together, communicate with families. He offered to train with Dynamo-2 for a while to keep fit. I thought: Besides, putting on a uniform with the letter "D" on the chest was a great inspiration for me. Everything worked out quickly, for which I would like to say a big thank you to Pavel Alekseevich Alpatov. He warned the management of the club, headed by Dmitry Alexandrovich Gafin, who also went to meet.

After 3-4 training sessions, I realized that the guys treat me with great respect. It was cool, I felt like a full-fledged member of the team and as if I had found a second youth. We talked a lot with the guys both at meals and in the locker rooms. I immersed myself in the atmosphere of training camps with them, which is what I needed. Then everything turned around quickly, we talked with Pavel Alekseevich, discussed further cooperation. As a result, he and Dmitry Alexandrovich offered me to join the Deuce coaching staff, develop young people and share my experience. Thanks to Pavel Konstantinovich Pivovarov for supporting this decision.

I came home and discussed everything with my family. I talked a lot with my dad, who wanted me to continue my career. As a result, many factors have fused together. I think that it is necessary to constantly analyze everything that is happening and take the right step in time, as in my case. And now I don't regret anything.

– Did you quickly find a common language with Pavel Alpatov?

– We were acquainted with Pavel Alekseevich. When I got my first B license, I had to do an analysis of the training process for my exam, and at that time I was still playing for Dynamo. I don't remember who I asked, perhaps the director of the Academy, Alexander Yuryevich Kuznetsov. And he sent me to Pavel Alekseevich, who coached the 2004 team. This is fate! He gave me 2-3 training sessions then, and now during the week-long cycle in Novogorsk we remembered those times with Richard Golovachev and Eugene Ibragimov. Then they were so small, and now there are already some guys.

We had a very good conversation with Pavel Alekseevich on the third day of training. He shared with me his coaching vision, how he sees the process itself, what tasks he sets. He is very much immersed in football. He gives his assistants some discussions, but all decisions are always his. That's good.               

– What functions does he see for you? What do you think you can give to young football players?

– I will have the functions of a full-fledged coach at the headquarters. I can take part in every exercise, discussion or theory, just like other coaches. We are building live communication. When I need to participate in the training process, help with something, or if someone is missing, I will also connect.

At this stage I can share my experience with the guys. When we are working on the completion, I ask you not to make my mistakes: not to hit higher or past, it's better to give the goalkeeper a chance to make a mistake, that is, to hit the corners with the bottom. I advise you more on attacking actions – how to open up, in which leg to pass.  

– How important is it for you to start coaching with youth work?

– I think this is the right step. To start a coaching story, you need to try your hand at working with young football players. Not with very young ones, but with 17-20-year-olds who are growing up, progressing every day, and you live this life with them, get emotions from them, share knowledge, give advice. It is very important to get stronger from a coaching point of view. If a young player absorbs my knowledge, then I will be able to work with older players, because there is a huge difference between them.

If you come to adult football right away, it will be more difficult. There are, of course, examples of Julian Nagelsmann and other coaches who are already leading national teams at the age of 35. But these are isolated cases. Most likely, that's how the stars turned out. But I wouldn't want to do that, I honestly admit. I want to get stronger here first, direct my thoughts in the right direction, and then gradually move forward.

– You said that you have already graduated to category B. It turns out that you have been planning to become a coach for a long time and have not considered other areas?

– Of course, I thought about it. I got a category B back in 2019, and even then I had similar thoughts. Football is a sport when it seems that you have been playing for a very long time, but in fact you realize that your whole career has flown by like one month. I could not have thought that I would be a Dynamo coach. Even now I still don't fully realize, it seems that this is some kind of dream. I can say that one of my dreams – to become a Dynamo coach – has already come true.

– You followed in the footsteps of your old friend Vladimir Rykov, who also started as Pavel Alpatov's assistant, and now works at RPL. Has he been consulted?

– Now Vladimir Vladimirovich and I are colleagues. At the same time, I made the decision myself, and Volodya and I did not talk about working in the "two". When I was already taken to the headquarters, he congratulated me, and we discussed it. It is clear that now we will communicate in a different way – not as a football player and coach, but as coaches.

Such decisions, probably, should always be made by yourself and with your family. I made this decision and I am very pleased with it. I join the coaching staff, I like everything, everyone is very friendly and helps each other. I see great potential in our coaching staff.

– You have worked with a lot of famous coaches. Whose style is closest to you?

– It is difficult to single out one person. I tried to take something from everyone. Football does not stand still, and dominance on the field is a top priority, as is playing from a position of strength. This is exactly what you need to strive for. At one time it was Leonid Slutsky, who had a gorgeous CSKA team with very high-quality legionnaires and good Russian players in the prime of life. At that moment Slutsky gave me a lot as a player, and now I'm analyzing it as a coach.

I repeat, I took a lot of information from someone and now I will study, immerse myself in coaching. First of all, I would note ball control, a quick transition from defense to attack and back. That is, the way everyone tries to play in modern football.

– Do you remember the moment when, as a football player, you began to think about what a coaching career awaits you, and began to celebrate and record something for yourself?

– Most likely, these are my last years as a player. In my first year at Khimki, when we were coming out of the First League in the RPL, I didn't have much playing time. It's not that I directly thought that I would end my career and become a coach. There were thoughts in terms of analyzing the training process, communicating with the guys, behavior in the team – such nuances were spinning in my head. But I didn't go with a notebook (smiles).

In my second year at Khimki, I was already analyzing the exercises given by Frank Artiga in many ways. By the way, he had good and qualified training sessions, and I took a lot for myself from there – for example, video materials. It's no secret that the Spanish school is one of the strongest in the world, and it was interesting to me.

– Let's remember your Dynamo career. How did it happen that you decided to move to the FNL, becoming the champion of Russia with CSKA?

– That's a good question. By the way, recently my father and I discussed this topic and recalled how he urged me to take this step. I think any sane person will say that this is impossible: you become the champion of the RPL with CSKA, Dynamo takes off in the RPL in parallel, and you go to the First League. Probably, out of ten football players, nine will not go for it.

I must pay tribute to my father, who insisted on this transition and said that Dynamo would return to the Premier League in a year. My father, as a former athlete who has given more than 45 years to football and is doing it to this day, understood that such a great club as Dynamo could not be in the First League, because a combat-ready team was going, the task was to immediately return to the Premier League, which eventually happened. Of course, I thought about it for a long time and finally decided.

– You can be called the brightest star of the darkest period in the club's history, spent outside the elite division. How did you remember that season?

– As I remember now, in the first round we beat Tyumen 3-0, I score two goals, then we go to Krasnoyarsk and draw 0-0, and then everything went as planned. The team got stronger, the fans started supporting us, it was very cool, there were 3-4 thousand fans on the field trips, and the victories came. There was a great atmosphere at the stadiums, everything was perfect in the locker room, and I realized that I had done everything right.

From the very first round it became clear that Dynamo had no place in this league. I was a new player, and there were legends in the team like Anton Shunin, Alexey Kozlov, who did not leave in difficult times. Sasha Sapeta also came. They gave the team the necessary impetus. These guys said literally the following: "We need to get the fans back to the stadium as soon as possible – they are sick in body and soul, giving their strength, energy and emotions, and the result was very bad."

I somehow immediately imbued with this idea, this spirit, and we have a good, strong team that understands the whole situation. And everything went very cool. After the misfire in Krasnoyarsk, we got on the right track – one victory followed another, and by winter there was an understanding that we were confidently going in first place. Tosno also walked confidently and at some point almost caught up with us, but competent training camps and the right attitude to the situation led to the fact that we had a great spring and deservedly returned to the RPL.

– One of the main shots of your Dynamo career was this celebration of the first goal after returning to the RPL against Spartak. Full stands, an atmosphere of hope and celebration. And what is your most vivid memory of the 4 years spent at the club?

– The first is probably the exit from the First League to the RPL. We were still that emotional team, but with a large army of fans. Everyone knows the status of the Dynamo – Spartak derby. There was a full stadium in Khimki. As for the goal scored, it was not some kind of preparation, but an arbitrary celebration. I kind of showed that I'm fighting for the letter "D." In principle, many players fought for the letter "D", so after my goal I directly pointed to the club logo, and it became a cool story.

– If not this cool story, then what else?

– Definitely, the whole season in the FNL. And, probably, I will call the opening of the VTB Arena after reconstruction the third. I remember that in the first match we played a productive 3-3 draw with Arsenal Tula.

– Do you remember that double at the opening match of our stadium?

– I remember every goal I scored for Dynamo, I can even describe it in detail. Probably, I just can't remember who gave the transmission, but so, in general, I remembered everything.

– From the team from which you left, only Igor Leshchuk and Dmitry Skopintsev remained. Do you keep in touch with them?

– When we meet, of course, we always communicate warmly. And with Igor, and with Dima. We were just talking after the last match at VTB Arena.

– Which of the former Dynamo teammates can you call the main friends with whom you communicate most often?

– Definitely, this is Anton Shunin. He was one of the first to congratulate me. Then Volodya Rykov, Dr. Sasha Rodionov – we have known each other for a very long time, and we have a very good relationship. Yes, a lot of people, to be honest. It is worth mentioning about those people who helped me a lot then – for example, Gennady Fedorovich Samodurov, a Roma driver and uncle Kolya (Dynamo massage therapist Nikolai Larin). Now I work with his son (doctor of Dynamo-2 Ivan Larin). His dynasty continues. That's great. We also met with the cook – with Aunt Tanya. Many people I know were happy to receive the information about my return to Dynamo.

– Out of more than 100 goals scored in your career, do you have a favorite one?

– I will name the top three goals. The first was a goal at VTB Arena in the opening match with Arsenal, when I managed to break through Nigmatullin. The second goal, of course, is the same ball in the goal of Spartak. And the third, probably, in a fall through himself into the gates of SKA-Khabarovsk, still in the First League.

– In the return match in Khabarovsk, you then scored a hat-trick, and until recently it remained the last for Dynamo. Only in October, El-Mehdi Mauhub scored three times for the Wings. How do you like the new Moroccan forward of Dynamo?

– I like him as a player – so sharp, explosive. Honestly, I didn't follow him so closely, but as far as I noticed, he has good data, high-quality completion of the attack. I think he will benefit Dynamo.  

– You are one of the top 10 goalscorers of the club in Russian history. Konstantin Tyukavin overtook you last year. Is he the main striker in the Russian championship right now?

– Definitely, yes. Without any doubt. I've known Kostya in general since childhood, I'm sure of his potential. He still has a lot to go through and score a lot of goals. He is capable of this, he has a very unconventional thinking for an attacking football player, which is only worth his recent goal with his heel! This is a diverse football player who can create a moment for himself out of nothing and score a goal, plays great with his back to the goal, can play along with a partner, unfolds very competently. Therefore, I believe that Kostya is number one of the Russian forwards at the moment. If you take foreigners, then with Cordoba they are now the two top strikers of the RPL.

– What can novice coach Kirill Panchenko advise Tyukavin today?

– Kostya also has a sports family, Dad is a legend, albeit in a different sport, so I'm sure he's being held in the right hands. I want to tell him one thing: there is no limit to perfection. Let him not stop there, improve every day as a person, as an athlete, and also in everyday life, because he has a wonderful family. And I'm not ready to advise anything yet.

– You said that Kostya's father has the right influence on him. And how would you rate Viktor's contribution to your career?

– How huge. First of all, his love of sports was passed on to me. When Dad was a KAMAZ player, I was already at the training base at the age of 5-6, walking, kicking balls. It was interesting for me to follow my dad. My father even took me on field trips, that is, since childhood I have been immersed in this process. The most interesting thing was to be on the field. Dad called the team administrator, and in his presence I hit the goal. When we moved from Naberezhnye Chelny to another city in Stavropol, to Dad's homeland, he became the director of the team there, and my story continued. I was already 9-10 years old.

Then Dad smoothly moved to Moscow and began working at CSKA in the sports block. Of course, I came with him, and he sent me to the Lokomotiv boarding school, then there was the CSKA school, then Lokomotiv again. There I graduated from school, did not pass the double and went to Stavropol Dynamo. That is, my whole conscious football life was laid for me by my father.

– Can you name any significant instructions of your father that you remember, in addition to the advice to go to Dynamo?

– Dad gave a lot of valuable advice, we talked a lot on different topics. We discussed how to earn money, manage finances, and how to behave properly in society. I'll tell you about the moment when I graduated from the football academy and was selected for the double. I was not accepted into it, and I did not understand where to go next. I was still a young man myself, my head is foggy, there are no thoughts. And Dad made me reconsider this situation.

There were six months left before the transfer to Dynamo Stavropol, and I went to KFK. Although he said: "Why do I need it at all?" And different thoughts visited me then, but my father immediately besieged me: "You will go to the KFK!" The team of his friend, the great coach Valery Vasilyevich Chetverik, who brought him up at the time, performed there. This team "Auto" played in the championship of Moscow, and it was sponsored by a bus fleet. And in order for us to be paid a salary, the players had to get a job there. I was a repairman of the third category of the 16th bus fleet of the Domodedovo metro station. I was registered there, and we played at VDNKH behind the Cosmos Hotel.

And I went. It is clear that the level of the tournament was specific, but mostly adult men played there. I scored 15-20 goals, and I realized that I came out of youth football and could play with men. Dad made this transition on purpose so that I would understand it. I was 18 years old, and football players 10-15 years older came out against me. And I said to myself: "It seems to be working, so why not try it?" And I went to Dynamo Stavropol. That's how my professional career began.

– You have always treated the fans with respect: I even remember the story when you brought pizza to an Arsenal fan who went on a hunger strike due to the team's poor results. What stories of communication with Dynamo fans do you remember?

– There were a lot of stories. And there were enough good moments. We still have a very warm relationship and communicate with some fans. When we had defeats in the Premier League, we approached the fans. There should be live communication, because the fan comes to the stands to enjoy the game of his team, positive emotions. And he will never forgive you if you play carelessly. You can lose, but fight to the end. 

I myself have such a motto in life. You can't be condescending to yourself, you need to prove something to someone every day. The main thing is not to be indifferent. That's probably why I have such a warm relationship with the fans, because I've never played carelessly.

– The fans dedicated the slogan to you: No Pancha, no party. And what phrase or expression would you describe your career?

– An exciting journey.

– Are you generally satisfied with your career or do you have any regrets?

– Yes, I am satisfied. I can only regret one thing that I didn't manage to realize myself in football to the end. I think that even the conditional Ronaldo will probably say about the same thing at the end of his career: "It's a pity that he didn't score 1,500 goals!"

– They write on the Internet that at the beginning of your career you had the nickname "Mordovian Colin Farrell" because of your resemblance to a famous actor. Did you have any more vivid nickname?

– In childhood, probably, when we were playing in the yard. I already had the makings of a football player then. We played football with our peers at school or in two touches when we kicked each other's goals. It was a great time! And one guy was saying, you're Magic, that is, a magician, why are you beating us all the time? Friends outside of sports still call me that.

– Do you have a favorite actor?

– Yes, I don't even know. Let it be Yuri Nikulin from our Soviet films.

– What films are you planning to watch at the training camp in Turkey?

– I honestly admit that I will definitely not watch a single movie here. Now I'm definitely not up to movies. Pavel Alekseevich gave me a laptop with viewing and analysis of training sessions, games, team DNA. There is something to do. We are making a training plan. There is no free time at all. Now I am completely immersed in coaching.

– What is your immediate goal in your new field, and is there already some kind of global dream related to this?

– First I want to adapt to the situation. It's actually not that simple. First of all, I plan to gain experience and knowledge from our coaching staff. During the discussion, everyone expresses their opinion. For me, it's very good when there is live communication. I want to learn this. A dream? Let my first dream be connected with Dynamo-2, so that we can solve the tasks that the team will face.