Blue and white defender Leon Zaydenzal spoke about his competition with Juan Caceres, the upcoming duel with Akhmat and his favorite subject at school.
– The team won two derbies in a row. Is the atmosphere now the same as it was in the locker room after the match with Lokomotiv?
– Of course, after two victories, the atmosphere is great, everyone has a high fighting spirit, we are preparing for the next matches and plan to continue the winning streak.
– Has Kurban already received a new nickname after finishing the game in a helmet?
– Yes, right after the match, they started calling him Kurban Cech or just the Cech, because he looked too much like the famous goalkeeper.
– This season you are the leader of the team in the percentage of single combats won (81). Due to what have you increased in this aspect lately?
– I always try to win in single combats and work for the good of the team. The fact that this season it turns out to stand out so much is all the merit of the coaching staff and the team. Now we have a lot of competition for a place in the squad, there is a high level of resistance in training, so this is our common merit, not just mine.
– Three Dynamo players are in the top 10 of the league for this indicator at once. Sandro Schwarz puts a lot of emphasis on martial arts?
– Sandro always says that you need to win as many duels as possible, because the game consists of micro episodes. And the more we win them, the more chances we will have to win the match.
– Tell me about Sandro's requirements for extreme defenders. How do you like working with him in general?
– I really like working with him, all the requirements are clear and clear. They are very similar to the ones we had at Dynamo-2 when Pavel Alekseevich Alpatov coached him. It is clear that he learned a lot from Sandro during his first visit to Dynamo.
– For the first six rounds you have already had three starts in the RPL, whereas for the whole last season there were only four. Do you feel that you are ready to impose competition on Juan Caceres?
– I'm trying. Juan and I have a very good relationship. Looking at him, I see my growth zone. I have approached him more than once and asked about different aspects, because he played against the giants at the World Cup, he has seen a lot. So competing with him only makes me stronger.
– Juan also noted your good relationship. How do you communicate with him?
– Most often through an interpreter. We always wish each other good luck, praise each other for good crosses or selections, so we have friendly relations.
– Who impressed you the most at the World Cup?
– I can't remember now. I was very happy for my teammates: that Luis entered the field after an injury, even though he played a little there, that Juan showed himself well. I am glad that Spain won, because it promotes football in the way we love it – more playing with the ball, more attacks, hidden passes.
– There was a very high level of wrestling at the World Championships. In the RPL, we see that not all referees comply with it, especially with regard to violations in the penalty area. Which judging is closer to you?
– It's closer for me when they give me more to hit, fight and play, because football is a men's sport. Each judge has his own requirements, so you can't indiscriminately say that this one judges badly, and that one judges well. Everyone has a growth zone – both players and referees. So they have the same thing: the more games, the faster the development.
– There is a cup match ahead with Akhmat, which has been scoring a lot lately. What kind of match awaits the fans?
– We will play to win and give all our strength so that this match ends with a positive result. And, of course, we will try to keep our gates intact. "Akhmat" is a very good, fighting team with character, so we are waiting for an interesting match. I invite everyone to the stadium.
– Lechi Sadulaev, whom you already played against in November, will probably face you on the flank. How difficult is it to act against such a dribbler?
– Every confrontation and every duel in the match is individual and interesting. Of course, I watched his matches and cuts, I noticed something, but each match is a separate page in which you need to show yourself. Let's see which one of us will be stronger.
– This week everyone celebrated the Day of Knowledge. Tell me about your favorite subject at school.
– My favorite along with physical education was mathematics. It has always been easy for me to work with numbers. I had three schools – two in Krasnodar and one in Moscow. And the fact that I had to join new teams has developed my communication skills. I've always come across people who helped me get used to it, so only the warmest memories remain. I want everyone to succeed, and I am very grateful to those who happened to be on my life path.
– School years for you are a performance in the SFL. Recently Dynamo celebrated 1000 goals scored in this league. Remember your most beautiful.
– Perhaps it will be a goal against UOR No. 5 in the match, which was my first as a fullback. We didn't have enough people in this position, and the coach decided to try me there. I scored a goal in the very first game, which helped me gain a foothold in this role, in which I later proved myself at the base.