Dynamo head coach Sandro Schwartz spoke to reporters before the opening match of the season against Krylia Sovetov.
– What is the state of the team before the start of the season? Are all the players ready?
– It will be necessary to check a couple of players at pre-match training, and then we will determine the starting lineup for the game with the Wings. After five weeks of pre-season, I can say that we have made good steps forward in terms of the intensity of the game and the work with the ball. We managed to create a good atmosphere in the team, and we are looking forward to the start of the championship.
– The match will be judged by a 24-year-old referee who has never worked at RPL matches before. How did you react to this appointment?
– I congratulate him on his first game in the RPL. It's great that he was assigned to the game at that age, so I hope that he will have a successful debut tomorrow.
– I would like to know your opinion about the presentation of the new uniform, and what does the victory badge mean to you, which has become a central element on T-shirts?
– It was a great event in GUM, I was very glad to see everyone. It's great that it took place three days before the match so that we could feel the rhythm of the city and switch for a few hours. V means victory, so tomorrow we want to take three points and continue to win, but for this we need to work, work and work again.
– What can you say about the opponent?
– We watched several pre-season games and matches of last season. They play according to the 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 scheme, act aggressively and compactly. Against such teams, it is very important to organize high-quality possession of the ball. "Wings" are dangerous when going on the attack, so if we lose the ball, we need to immediately counterpress.
– Denis Makarov, with whom you have already worked, moved to Samara in the summer. It will certainly be a crucial match for him. Did you focus on it in preparation for this game?
– We have been in touch with him, so it will be great to see him again. He's a very good player, but I don't want to give him too much confidence with my words (laughs).
– Is Rubens ready to start in the starting lineup?
– Rubens played 20 minutes in the match against Akron and this week he fully spent the entire training cycle in the general group, so he is ready.
– Should we expect surprises in the composition, for example, young Timofey Marinkin?
– We had a big rotation in the pre-season games, and I can say that all the players are in good shape. We need the whole squad, given that we have 12 matches to play in the next 7 weeks. I have a starting lineup in my head for tomorrow's match, but first I have to announce it to the team, so you'll see everything already on the field.
– What is the condition of Juan Caceres after his return, and whether to wait for him on the field?
– Juan arrives today, so he will receive an individual load and, of course, will not play tomorrow. The same goes for Luis Chavez.
– Caceres did a great job at the World Cup and was able to close down one of the best strikers in the world, Kylian Mbappe. What can you say about his performance?
– It was great to watch him and his team, which showed incredible emotions and aggressiveness on the field. It's great that Juan was an important part of this team. We have been in touch all this time, and I congratulated him on his victory over Germany in the playoffs. I'm really looking forward to seeing you and working together.
– We did not see Bakhtiyor Zainutdinov in the preseason. How is he doing?
– At the beginning of the preparation, he trained with the team, but then there were health problems that he had already had before. We believe that he will overcome them and return to the field.
– Milan Majstorovic was supposed to return to the general group this week. How is his condition?
– In the first couple of days he partly trained with the team and partly individually, but yesterday he was already working with a full load. He will be in the application, so we'll see if he comes on the field or stays on the bench.
– This summer there was a lot of talk about the possible departure of Konstantin Tyukavin, but the club management said that he was staying. Is this a confirmation of the club's ambitions for you?
– Of course, Dynamo is a big club with big goals. Bales is a very important player for us and a wonderful person. He has made tremendous progress in the last four years. I once discussed this story with Kostya, and it was a frank conversation. He works extremely professionally at every training session and feels responsible to the club, so I'm glad to have such a player in my team.
– Victor Okishor, Dmitry Alexandrov and Egor Smelov will start the season in the main team?
– Dima has been absent for a long time due to a serious injury, so now he needs to catch the rhythm of the game, so tomorrow he will play for Dynamo-2. Egor spent all the preparation with us, and we had a frank conversation with him. Now we have to find the best option that will suit both sides. Vitya has made good progress, he can play both eight and on the flank. He works well with the ball, understands our pressure system, behaves boldly on the field. This is an open person who is ready to learn new things. I am sure that he will get his minutes this season.
– What is your vision of the situation with El-Mehdi Mauhub? Are you not counting on him?
– Mehdi had an injury for ten days. We had an open and frank conversation with him, and in the next couple of weeks both sides will decide how we will proceed.
– You achieved a good result in your first visit, but the team has not won trophies for a long time, and everyone is waiting for it. Does it put extra pressure on you or, conversely, is it an interesting challenge?
– I returned to the team after 4 years and I would not like to compare these two periods. There have been a lot of changes in the team. Of course, there are details that need to be worked on and improved. But I can say that the team will continue to play as intensively as before, press the opponent and give their best. I would like to note the Fraternal derby, in which we had a very intense first half, led 4-1 and in the second half we should have had more possession of the ball. This point we still have to improve.
– There is a long season in the RPL, and given the not always favorable weather conditions and long flights, how logical is it to adhere to such an energy-intensive style of play throughout it?
– I am not afraid of the upcoming 30 championship matches and at least 6 cup games – although I hope there will be many more. We have a good squad and we are counting on every player. My task will be to maintain their readiness at the highest level throughout the season.
– How will you spend tonight?
– I'll watch the match between CSKA and Baltika. Our chief analyst and my assistant will go to the stadium to watch our rivals live. I'll watch it on TV, and then I'll get a good night's sleep to be ready for tomorrow's game.
