Mitrofanov said: “I asked the head coach if a place in the FIFA rankings is a motivation for the national team. Of course, it is easier for players to focus on the rankings than on the ranking of national teams This is a rather arbitrary indicator, and the rules for calculating it are quite controversial.
I’m sure we could have taken a higher position. We played a lot of draws, also because friendly matches are psychologically different. It’s difficult to give 100% on the pitch, at the risk of getting injured, when you don’t always understand why you’re playing. This is why our rating has not improved. Our goal is to occupy completely different positions in the ranking,” Mitrofanov was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti Sport agency.
Recall that the Russian national team currently occupies 39th place in the FIFA rankings.
- Mitrofanov: “Karpin is doing a great job with the Russian team in difficult conditions”
Source: Sport
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
