Roman Rotenberg: “On a global scale, if there is no Russia, there is no competition”

– We know that Zenit – Spartak is the main football match. What is SKA – Spartak in the KHL?

— This is brilliant hockey. Well, Spartak is a strong opponent. In general, we treat each opponent with a lot of respect. The stands will be full. And we managed to establish ice in St. Petersburg. This has caused problems in the past. But we all worked hard together.

— Has the quality of ice cream become the same as in Yaroslavl?

—Not yet, but we are working on it. After all, Yaroslavl has the best ice in the league. There are some great guys there, and on this site the team is doing very well in all respects. And from there immediately follows brilliant hockey, precise passes, good goals. Yes, we also work there in collaboration with the Ice Palace. With every game, our ice gets better and better, and it shows in our play. After all, hockey is a high-tech sport. This is why it is so important to have quality ice and equipment.

And the match against Spartak is the most important challenge for us. We are preparing very seriously. We had a good workout. It will be important to complete the tactical task of the match. If we do it 100 percent, we will win.

— To what do you attribute SKA’s six-game winning streak?

— Our demands are met. The guys feel better with every practice and game. Relationships, mutual support and chemistry between units and within the team appear. Our team is very friendly. And we will constantly change tactical features and come up with something new. You can’t go anywhere without it. It is always important to surprise your opponents. Robots don’t play hockey. And real people play hockey. It is very important to show thoughtfulness, ingenuity and cunning. Goal combinations, effective plays. You have to be where the puck is going to come. And constantly think with your head.

— Arseniy Gritsyuk missed several SKA matches. Then he showed up against CSKA and immediately collapsed. How do you see the striker’s evolution at this stage of his career?

— The match against CSKA was difficult and we warned the guys that the opponent would immediately start a power struggle. We showed it and talked about it. You can’t relax for even a second, as our matches show. It is important to win the fight with yourself, to demonstrate masculine character in every segment of the game, to win in every fight. And we will work on it. Arseny is a great guy, he works and trains. Unfortunately, I am now injured. But fortunately, it’s not such a serious injury.

“Will he ever come back now?”

– I think so – closer to this prediction.

— During the first recess, the head coach of the “Zenith” football team, Sergei Semak, will come to the SKA studio, and during the second recess a whole delegation of swimmers from St. Petersburg is expected. This is the sporting elite.

— SKA matches are a cultural event for the whole city. And it’s a family event. Many children come to us. And the children invite their parents to hockey. The sincere love of children is very important. This means we are doing everything right. And it is also important that everything in the league follows sporting principles. So that people come into the stands and see that everything is fair with us. So that they believe us. This is very important for the development of hockey.

We are very happy that the swimmers come to us. When we talk about the harmonious development of the personality, we understand that we have to practice many sports. For example, judo is a very important part of our training. Wrestling, athletics. And of course, swimming is important. You know that Pavel Bure started with swimming, combining it with hockey. And his father Vladimir Bure was one of the best swimmers in the Soviet Union. Swimming gives us harmony. This is a good example for all parents who, somewhere, are overdoing it with ice training. But you give your child swimming, and certainly chess. It is very valuable and interesting.

We are very happy when colleagues from Zenit come. We constantly watch Zenit matches, notice something and focus on our football friends. “Zenith” and SKA are the sporting symbols of St. Petersburg, which always fight for the highest places and always attract full stands. I am very happy that Sergei Bogdanovich and the football players regularly come to hockey matches and support us, this is very important. Together we fight for St. Petersburg and win for the people of St. Petersburg.

— What do you think about the fact that the NHL is going to organize the World Cup without the participation of the Russian team?

— Our task is to win every match. And every match, every change, especially in the Russian national team, is special. I am very proud that in December we can play in St. Petersburg in a traditional tournament, with full stands. Show our real hockey – both Russian and even Soviet. It is very important for us that the national team lives, as we see in football.

— We played with Cuba.

— The national team continues, people talk about it. It is very important. People should watch their national team and show patriotism. So that children are raised in a patriotic spirit. Love for the homeland is important. We need culture, ideology, we always need an idea, a meaning. The children see that we must strive to get into the national team. It’s their dream. Every child has it. As a child, I dreamed of being part of the Russian national team. So it’s important for the national team to play – in any sport. This is extremely necessary for the development of hockey.

The NHL has decided to organize its tournament (World Cup, editor’s note) for four teams, and I understand: for them, hockey is above all a business. They look at TV audiences, sponsor revenues, expenses. Reconcile debit with credit. If the NHL adopted this format, it was a business decision. They took no risks.

Of course, we do not agree with this. But if the NHL wants to think about the ratings, of course, it’s better for Russia to play. And from the point of view of the development of world hockey, the most important thing is competition. And it starts with the children. We are now working to get children playing all over Russia with different teams. Not only the championship in St. Petersburg or Moscow, but we also need to meet other cities and organize more such tournaments. In football, they created the USFL (Youth Football League) – it’s a great story. Teams travel across the country and play against each other. And competition is the engine of progress.

— I read that in hockey, we wanted to create a media league by inviting Rotenberg’s team.

— Honestly, I haven’t heard of it. But let’s discuss this question. It’s always good when people talk about hockey. Different leagues are developing. And on a global scale, if there is no Russia, there is no competition. There will be a degradation of Canada, the United States, the Swedes and the Finns. They also understand it perfectly.

No matter what they say in Finland, they came to the KHL, and only thanks to our league the Finns won the World Championship and the Olympics. If they weren’t in the KHL, they would have never won anything. And they themselves understand it.

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