“I admire the way the team fights. We have a team without toxicity or resentment. Leontiev – about Neftekhimik’s fight for the playoffs

There are eight matches left before the end of the KHL regular season, Neftekhimik is on the verge of the eighth cup and in less than a day the match with a direct competitor for the playoffs will begin. In this situation, it seems that any team should lower the “iron curtain”, send the players to live on base and quietly wait for their “moment of truth”. Any, but not Neftekhimik. A day before one of the main matches of the season, the team organized a vacation for two thousand schoolchildren from Nizhnekamsk, invited journalists, and head coach Oleg Leontyev even went to the press and spoke with everyone confidently for over an hour, with jokes and hockey stories.

“OUR MAIN COMPETITOR IS OURSELVES. IF WE OVERCOME OURSELVES, WE WILL BE STRONGER THAN OUR COMPETITORS.

— What is the state of the team before the decisive matches of the season?

— The team is in a fighting mood, everything is going normally. We are waiting for one of the key matches of the season against Novosibirsk in Siberia, everyone understands the importance of this match. We are gathered and ready.

— How physically prepared is the team for the next match?

— We always have the optimal programming. Our team is young and ambitious, everyone wants to prove and show themselves. A young body recovers a little faster, so there are no problems with fitness.

— You have already expressed your sympathy for Siberia. The Novosibirsk club has appealed, the question will be decided on Friday, just before your match. How would you like to decide the fate of your remaining playoff spot on the ice?

— The match against Siberia will be very important. I don’t know how the league will decide whether Sibir will return these four points, but in our locker room there is a ranking in which Sibir has four points more than the official ranking.

— A whole program of festive events was organized in Nizhnekamsk, on the eve of the match, a “KHL Lesson” was organized for young schoolchildren, and many unusual activities will be organized for fans during the match. Do you think this could distract the team?

— Of course, I am against such events before decisive matches: the team must immerse itself in the work process and tune in to the game. But we live in such times that it is necessary to attract young supporters in the stands. They came to our event, supported the team and received a lot of emotion. Yes, I myself appreciated their cry of joy. It was great. We didn’t spend a lot of time on it, I think the “KHL Lesson” will not interfere with our mood.

— Can we say with certainty that the playoffs have started for Neftekhimik?

“It never ended for us.” Unfortunately, we started the season with a handicap that we had to overcome.

— Which team do you consider your main competitor in the fight for access to the playoffs – Amour or Sibir?

– It’s simple. Our main competition is ourselves. If we overcome ourselves, we will be stronger and more powerful than our competitors.

— Many hockey players in Neftekhimik are real “iron men”. How do the guys manage to have such a season in such a difficult schedule?

“I don’t want to say big words, but I admire the way the team fights. We have an absolutely healthy team, without toxic substances or insults. In fact, it is difficult to create such a team.

“THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENT IN THREE YEARS OF WORK AT NEFTEKHIMIK IS A VERY CAPABLE TEAM THAT CAN SOLVE GREAT CHALLENGES”

— What is the main task of your coaching team?

— We are working to reveal the players. Make them better, stronger. I want them to achieve maximum results both in hockey and in life in general.

— Sports psychologists are becoming more and more popular, do you think such specialists are needed in hockey?

— A sports psychologist is necessary, but not for all players. Some hockey players face their problems alone. A full-time psychologist is not needed, you can communicate with a specialist remotely.

— You have been working in Nizhnekamsk for three years, can you share your impressions?

— I enjoy life in Nizhnekamsk, all conditions for successful work have been created here: no traffic jams, excellent people, excellent work of the club staff. But hockey players don’t have the same temptations as in big cities.

— What is your main achievement during your three years of work at Neftekhimik?

— Our tournament achievements are simple: reaching the playoffs. But the main thing is that we managed to create a combat-ready team capable of solving big problems. Unfortunately this has to be done almost every year, but I am sure that next season the core of the team will remain.

— Now “Ak Bars” is considered the main team of the republic, are you not offended as the coach of “Neftekhimik”, after all, your hockey is much more visible?

— Kazan has a bigger budget, maybe that’s why they are considered the main team of Tatarstan, but that doesn’t bother me at all. Ice will show who is the older brother and who is the younger. We are working here to become stronger and to be the first team, and not only in Tatarstan.

— Neftekhimik actively works with young fans, how often are you recognized on the street and how often are children doing this?

— Besides, most of the time, children discover it, come and take photos. But it happens, and adults come too. If I remember the most unusual encounter, I can tell you that one day I was asked to take a photo in a public bath (thermal baths), it was funny.

— When your contract was renewed, what objectives did management set for you?

— We want to build a team with a low average age, but with great potential, I hope we can do that. Getting to the playoffs is not interesting.

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