Head Coach “Ak Barsa” Anvar Gatiyatulin said why the attacker Nail Yakupov did not move to Kazan club from Nizhnekamsk “Neftekhimika” .
Earlier in August, Yakupov admitted in an interview with that he wanted to continue his career at Ak Bars and the financial issue was not important, but in the end the dialogue with the club’s management did not work out. Later, Yakupov became a player of Kunlun.
— Nail Yakupov said in an interview that “he was ready to play for Ak Bars, even for free.” Did you and the general director consider signing him?
— There was a small negotiation process, but by that time we had already formed the main links, so the priority was to find a player with a slightly different plan. Plus the club system – there are guys who spent last season in Almetyevsk (Neftyanik, Ak Bars farm club in the VHL – Ed.) and are knocking on the door of the main team, in Bars (team of the Ak Bars system) in the MHL – Ed.) there are also. Some of them spend the pre-season with us and perhaps we will continue to involve them in the future.
— There is an opinion in the media that the current Ak Bars team has become weaker than last year’s. Do you agree with this or are these two different selections of players for different game models?
— I would say that the team has become different. Weaker or stronger, we will find out at the end of the season, “Gatiyatulin told the official KHL website.
In the first match of the FONBET KHL Championship, Ak Bars will face Ufa Salavat Yulaev on September 5.
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Source : MatchTV
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