FCLMmagazine #2 by Stefano Conforti

FCLM magazine

#2 September 2015

never give up

2015-16 Europa League Group H Preview Interview with Nemanja Vučićević The match that started it all FC Tirol Innsbruck v Lokomotiv Moscow

photo report Lokomotiv’s seasons in EUropean competitons The Rock-coach. What Else Do You Know About Slaven Bilić? Four changes Cherevchenko brought with him

From the editor

Interview with a foreign fan

Dale Mulholland

the man who changed soccer history in the U.S. and the USSR simultaneously

2015-16 Europa League Group H Preview Interview with Nemanja Vučićević Four changes Cherevchenko brought with him The Rock-coach. What Else Do You Know About Slaven Bilić? Lokomotiv’s seasons in European competitons

photo report

The match that started it all

FC Tirol Innsbruck v Lokomotiv Moscow

FCLM Magazine #2 September 2015 Editor-in-chief: Stefano Conforti Writers: Ilya Sokolov, Andy Tedrick, Ignat Negara, Vladislav Kulikovskikh, Igor Knisley. Photojournalist: Dmitry Burdonov Designer: Juri Akulin

FCLM Magazine

September 2015

From the Editor Dear readers,

Here we are with the second issue of the magazine. This is a crucial time for all Lokomotiv fans around the world. FCLMmagazine is clearly both the first and the only datum point for Railroaders worldwide. In this issue we decided to cover many different topics. From the upcoming Europa League group stage, to the changes made by Cherevchenko in order to bring Lokomotiv back to the elite of Russian football. Furthermore, we paid attention to our history, dedicating a special article to Dale Mulholland, the first and the only American player to play in the Soviet League, while also reminding you of our game against Tirol. Anything else? We’ve interviewed a former player of Lokomotiv who was coached by the legendary Yurij Semin, just like we have interviewed a fan from Ukraine, who spoke about his love for Lokomotiv, and his country’s current relationship with Russia. Furthermore, we wanted to include as many pictures as possible, so we made a photo report about the history of Lokomotiv’s performances in European competitions. We have also dedicated some space in the magazine to Slaven Bilic, the former Lokomotiv head coach, who joined English side West Ham this summer. I will again like to thank all the people who helped with this publication; our writers (Ilya, Vladislav, Andy, Igor, Ignat and Dmitrij), our graphic designer (Yurij) and also our colleagues at RussianFootballNews.com whose contribution was significant. I hope you enjoy reading the second issue of the magazine. We’ve worked hard on producing it, and I think the final result shows this. We want to keep on developing and improving the magazine so if you have any comments or advice we’ll be very happy to hear from you. You can contact me at stefano_com@hotmail.it or comment on lokomotivmosca.blogspot.com, the only site for Lokomotiv’s English speaking fans. Editor-in-Chief Stefano Conforti (@confortistefano)

@RusFootballNews russianfootballnews.com

-Managed by supporters from around the world we bring you the inside look at russian football-

Interview with a foreign fan - Hi, Andrey. Tell us something about yourself. You’re Ukrainian, aren’t you? - I was born in Ukraine, but I moved to Moscow with my parents when I was young. Most of the children interested in football at that time were interested in the great Dinamo Kiev. - How did you become a Lokomotiv fan? - I spent the first three years in Mos-

myself who these guys had been. - Great. Do you remember who the opponent were that day at Lokomotiv Stadium in 2007? - As I realized after, Lokomotiv were facing Zenit in a crucial game for the title. In the end we won 1:0 thanks to a penalty goal by Emir Spahic. It was great to stop the Saint Petersburg club. - Do you know other Lokomotiv’s fans from Ukraine?

Andrey «We can fight for the spots in the top» cow trying to adapt to a new country, so I wasn’t interested in football. At school most of the guys supported CSKA and Spartak, but I’ve never felt any sympathy for these clubs. Then in 2007, by coincidence, I was walking nearby Lokomotiv Stadium and I heard the red-greens fans singing beautiful chants. I was so surprised and interested in them that I asked

- I don’t know anyone personally, but I assure you that many people sympathize with our club thanks to Yurij Semin and Taras Mykhalyk. - Where did you live in Ukraine? How is Lokomotiv seen there? - I come from a small city called Pryluky in the Chernihiv Oblast, which is quite close to the Russian

border. The more experienced fans remember the preliminary round of the Champions League in 2003, when Lokomotiv faced Shakhtar. The ‘Miners’ won in Donetsk but where defeated in Moscow. Then in the group stage Lokomotiv was protagonist of a great tournament, when they also defeated Dinamo Kiev with 3:2 in Moscow. We should also mention the transfers of Semin and Aliev. Furthermore, many people are still following the career of Mykhalyk in Moscow. For the Ukrainian people, Lokomotiv is the 4th force in the Russian football, and they have the level to fight for the title in Ukraine together with Dinamo Kiev, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipro. - As far as you know, are there official fan clubs in Ukraine? Although the civil war, does Ukrainian people still support Lokomotiv? - Unfortunately, there aren’t any official fan clubs at the mooment. To make the club famous you need to both be successful in European football as well as winning national trophies. The perfect example, without going too much into depth, is Shakhtar Donetsk that thanks to many great games and successes was able to get many fans not only in Ukraine, but in all of the former USSR. Unfortunately, we haven’t had a lot of stability. We can’t play quality games, but I think that thanks to a strong leadership and a developed

football school the situation could change soon. Regarding the relationship between Ukraine and Russia, it is a delicate situation. I don’t think that people can change their habits and convictions so easily. If you have followed RPL for a long time, it’s unlikely

anenko used Taras as a central midfielder, then with the arrival of Yurij Semin he was returned to the defense until the ‘Russian Ferguson’ left Kiev again. Once he joined Lokomotiv, playing in the midfielder wasn’t new for him. I think that in our case, it’s

«Let football to be one of the things that won’t separate us» that you’ll change this. Therefore, I’ve been following both UPL and RPL despite all the changes (laughs). - What do you think about Taras Mykhalyk? At the moment, he’s the only Ukrainian player at Lokomotiv. - Taras can without a doubt be considered one of the leaders of the team. He’s a very strong and hard-working player with good football vision and aggressiveness. Furthermore, he got a lot of experience from the highest level like the Champions League and Europa League. Of course, he’s not a very technical player and of course he hasn’t got the Russian passport. Unfortunately for our football, there is a limit on the foreign players that is forcing players like Taras to leave our league.

- In which position, in your opinion, is Taras strongest? Defender or midfielder? - In Dinamo Kiev Anatolij Demy-

FCLM Magazine

better to use him on the midfield because in the defense we got a reliable couple in Corluka and Pejcinovic. Furthermore, Durica should return soon. In my opinion, Taras plays more confident as a CM and this is confirmed by the stats. Thanks to his strength and tenacity, he facilities the work of his partner (Tarasov, for example), which allows him to think more offensively. I hope the signing of N’Dinga push Taras to improve even further and to play other one or two season on a high level. - And what about Aleksander Aliev? He had a fantastic season in Lokomotiv and once he returned to Kiev, his career fell down. - Aliev was an insane talent, but he had a very complex and unpredictable character. Everyone remember when Aleksander called Yurij Semin «his second father» just to later state that Semin only wants to earn money. I think Aleksander was overconfident and considered himself an indispensable part of the team. After he returned to Dinamo, he spent some time on loan at Dnipro, but he wasn’t decisive. He’s now playing in the championship of the Lviv Oblast for a team called Ruch. - Who are your three favorites in the current Lokomotiv squad? And why? - My trio is Guilherme, Corluka and Fernandes. I seriously consider Guilherme one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world. I’m sure that if Lokomotiv played regularly in the European competitions, he would have been called up to the Brazilian national team, and it would have been difficult to keep him in the RPL.

September 2015

Shakhtar’s players clearly demonstrate this. I’m very glad to hear that Guilherme is close to receiving Russian citizenship. I strongly want him to represent Russia in 2018. Corluka is a true leader and he’s the head of the team. He’s got a terrific physical form and a great vision of the field. I want to thank Slaven Bilic who brought him to us. I still don’t understand how he closed that transfer. I’d like Vedran to stay for as long as possible. The third one is Fernandes. I consider him the most technical gifted player in the team. Manuel can be like a magician, but unfortunately Lokomotiv is not his team... I want to believe that he’ll find his place with us, but the recent trend says the opposite. - Have you ever been to Lokomotiv Stadium? Describe your first experience at Cherkizovo. - My first date with our stadium was on the May 30th 2009. It was colorful and cool. I don’t think it could have been any different as we played against Spartak in a derby. The weather was good, there was sold-out and our players had a great match. We won 2:1. Furthermore, that day I also met my current best friend, with whom I can climb any mountain (laughs). - What is your opinion about the current Lokomotiv? - In my opinion, we got a quite serious collective that can fight for the spots in the top. We can for example look at Dnipro in the previous season.

Interview with a foreign fan

They had a fantastic adventure in the Europa League and fought until the very end to win the title. What made them successful? They were physically well-prepared, had a competent coach and most important they believed in themselves. I think that psychology plays a crucial role in their successes. I don’t think our players believe in themselves. I really hope Igor Cherevchenko will be able to find the right approach in order to make them more confident. I don’t think we are weaker than Dnipro.

- What are your expectations for the season in RPL, Europa League and the Russian Cup? - First of all, we should end the season in the top two of RPL in order to qualify for the Champions League. I know it is ambitious but nothing is impossible. Our opponents aren’t stronger than this task definitely is feasible. I’m very happy that we returned to the Europa League. We must go through the group stage and then we’ll see what happens. Personally speaking, I dream to repeat the Dnipro’s campaign from last season. Regarding the Russian Cup, everything can happen. Lokomotiv have always been a reliable team in the national cup, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if we repeat last season’s victory. We can’t however, not rule out a big disappointment like when we were eliminated by Rotor with Bilic. - Have you bought season ticket? Why? - Unfortunately, I haven’t due to some personal reasons. I’ll however attend a few matches as soon as I get the opportunity. - If you have the opportunity to leave a message to all the Lokomotiv fans around the world who read your interview, what would you

like to say? - I want to ask all Lokomotiv fans to believe in a bright future, to actively support the team and to stay with it always and everywhere, in both happiness and in pain. Only so we can rebuild our club to former glory! - And what about the Lokomotiv fans that live in Ukraine? Would you like to say something to them? - Dear compatriots, I’d like you to keep the faith because politicians come and go, but the people will live together. Let football to be one of the things that won’t separate us! - Lokomotiv have faced both Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk in the XXth century. What do you remember from these games? - In the second game against the ‘Miners’, we were lucky as we won 3:1. That got us qualified for the next round after a penalty given in the injury time. The year later, we were in the same group as Dinamo. We lost 2:0 in Kiev, but we won 3:2 in Moscow. Thanks to these results, Lokomotiv were qualified for the next round, while Dinamo were eliminated. If I’m not wrong, in the Champions League 2003/04 we faced Shakhtar, where we lost the first match in Donetsk with 1:0. - Which Lokomotiv logo do you prefer, the current one or the old one? And why? - I prefer the current one because it fully represents the soul of the club. - Thanks a lot for this interview. We are very pleased that you answered to our questions. Bye for now and... vperyod Loko! Stefano Conforti (@confortistefano)

Dale Mulholland: the man who changed soccer history

in the U.S. and the USSR simultaneously

ale Mulholland was born on the 16th of August 1964 in Tacoma, Washington, a long way from where he would one day make history by playing professional soccer. Mulholland played soccer for clubs from all over the world, as he represented West German side TSV Reichenbach 05, Sing Tao Tigers from Hong Kong, and most notably USSR’s Lokomotiv Moscow.

his happiness: «Look, we all feel as if he has been always with us. Our team is young and characterized by the spirit of friendship, and we are sure

Mulholland proved that love for the game is stronger than any rivalry.

Although the American’s stint with the Moscow club was short it was also historic. When Mulholland signed with Lokomotiv in 1990 the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union was bad. America was arming anti-communist movements all over the world, and the East Bloc was falling apart. The two countries were competing on every possible level from sports to technology and the space race. None of this did however influence Mulholland as he decided to sign a two year contract with Lokomotiv. Yuri Semin, a still a young coach in 1990 and far from the legend he is today, was delighted to announce the signing of the American midfielder. To the Chicago Tribune he expressed

The Lokomotiv fan also stated that it was odd to see a call like that back then as the referees rarely noticed or cared about such things. So, Mulholland retook the kick and this time his effort was on target. Lokomotiv ended up winning that game with 2:1.

that our American player is fully fit for the team.» Semin was not the only one excited about Mulholland making history and playing for Lokomotiv, as he made it clear himself by stating: «I like the team, the management, the coach and players. This is the club I’d like to be with». The die-hard Loko fan Yuri Emelyanov still remembers Dale Mulholland’s debut match for Lokomotiv to this day. Lokomotiv played against Fakel from Voronezh according to Emelyanov. Emelyanov explained that when Lokomotiv were awarded a penalty the players immediately gave the right to take the kick from the stop to the new American. “He took a few steps back and shot the ball hard over

FCLM Magazine

the goal. Then the referee whistled and indicated that he had to retake the penalty because a player stepped in the box too early” Emelyanov remembers.

September 2015

Mulholland did however not stay in Moscow for long. After a season he left the club and returned to the States. Even though his time in Russia was short, football fans around the world and especially those who support Lokomotiv still remember him and his daring move to the Soviet Union when the relations between the two countries were hostile. Dale Mulholland was in his own way a legend, not for scoring goals or being the best player, but for the strength he possessed to put aside all the differences and become the first Western player in the history of Soviet Football. Mulholland proved that love for the game is stronger than any rivalry. Igor Knisley (@miknisley)

2015-16 Europa League Group H Preview

ver since the celebrations died down after Lokomotiv’s improbable run to the Russian Cup title last May, fans of the red and green were looking forward to August 28th in Monaco. That was to be the day that Loko learned their Europa League fate. When all the dust settled with qualifiers played and balls drawn, the Railwaymen were handed the most interesting of groups. They will be challenged by Sporting Lisbon from Portugal, Beşiktaş from Turkey, and Skënderbeu Korçë from Albania in what should be an exciting and hotly-contested group.

In the 1993/94 and the 1994/95 editions of the UEFA Cup, they were eliminated in the first round by Juventus and Bayern respectively. In, 1999/2000, they crushed BATE Borisov and got past Denmark’s Lyngby BK before succumbing to Leeds United 7-1 on aggregate. In 2000/01, Loko reached the third round of the UEFA Cup for the first time beating Naftex Burgas from Bulgaria and Inter Bratislava, before falling to Spanish side Rayo Vallecano. In 2001/02, Loko was deposited in the UEFA Cup’s third round after dropping out of the Champions’ League and subsequently lost to Hapoel Tel Aviv on away goals.

This season will mark the 11th time that Lokomotiv has participated in the Europa League, formerly know as the UEFA Cup.

They entered the UEFA Cup’s first round in 2005/06 similarly after losing in the Champions’ League qualifying round. They managed to defeat Brann from Norway and reach their first ever UEFA Cup group stage where they were matched up with Espanyol, Palermo, Brondby, and Maccabi Petaj Tikva. Two wins, a draw, and a loss were enough for them to enter the knockout stages where they

lost to Sevilla in the round of 32. In 2006/07, Loko had a short stay in the UEFA Cup losing in the first round to Belgium’s Zulte Waregem but in 2007/08, the Railroaders defeated Midtjylland from Denmark and made it back into the group stage. Unfortunately, Loko could only manage two draws and two losses in a group consisting of Atletico Madrid, Aberdeen, FC Copenhagen, and Pananthinaikos which dumped them out of the competition. In 2010/11, Loko played in the competition for the first time after it was re-branded as the Europa League only to lose to Lausanne on penalty kicks in the playoff round. In the 2011/12 Europa League, Loko matched their furthest ever progression in the competition by reaching the round of 32 again. After swatting away Spartak Trnava in the playoff round, Loko was handed a group with Sturm Graz, Anderlecht, and AEK Athens compiling a 4-0-2 record good enough for 2nd place in the group. But in the knockout stages, they were narrowly-defeated by Athletic Bilbao on away goals.

2015-16 Europa League Group H Preview

Last season, Lokomotiv entered the playoff round and were paired with the Cypriot club Apollon Limassol. Loko managed a 1-1 draw in Cyprus, but Apollon demolished Loko 4-1 at Cherkizovo leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of red and green supporters.

taş, and Skënderbeu Korçë. Of these three, Loko has only met Beşiktaş in competitive matches when they were paired in the third qualifying round of the 2000/01 Champions’ League. Loko lost 3-0 in Istanbul and 3-1 in Moscow with the only goal being scored by Loko’s current head coach, Igor Cherevchenko.

This season, Loko enters the Europe League at the group stage due to their Russian Cup victory. Their opponents will be Sporting Lisbon, Beşik-

Loko has faced Turkish sides two other times beating Kocaelispor 2-1 on aggregate in the second round of

the 1997/98 Cup Winner’s Cup and facing off with Galatasaray twice in the 2002/03 Champions’ League group stage losing 2-0 at home, but winning 2-1 in Istanbul. Portuguese teams have been matched up against the Railwaymen two times in European competitions. Benfica defeated Loko 4-2 on aggregate in the second round of the 1996/97 Cup Winners’ Cup, but Loko came out on top against Braga, also in the second round of the Cup Winners’ Cup, by an aggregate score of 3-2 in 1998/99 edition. Lokomotiv has never faced Albanian opposition in a European competition. Andy Tedrick

Sporting Lisbon Founded:

1906

Stadium:

Estádio José Alvalade (50,095)

Manager:

Jorge Jesus

Last Season: 3rd in Primeira Liga

Beşşiktaşş Founded:

1903

Stadium:

Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı (76,092)

Manager:

Şenol Güneş

Last Season: 3rd in Süper Lig

Skënderbeu Korçë Founded:

1909

Stadium:

Skënderbeu Stadium (5,724)

Manager:

Mirel Josa

Last Season: 1st in Albanian Superliga

FCLM Magazine

September 2015

Sporting was cruising into the Champions’ League group stage until CSKA scored three goals in the second half of the second leg to drop the Portuguese into the Europa League. The Lions are an 18-time winner of of the Primeira Liga and have a rich history in Europe which includes the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup title and a runner up medal in the 2005 UEFA Cup, again losing to CSKA.

Players to watch: Islam Silami, an Algerian forward, was Sporting’s leading scorer with 12 goals last season. Rui Patricio is the firstchoice goalkeeper for the Portuguese national team.

Beşiktaş is one the Turkey’s most storied clubs winning the Süper Lig 13 times and the Turkish Cup nine times. Their best performances in Europe were when they reached the quarterfinals of the Champions’ League in 1987 and the UEFA Cup quarterfinals in 2003. Just as Lokomotiv, they are entering this year’s Europa League at the group stage as a result of their third place finish in Turkey.

Players to watch: Formerly of Stuttgart, Bayern, and Fiorentina, formidable striker Mario Gomez is on loan at Beşiktaş this season.

Albanian side Skënderbeu Korçë are the great unknown in the group. Last year, they won their sixth Albanian championship which was their fifth in a row. They entered the Champions’s League in the second qualifying round and defeated Crusaders from Northern Ireland and continued on by knocking out Moldova’s Milsami Orhei before being eliminated by Dinamo Zagreb and dropping into the Europa League group stage.

Players to watch: Bulgarian striker Ventsislav Hristov (on loan from Croatian side Rijeka), who played also in Ukraine, is probably one of the most talented players of the team.

Interview with Nemanja Vučićević - Would you like to return to Russia and in particular to Lokomotiv? (Dima) - Yes of course I’d like to return to Loko. Even though I was young, I enjoyed my time with Lokomotiv. It gave me a lot of experience. I’m only sad that I didn’t play very much. However, Lokomotiv is a big club! - At the moment Russia has a limit on the foreign players. A few years ago FIFA’s President Joseph Blatter encouraged the European football associations to follow the example of the Russian clubs. What do you think about a limit? Is it good or bad? How will this decision influence the growth of the players, in your opinion? (Ilya) - Regarding the foreign players I think they help a league, not only the Russian one any league in the world. I think that if you have foreign players, you’ll have more competition, and as a consequence the local players will fight more for their place in the team! - In your opinion, what should be done in order to bring the fans back to the

FCLM Magazine

stadium as it was earlier under Semin? (Renk) - Everything depends on the team! If it plays an interesting football and it’s successful, the fans will come to the Stadium as happened when I played in Lokomotiv. There was a very interesting team that always fought for the first 2 places. - Russia Under 19 has recently won the silver medal in the European Championship. Fabio Capello said that these players are unlikely to have a bright future in the big football. Are you agree with him or is it a nonsense? (Andrey) - The young players have everything in their hands! I disagree with Capello because you never know exactly how a player will grow up. Take the example of Arshavin, who played for Arsenal, everything is possible. - Tell us about the most memorable moments from your time with Lokomotiv. (Nikita and Sergey) -  I had many moments that I’ll never forget. I came from Serbia and after only two months we played in the Champions League, which gave me a lot of experience. However, the greatest game I remember was the

September 2015

one against CSKA. I was in the starting line-up and we won 3:2 thanks to a goal in the dying minutes. I was so happy. Three days later we faced Real Madrid and I hoped to be in the starting line-up again, however I played only the last 30 minutes.  - How did you start your football career? Which are the most memorable moments? (Anis) - I started playing football when I was very young and it wasn’t easy. I fought in every situation of my life because no one have ever helped me. A crucial moment was when I was 18 years old. I was playing in the Serbian third league, when I had a meeting with OFK Beograd’s President Zvezdan Terzic. I begged him to give me a chance because I believed I was the best. Therefore he allowed me to have two training sessions. The rest is history (laughs).  - Who was your idol when

you were young? (Grigorij) - My idol was Michael Jordan! I consider him the best athlete in history. I didn’t have any football idols. - What does football represent for you? How do you feel being a footballer? (Denis) - Football is everything for me. I’m very passionate and professional. When I’m on the field I feel so confident, just like if I was at home. I love it. I do everything in order to always be fit and both mentally and physically prepared at 100%. - What did you like the most about Russia? (Aleksander) - Moscow and Russian girls (laughs). - What will you do once your career finishes? Have you ever thought of becoming a football commentator? (Ilya) - I’m still looking inside for some-

thing that can replace my football career. Commentator? It’s interesting. Let’s see. I’ll think about it. - Where do the beautiful girls live (laughs)? (Sergeij) - Everywhere. All around us there are beautiful girls, everything depends on what you like (laughs). - Which players of current Lokomotiv do you prefer more? (Roman) - Since I left Lokomotiv, I’ve been following each of my former team. I’m however often very busy because of my football career so I can’t watch so many games.  - Each club has ups and downs. Why, in your opinion, did Lokomotiv go down after a moment of flowering? (Denis) - Loko is a stabile club, however I know that this is not what the fans want. They always want to fight for the first two or three positions. You need a bit of luck and good investments.  - Do you consider your time in Lokomotiv a happy part of your life? (Ruslan) - My time in Lokomotiv was good in many ways. However, the most important thing for me was to play football and I didn’t get this opportunity, so that puts a shadow over the period.  - Do you like how the current Lokomotiv plays? (Aleksander) - I’m haven’t followed the last games that closely. - Nema, you’ve played in many countries. Which one was the most fascinating? Which was the one where you felt most comfortable? - Yes, I’ve played in many countries. I think each country came in a good time of my life and of my career. Therefore, I felt good in every country. Moscow left me with a big impression and I’ll never forget my time there. I could say the same about Germany, Israel and Japan. - At the moment there are three Lokomotiv players from the Balkans. Do you think the Russian Premier League is the best league for the players from the former Yugoslavian countries to prove their value moving

on to an English or German club? - Yes, of course I think that. For our players the Russian League is a great step forward. It’s a very strong league with good training facilities in each club. I think the players have a good chance of improving. Furthermore, many football stars have played in Russia like Eto’o, Kuranyi and Hulk. - You played with Branislav Ivanovic in OFK Beograd. How were your relationship with him? Before he joined Lokomotiv did you speak with him about the atmosphere in Moscow and in Russia? - Yes, I know Bane. We had talked before he signed for Lokomotiv. However, during the last years we have lost contact, but if we meet again we’ll surely hug each other and have a drink together. Lokomotiv can be proud to have had players like him.  - How would you judge the Russian Premier League compared to the other European leagues? - I think the Russian Premier League is a very strong league that can be compared with all the other leagues in the world. The question is what is interesting for the fans! If the Russians have more success with the national team and with the clubs in the Champions League, I think the attention will grow. - Your last clubs were from Japan and Indonesia. How is football played in these countries? - Japan is a very nice and organized country. I really enjoyed being there.

Interview with Nemanja Vučićević

«The atmosphere in Lokomotiv was fantastic»

They love football. Regarding Indonesia, it’s not as organized as in Japan, and they don’t have good facilities for the training. They do however love football and every game can be sold out.  - Have you ever had the opportunity to return in Russia after you left Lokomotiv? - Yes, when I was playing in the German Bundesliga I received an offer from Anzhi Makhachkala. They were ready to give me a very lucrative

FCLM Magazine

contract. However in that moment I decided to stay in Germany, because I wanted to test myself against big teams like Bayern Munich, Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen.  - What do you think about Yurij Semin? - He didn’t let me to play as much as I wanted! I still think he has done great things with Lokomotiv and in his career. I’m however sad because he didn’t have the right patience with me! I compare myself to Neymar as I

September 2015

like to dribble and to run with the ball directly towards the goal. I was young (21) at that time, I expected more attention and guiding from him. - How was the atmosphere in Lokomotiv when you signed with the ‘Railroaders’ in 2001? - It was fantastic. I was very happy. The team welcomed me very well as well. Stefano Conforti (@confortistefano)

Cherevchenko Four brought changes with him Pressing

Many Lokomotiv fans were shocked when they saw their team in the Super Cup game. Few have seen the Railwaymen press so aggressively in a match where they were not the obvious favourite as in the Super Cup match

against Zenit. Lokomotiv pressed high up the pitch, and the goal came after Tarasov tackled a Zenit defender and passed the ball to Niasse. Despite the departure of Loko’s fitness coach Felix Ledesma to Real Madrid, the team can

Petar Skuletic scored in the first two games this season, but his third was the last time he was in the starting lineup. Niasse became the team’s main striker immediately after the expiry of his suspension period. He has good stats this season, scoring three goals in four games, but it is surprising to see that Cherevchenko prefers Maicon, a natural left-winger, as his back up. Skuletic seems like a more appropri-

ate option, as he is the ideal target for Samedov’s crosses in the build-up. This year however, Lokomotiv prefers to play fast and counter-attacking football, and that is why Niasse is more effective, as he can break an offside trap or run through defenders quickly. Skuletic is still a good option when Lokomotiv play against weaker opponents at home.

Under Cherevchenko neither Fernandes, nor Boussoufa get much playing time. Both are creative players. Fernandes is furthermore  effective, while Boussoufa is smart, but none of them fit Cherevchenko’s tactics. They have always looked very slow compared to their teammates, but because of their high salaries the coaches were “forced” to include them in the squad. We can only guess whether it was Cherevchenko’s decision to leave

them out of the squad or a part of a new transfer policy, but the fact remains that both players have only spent 46 minutes on the field so far this season. Miranchuk and later Kolomeytsev replaced Boussoufa, while different defensive midfielders fulfilled Fernandes’ role. Lokomotiv failed to sell the two midfielders during the transfer window, but their absence on the field is already helping Loko.

Dmitry Sychev, who has not played for Lokomotiv since 2012, is the only player in the squad who have won the Russian League with the Red-Greens. In the recent years, Lokomotiv have often suffered under the lack of team spirit. The club desperately needed to recreate the winning atmosphere within the squad, and it is no coinci-

dence that Cherevchenko, who won four Russian Cups with Lokomotiv as a player, was the head coach to win Loko its first trophy since 2007. Add another Russian Cup winner Sarkis Oganesyan and two-time Russian League champion Oleg Pashinin and be sure Loko will not miss any more chances of winning titles due to un-

maintain its physical demanding style until the end of the match. Let us hope this energy-consuming football is also suitable for two games a week, when we start our Europa League campaign.

Main Forward

Atmosphere

Foreigners

motivated players, as we saw when the team lost to Rostov in the second-to-last round of the 13/14 season. Cherevchenko has stated that it is impossible to create the homely atmosphere from the Semin era these days, but all he needs to do is to make every single player believe in himself. Ilya Sokolov (@lokosokol) 15

The Rock-coach. What Else Do You Know About Slaven Bilić? Slaven Bilićć was probably one of Lokomotiv’s most unusual head coaches, was he not? Now, he’s working as manager for the English side West Ham United. Check out this biography to understand his great personality.

ilić has always fought to become the best, and ambition is an important part of his character. Bilíc speaks German, Italian, and English fluently, together with his native tongue Croatian, and he is on top of that holding a degree in law. As a big fan of rock music, he plays rhythm guitar on his favored red Gibson Explorer and he’s a member of a Croatian rock band known as Rawbau. In 2008 the group recorded a song about the Croat performance at the 2008 Euro called «Vatreno ludilo» («Fiery Madness»). Bilić has identified himself as a socialist and has said, «If you know how to share what you own, you’ll live happily and with honor. I’m a true socialist. I know I can’t save the world, but if there is a struggle against injustice, I always prefer to be on the front-line: this is my attitude toward the life.»

Slaven Bilić was born on September 11, 1968 in Split, Croatia. He began his football career with his home-

FCLM Magazine

town club Hajduk Split. Later, Bilić played as a defender for German side Karlsruher SC, and for English topflight clubs like West Ham United and Everton. His managerial career started when he took over Croatia’s U-21 national team. Then six-year later he became the head coach of the senior national team. Under him his realms, the ‘Vatreni’ qualified for the Euro 2008, where they reached the quarterfinal before losing 1-3 on penalties to Turkey. The team also took part in the Euro 2012 final tournament. Despite the interest of various English clubs, he chose Lokomotiv Moscow as his first club during his coaching career, as he joined a club characterized by a beautiful stadium and a huge budget. Lokomotiv’s president, Olga Smorodskaya, explained Bilíc about the club’s interesting project, and thus she talked him into moving to Moscow. Both the club and the coach were very popular, so the fans saw in his arrival a chance to return to the top of the Russian league. However, after the initial optimism and a victory against Mordoviya (famous for Bilić attempt to speak in Russian in the post-match interview), things slowly began to change for the worse. In the autumn of 2012, Lokomotiv failed to win for seven games straight, and the bad streak gave birth the first rumours  of a possible resignation for Bilíc. During the season, these rumours became more and more frequent, but every time the club expressed its support for the coach. Bilíc’s first season as a club coach

September 2015

ended with Lokomotiv finishing on the worst league result (9th place) since the establishment of the Russian championship in 1992. Consequently, Bilić took responsibility for the failure as Lokomotiv sacked him on 18th of June 2013. Today the fans remember Bilíc as the fourth coach appointed by Olga Smorodskaya during the first three years of her presidency mandate.  After leaving Lokomotiv, Bilić began talks to take over Turkish side Beşiktaş. Besiktas’ presented Bilíc as their new head coach on the 26th of June 2013, when the Croat coach signed a three-year contract worth of €4.8 million. Under Bilić, Besiktas quickly improved their performances, especially because Bilíc changed the Istanbul club from a funny team without clear objectives and goals into a winning football team who played high quality football. Despite the elimination against Arsenal in the Champions League qualification, Besiktas played two great matches against the English giants. Bilić was aware not to repeat the mistakes he made in Moscow, and therefore he fo-

cused on immediately delivering good results and playing good football. Later, Bilić decided to let his beard grow

and so the Besiktas’ fans started to think of him as «one of them» with him incarnating the common Turkish values. He soon became a very famous person on both the stands as well as on the internet’s social networks. In the spring of 2015, Bilić got his first major victory in Turkey - in front of 63.000 spectators, as Besiktas defeated Liverpool in the Europa League. At the same time, the club fought for the Turkish league title until the end of the season, although they only finished on the third place. On the 21st of May, club president Fikret Orman announced that Bilíc would leave the club by the end of the season due to the missing league title. This summer, Bilić joined English side West Ham United, when he on the 9th of June signed a three-year contract. Slaven played for the «Hammers» from 1996 to 19997, so this represented a comeback to London. In his first Premier League game, West Ham won a shocking victory at

the Emirated Stadium, when they beat Arsenal with 2-0. Three weeks later, he became the first West Ham manager since 1963 to win against Liverpool on Anfield. His career in England has just started, and there is no doubt that he will do his best to achieve the greatest possible results despite the premature elimination in the Europa League qualification. Bilis is a great coach, although he didn’t prove his true value in Moscow. It is now clear that he needed more time, but Lokomotiv’s management didn’t trust him. FCLMmagazine wants to wish Slaven good luck in his manager career, and we’re looking forward to following his adventures in the Premier League and hope they’ll be successful.  Ignat Negara (@negaraignat)

»Bilić is a great coach, although he didn’t prove his true value in Moscow.»

Lokomotivâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seasons in

FCLM Magazine

September 2015

European competitons

Dmitry Burdonov (@BurdonovD)

FCLM Magazine

September 2015

2000 Lokomotiv failed its first attempt to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, when Besiktas eliminated the Railroaders in the 3rd qualifying round with a total of 6-1. Lokomotiv got a second chance in the following year, and this time the opponent seemed weaker. The opponents were Tirol Innsbruck from Austria who, justlike Loko, tried to qualify for the Champions League after a failed attempt the year before. Lokomotiv won 3:1 at home, in a match where an 18-year-old Marat Izmailov made got debut on the European stage with a brilliant performance that awarded him the title asman of the match. The away fixture was more difficult, but thanks to a magnificent match by Nigmatullin Lokomanaged to keep a clean sheet, as they won 1:0 after a nice shot by Vladimir Maminov. Despite Lokomotiv’s victory the drama wasn’t over, as Tirol complained about the result after the match. In the 75th minute the referee had shown Pimenov a yellow card and even though it was his second card in the match, the referee didn’t show him the red card afterwards. Instead of showing Pimenov the red card, the referee thought he had given Maminov a yellow card, so Pimenov continued to play. The mistake obviously prevented the Austrian team from putting Lokomotiv under pressure towards the end of the game. The decision made by UEFA was shocking, as they demanded the entire match to be replayed. At the time it

The match that started it all

all looked like a conspiracy against the Russian team, and it was hard to find any other explanation of the ridiculous decision. Things got worse when Jerzy Brzeczek scored for Tirol in the 30th minute, which meant they only needed one more goal to go through. Luckily for Lokomotiv they never scored the second goal they needed, and this was all thanks to Ruslan Nigmatullinin the goal. Nigmatullin’s performance that night made him a legend. Radosław Gilewicz shoots from sixyard box line. Nigmatullin makes a save just to make another one second later, when Gilewicz is first on the rebound. Eduard Glieder makes a header that Nigmatullinsaves just below the crossbar.

Gilewicz is close to scoring again, when he with a powerful and low shot force Nigmatullin to save the ball in the left corner. Yet another powerful shot from Gilewicz, but great positioning from Nigmatullin makes him able to get in the way of the ball. Kirchler shoots and Nigmatullin is finally beaten. The same can luckily be said about the crossbar. This game highlighted Nigmatullin’s talent. The shot on the crossbar in the injury time was a clear sign that the football gods can sometimes be fair. Lokomotiv showed its team spirit, and was rewarded with a chance to play against RealMadrid and AS Roma in the Champions League. The yearthe Lokomotiv legends Semin and Filatov parted company;the club lost its last Champions League game to another Austrian team. Lokomotiv have played a lot of great matches in the Champions League. Among these the 5:1 victory against Anderlecht should be mentioned, as it was Lokomotiv’sfirst Champions League victory. The 3:0 victory against Inter was also legendary just like the two-legged tie with Monaco the year they reached the final. But it all started there, in Innsbruck in Austria, where the gods smiled at Loko. The defeat to Lokomotiv went to play a role in Tirolnearly going bankrupt the following year, but that is another story, and, more importantly, it made Lokomotivthe team we love. Ilya Sokolov (@lokosokol)