Dmitry Ananko: “Carrera is finishing the house that we started to build”

Former Spartak coach Dmitry Ananko gives a long interview to Match TV correspondents Gleb Chernyavsky and Ivan Karpov.

• What exactly is Alenichev’s “baggage”?
• How did Ze Luis change?
• What did Massimo Carrera teach the Spartak players?
• How were Ananko’s Pajero and Tikhonov’s “nine” stolen from the Spartak base?
• How did Roland Courbis' spinner nearly pierce his eye in Corsica?

– You left Spartak in the summer. Have there been any offers since then?

– Dima Parfenov called to Tosno, Vitya Bulatov to Torpedo, but I had an agreement with another club. I gave preliminary consent, but in the end it fell through.

In general, the past year has been very happy: our daughter was born in July. The eldest is 22, but then my upbringing went a little past me. I once came back from training camp and asked my daughter: “How are things in kindergarten?” And she answered: “Dad, I’m already in second grade.” So now I'm enjoying fatherhood while I have time. During the pause, I finally graduated from the Industrial and Financial University. And the first two educations: the Institute of Physical Education and the University of Law. Plus VShT. I am applying everything little by little.

– Why did you seek legal knowledge?

– After the theft of my car from the Spartak base. This was in '93 or '94.

- From the base? There is also security, a fence, a gate.

“We flew away for training camp, and left the cars at the base. Previously, there was no real security; my grandfather was there. The lock was cut off, my Mitsubishi Pajero was stolen, and Tikhonov’s was stolen. The car was insured, but I was not paid anything. At the age of 22, after graduating from the Institute of Physical Education, I went to study law to find out why our people are not so protected. I even had a thesis on the topic: “Private property, theft of private property and investigation methods.”

– Was the knowledge useful?

– When I finished my career, I became the sports director at Torpedo-Metallurg. We tried to buy Sychev from Marseille there. An official request was sent, but the French were not interested. After 6 months I quit, not finding a common language with management. To resume my career, I made a schedule for myself and went to a two-week training camp. But 15 days before the end of the application, the meniscus was damaged. I wanted to prove to myself that it was not in vain that I trained and got in shape, but here it is.

Thank you Dr. Pfeiffer. He helped me get a visa and literally a day later he operated on me. I’m no stranger to operations; I’ve already had six of them before. After returning to Moscow, I received an offer from Yuri Pervak ​​from Chelyabinsk. There were plans to rename the team “Spartak” and enter the first league. I agreed to go there for 2.5 months. In the end, we completed all the tasks for the season, and I returned to Moscow.

– What kind of person is Dr. Pfeiffer?

– He sleeps four hours a day. He goes in for sports, runs in the mornings, and constantly goes out to consult and operate. Brazil, China, America, Russia - in general, he is handsome. One day, four of us came to see him: Valera Kechinov, Miroslav Romashchenko and me. Pfeiffer diagnosed all four of them immediately. After the examination, it turned out that all the diagnoses were accurate. How? He says it’s by his gait. This does not mean that there are no good specialists in Russia. They exist, but not enough.

– The most unknown period of your career is the period at Ajaccio.

– I always wanted to try myself abroad. They called me to Karlsruhe, but it didn’t work out at the management level. Sergei Bogdanovich (Semak - Match TV) helped me go to France. Thanks to him for this. We phoned, he said that there was an option with Ajaccio. I went to Corsica primarily to get a feel for what Europe is like as a football player. The French championship is one of the top five leagues in Europe. To learn a language, to somehow test yourself. Corsica, of course, has incredible beauty. In the morning I went out to the embankment, drank coffee and croissants and realized: “I’ll stay for a year anyway. It doesn’t matter what salary they give you.” Although they made the same conditions as in Spartak.

The coach was Roland Kurbis, who later worked at Alania. I flew in a jacket, tie, and a phrasebook. I learned ten words on the plane so that I could at least order coffee. Kurbis came to meet me at the airport, and he had just come from fishing: in slippers on his bare feet, in a tracksuit and in fish scales. I sat in his back seat, his spinning rod almost pierced my eye. The team there was like the Tula Arsenal: they had just entered the major league, the budget was small. We fought with everyone to the point of blood: from the days of the European Cups I remember how hard it was to play against the French teams. Because in France there are many legionnaires from Africa, athletic fighters. It was important to be able to play with one touch, otherwise your legs would be torn off. So I often remembered Spartak there.

There was one healthy black guy on our team named Mamadou, and they put me with him. The eyes are either white or red. It’s good that we went somewhere overnight a couple of times, so we didn’t often stay in the room with him. Everyone on the team played PlayStation, and there was also Spartak and my character. The guys told me: “Ananko, we are playing with you!”

– Does anything in Corsica remind you of Napoleon?

– Corsica is something in the best traditions of our Caucasus. A wayward people yearning for independence. They have a pirate’s head on their flag – it suited me just right after Rostov. They really don't like visiting French people from the continent. There is a film - "The Corsican". Everything is described in it as it is, I enjoy watching it. On the one hand, the people in Corsica are broad-minded, on the other hand, they are very clannish.

Once there was a case. The Parisians opened a fashion cafe in the city center: that is, there is a cafe downstairs, and things are sold upstairs. On the opening day there was an explosion there. By that time, they had given me a translator, and she was a lawyer for local nationalists. I tried to find out from her who died and who was injured. She said with a smile that everyone was warned about the explosion 24 hours in advance, so no one was there. This is just an illustrative story, an act of intimidation so that strangers do not meddle here.

In Corsica, I finally realized that there is some other life besides football. In Russia, out of 365 days, 300 of them are at training camp. And there I trained for two hours and was free. There were no more titles in France, but he looked at life differently. The difference with Moscow is acutely felt there, where there is a severe lack of sun. Everything is positive.

– During your time at Spartak, did you do anything that you can be proud of?

– I believe that we have done everything to change the atmosphere in the team. This atmosphere is what works in Spartak today. But there is a leader, it’s up to him to decide. We said goodbye. Our headquarters completed the main task set for the season. Now only time will judge us all.

You see, coming to Barcelona or Real Madrid is the same situation. What, Zidane taught them to hit the ball better? No, there is more psychology here, the ability to unite people. But to come to a club where they have been waiting for the championship for 15 years, where there is immediate press and pressure - this is completely different. I clearly understood for myself that we did something useful for Spartak when I was on an internship in Rostov with Kurban Berdyev. And what happened in Spartak in the 90s. We won’t go into details, but the main thing is the players’ attitude to the job. In Spartak it becomes correct.

– Tell us more about the atmosphere. What came before you and what remains after you?

– You see that now people have begun to die on the field. How many matches are won in the last minutes? Who's lucky? Who wants more? We were heading towards this, but everything takes time. A football club is not a microwave where you can turn the temperature down or up. Everything happens gradually, these are living people. Of course, Carrera brought something of his own to the team atmosphere. He’s great, everyone is waiting for the championship, and the guys have begun to show their best qualities.

But understand: we are people who have experienced a lot in this club, who understood what jersey we played in. We knew what kind of club it was and how many fans it had. We conveyed to the guys why they should play in Spartak. That you need to be an example for children, for fans. “Spartak” is a social phenomenon in this country. Until now, wherever we go, everyone comes up and thanks us for our years as players.

– Who in Spartak understood best that you need to lead by example?

– I think Artem Rebrov. Due to attitude, hard work, human qualities. Maybe he needs to add some toughness. Quincy is a great professional; he can only miss training due to illness. The same Glushakov, although he has not even reached his level yet. Many Spartak players have reserves.

– Do you have any complaints about your work at Spartak?

- Of course, if I didn’t have first place. I have complaints about my work at both Spartak and Arsenal. In Tula they could not stay in the Premier League, but based on the results of my work at Spartak, I will give myself a satisfactory rating. But we must understand that we only worked for a year. It is difficult to immediately grow perfect potatoes in a field with weeds.

– Why are you giving it a satisfactory rating? For seven defenders in the match with Rostov?

– This is how the circumstances developed in the match with Rostov. Firstly, we didn’t start playing with seven defenders in that game. Secondly, you don’t know what condition all the players are in. We released those people who were better prepared at that time.

– This does not agree with the stated idea that Spartak will play attacking football.

– You can release five strikers, but you need to release the strongest. In that match with Rostov, the strongest players at the moment were on the field. As the game progresses, you see what is happening: someone is not strong enough, somewhere a fresh player has emerged, someone is losing to his counterpart, there are more threats from this or that flank. Naturally, at a minimum, we need to eliminate the shortcomings, and, at a maximum, we need to make sure that we generally outperform in these moments.

– Is the decision to release first the sixth defender, and then the seventh, a common one?

– Did you express your wishes to Alenichev, did you give any advice?

– Of course, what’s the point of being there then?

– We discuss, present arguments, and the head coach makes a decision - it is not disputed. Once again: what are helpers for if you don’t listen to them? If you think that Oleg Samatov is only a running coach, then you are wrong. He also took part in the discussion. There is no such thing as a running coach or a ball coach. But in Spartak it was already different than in Arsenal.

– Are you communicating with Alenichev now?

– Will you say hello when you meet?

- Ofcourse, why not? I am grateful to him for entrusting me with sharing the beginning of my coaching career. There is something to be proud of. Still, starting with KFK and ultimately giving Tula the Premier League is worth a lot. The governor awarded us regional awards. This medal stands apart in my collection.

– Do you see anything in Spartak’s autumn football that you taught?

“The guys reconsidered their attitude to the matter, and it immediately bore fruit. Plus, competitors have weakened. At the same time, it is incorrect to say that Spartak is in first place, because Zenit has become weaker. No, you have to use this! If a boxer comes out and immediately knocks out his opponent, then it’s not his problem. These are the problems of an opponent who is not prepared.

– A year ago, the same Ze Luis seemed like a failed transfer. Under Carrera he was transformed. What's the matter?

– Do you even understand what it means to transfer a football player from club to club? Especially a foreign football player, especially in Spartak. You remember Louis Robeson very well. Who did he come from and who did he become? The coach was the same. Whose merit is this, what does this mean?

– Robson apparently acclimatized and started playing.

- That's the answer to your question. Some people learn faster, others take longer. The general atmosphere in the team is also important; Ze Luis probably began to understand Russian a little better. When he first arrived, he still had a personal problem in his family, which I would not like to voice. Football is not 90 minutes of play, back-heel passes and back-to-back dribbles. It’s also personal life, friendship, microclimate, training. You see, if you put boots and a T-shirt on a tree, it won’t play. And the story with Ze Luis is very similar to the story with Robson. All that remains is to become a champion more than once.

– What did Massimo Carrera give to Spartak then?

– The first thing is dedication. Look how their eyes light up and how the guys fight for each other. Secondly, the players understand how to defend, how to protect each other as a whole team, and not just defenders.

– This was given by the new coach, and not your staff?

– The grain, I think, was planted by us. I repeat, you cannot grow a tree right away! Or modern telephones lie in front of us. Remember what telephones used to be like? Bit by bit, gradually they became like this. We received the team in one state, and now it is in another. Carrera is finishing the house that we started to build. Only now this is his project and his home. This is normal, there is no need to become paranoid.

– It turns out that this is not luggage, but a foundation?

– Foundation is too strong a word. But everything we did went for the common good. You see, the microclimate is important. When they can’t find anything for a football player, and he can’t work and says that everything hurts, then this worsens the microclimate. Others don’t understand why they should plow if others don’t have to plow.

-Who are we talking about?

- Let's not.

– Whose contribution is greater in the current microclimate: your staff or Massimo Carrera?

– I will answer this way: everyone involved in the team, and everyone who supports Spartak, should just be happy. If you were lucky, the team deserved it. I will be glad if Spartak becomes the champion this season. But there is still a lot of work ahead: the match with Krylia Sovetov showed this. Although it definitely turned out to be a plus: it’s better to fall to the ground once, so as not to relax in the future.

Text: Gleb Chernyavsky, Ivan Karpov

Photo: Getty Images, globallookpress.com, wikipedia.org, RIA Novosti/Alexander Stupnikov, Andrey Golovanov and Sergey Kivrin

Defender of the veteran Russian national team Dmitry Ananko, in an interview with a Sports.ru correspondent, explained why the Legends Cup final with Spain turned out to be so tough, that he is thinking about his return to big-time football, and noted that we will not be ashamed of Guus Hiddink’s team.

– The match turned out to be tough... How great was the thirst for revenge for the defeat in the final of the tournament in Spain?

“Then we didn’t lose to today’s opponent.” According to the game. The referee simply made an incredible effort to ensure that Spain won, that's all. Therefore, of course, we really wanted to take revenge. And they did it.

– What do you attribute such a difference in the score to? Are Russian players really that much higher class than Spanish ones?

– You know, everything is shown on the football field. The score is on the scoreboard - draw your own conclusions. I will just note that all my partners played at the highest level in leading clubs in Europe. So we really are better than the Spaniards today.

- All these clashes on the field - how serious are they?

- Quite serious. After all, we will probably even die as football players at heart. Therefore, such events are quite normal. This is a sport, this is a fight.

– Do you agree with Kiryakov’s removal and Yuran’s yellow card? In my opinion, the second one deserved a harsher punishment...

– Well, what can I say – you really need to keep your hands down. But Yuran’s emotions surged. In any case, we will all sit together for a joint dinner in the evening and have a warm conversation. Don't worry, the fight will definitely not continue there.

– Are you going to file a complaint against the refereeing?

- Yes.

- No. Everything is great – I’m 100 percent satisfied with the judging. So no one thinks about protest.

– Did the unusual site cause a lot of inconvenience?

- Perhaps. Still, we are completely unaccustomed to playing in such conditions. Although even in a small space you can show something. I hope we succeeded.

– You seem to be in good shape. Maybe we should go back and play somewhere?

- No, no! I haven't played for seven years now. Valery Geogrievich Karpin - yes, he’s just in great shape. Although I obviously didn’t finish it yesterday either.

– It turns out that the game was difficult? Are you breathing without problems now?

- No, the lungs are fine. In general, I wouldn’t say that it was particularly difficult. I can easily go out and play a couple more matches now. I would do this with great pleasure.

– In general, in terms of physical fitness, did you lose any slack after finishing your career?

– If you look here (points to the stomach. – Sports.ru note), you can hardly call it fat. So I'm in good condition now. Again, I'm ready to play some more. But not on a professional level.

– The attitude towards such tournaments is ambiguous...

– Personally, I’m in favor with both hands. I think this is a holiday both for the fans and for us, former football players. I hope we made the fans happy today. At least we definitely pleased ourselves.

– Dmitry, now the Russian team, having crushed everyone to smithereens, has essentially won the European Championship among veterans. Why, when you were professionals, did our team not manage to get close to the finals of major tournaments?

– It’s hard to answer this question... We were hindered by some otherworldly forces... But the current team is progressing, working in the right direction. So no one will be ashamed of Hiddink’s team. She is quite capable of doing what we could not.

Former Spartak coach Dmitry Ananko gave a long interview to Match TV correspondents Gleb Chernyavsky and Ivan Karpov.

– You left Spartak in the summer. Have there been any offers since then?

– Dima Parfenov called to Tosno, Vitya Bulatov to Torpedo, but I had an agreement with another club. I gave preliminary consent, but in the end it fell through.

In general, the past year has been very happy: our daughter was born in July. The eldest is 22, but then my upbringing went a little past me. I once came back from training camp and asked my daughter: “How are things in kindergarten?” And she answered: “Dad, I’m already in second grade.” So now I'm enjoying fatherhood while I have time. During the pause, I finally graduated from the Industrial and Financial University. And the first two educations: the Institute of Physical Education and the University of Law. Plus VShT. I am applying everything little by little.

– Why did you seek legal knowledge?

– After the theft of my car from the Spartak base. This was in '93 or '94.

- From the base? There is also security, a fence, a gate.

“We flew away for training camp, and left the cars at the base. Previously, there was no real security; my grandfather was there. The lock was cut off, my Mitsubishi Pajero was stolen, and Tikhonov’s was stolen. The car was insured, but I was not paid anything. At the age of 22, after graduating from the Institute of Physical Education, I went to study law to find out why our people are not so protected. I even had a thesis on the topic: “Private property, theft of private property and investigation methods.”

– Was the knowledge useful?

– When I finished my career, I became the sports director at Torpedo-Metallurg. We tried to buy Sychev from Marseille there. An official request was sent, but the French were not interested. After 6 months I quit, not finding a common language with management. To resume my career, I made a schedule for myself and went to a two-week training camp. But 15 days before the end of the application, the meniscus was damaged. I wanted to prove to myself that it was not in vain that I trained and got in shape, but here it is.

Thank you Dr. Pfeiffer. He helped me get a visa and literally a day later he operated on me. I’m no stranger to operations; I’ve already had six of them before. After returning to Moscow, I received an offer from Yuri Pervak ​​from Chelyabinsk. There were plans to rename the team “Spartak” and enter the first league. I agreed to go there for 2.5 months. In the end, we completed all the tasks for the season, and I returned to Moscow.

– What kind of person is Dr. Pfeiffer?

– He sleeps four hours a day. He goes in for sports, runs in the mornings, and constantly goes out to consult and operate. Brazil, China, America, Russia - in general, he is handsome. One day, four of us came to see him: Ilya Tsymbalar, Valera Kechinov, Miroslav Romashchenko and me. Pfeiffer diagnosed all four of them immediately. After the examination, it turned out that all the diagnoses were accurate. How? He says it’s by his gait. This does not mean that there are no good specialists in Russia. They exist, but not enough.

– The most unknown period of your career is the period at Ajaccio.

– I always wanted to try myself abroad. They called me to Karlsruhe, but it didn’t work out at the management level. Sergei Bogdanovich (Semak - Match TV) helped me go to France. Thanks to him for this. We phoned, he said that there was an option with Ajaccio. I went to Corsica primarily to get a feel for what Europe is like as a football player. The French championship is one of the top five leagues in Europe. To learn a language, to somehow test yourself. Corsica, of course, has incredible beauty. In the morning I went out to the embankment, drank coffee and croissants and realized: “I’ll stay for a year anyway. It doesn’t matter what salary they give you.” Although they made the same conditions as in Spartak.

The coach was Roland Kurbis, who later worked at Alania. I flew in a jacket, tie, and a phrasebook. I learned ten words on the plane so that I could at least order coffee. Kurbis came to meet me at the airport, and he had just come from fishing: in slippers on his bare feet, in a tracksuit and in fish scales. I sat in his back seat, his spinning rod almost pierced my eye. The team there was like the Tula Arsenal: they had just entered the major league, the budget was small. We fought with everyone to the point of blood: from the days of the European Cups I remember how hard it was to play against the French teams. Because in France there are many legionnaires from Africa, athletic fighters. It was important to be able to play with one touch, otherwise your legs would be torn off. So I often remembered Spartak there.

There was one healthy black guy on our team named Mamadou, and they put me with him. The eyes are either white or red. It’s good that we went somewhere overnight a couple of times, so we didn’t often stay in the room with him. Everyone on the team played PlayStation, and there was also Spartak and my character. The guys told me: “Ananko, we are playing with you!”

– Does anything in Corsica remind you of Napoleon?

– Corsica is something in the best traditions of our Caucasus. A wayward people yearning for independence. They have a pirate’s head on their flag – it suited me just right after Rostov. They really don't like visiting French people from the continent. There is a film - "The Corsican". Everything is described in it as it is, I enjoy watching it. On the one hand, the people in Corsica are broad-minded, on the other hand, they are very clannish.

Once there was a case. The Parisians opened a fashion cafe in the city center: that is, there is a cafe downstairs, and things are sold upstairs. On the opening day there was an explosion there. By that time, they had given me a translator, and she was a lawyer for local nationalists. I tried to find out from her who died and who was injured. She said with a smile that everyone was warned about the explosion 24 hours in advance, so no one was there. This is just an illustrative story, an act of intimidation so that strangers do not meddle here.

In Corsica, I finally realized that there is some other life besides football. In Russia, out of 365 days, 300 of them are at training camp. And there I trained for two hours and was free. There were no more titles in France, but he looked at life differently. The difference with Moscow is acutely felt there, where there is a severe lack of sun. Everything is positive.

– During your time at Spartak, did you do anything that you can be proud of?

– I believe that we have done everything to change the atmosphere in the team. This atmosphere is what works in Spartak today. But there is a leader, it’s up to him to decide. We said goodbye. Our headquarters completed the main task set for the season. Now only time will judge us all.

You see, coming to Barcelona or Real Madrid is the same situation. What, Zidane taught them to hit the ball better? No, there is more psychology here, the ability to unite people. But to come to a club where they have been waiting for the championship for 15 years, where there is immediate press and pressure - this is completely different. I clearly understood for myself that we did something useful for Spartak when I was on an internship in Rostov with Kurban Berdyev. And what happened in Spartak in the 90s. We won’t go into details, but the main thing is the players’ attitude to the job. In Spartak it becomes correct.

– Tell us more about the atmosphere. What came before you and what remains after you?

– You see that now people have begun to die on the field. How many matches are won in the last minutes? Who's lucky? Who wants more? We were heading towards this, but everything takes time. A football club is not a microwave where you can turn the temperature down or up. Everything happens gradually, these are living people. Of course, Carrera brought something of his own to the team atmosphere. He’s great, everyone is waiting for the championship, and the guys have begun to show their best qualities.

But understand: we are people who have experienced a lot in this club, who understood what jersey we played in. We knew what kind of club it was and how many fans it had. We conveyed to the guys why they should play in Spartak. That you need to be an example for children, for fans. “Spartak” is a social phenomenon in this country. Until now, wherever we go, everyone comes up and thanks us for our years as players.

– Who in Spartak understood best that you need to lead by example?

– I think Artem Rebrov. Due to attitude, hard work, human qualities. Maybe he needs to add some toughness. Quincy is a great professional; he can only miss training due to illness. The same Glushakov, although he has not even reached his level yet. Many Spartak players have reserves.

– Do you have any complaints about your work at Spartak?

- Of course, if I didn’t have first place. I have complaints about my work at both Spartak and Arsenal. In Tula they could not stay in the Premier League, but based on the results of my work at Spartak, I will give myself a satisfactory rating. But we must understand that we only worked for a year. It is difficult to immediately grow perfect potatoes in a field with weeds.

– Why are you giving it a satisfactory rating? For seven defenders in the match with Rostov?

– This is how the circumstances developed in the match with Rostov. Firstly, we didn’t start playing with seven defenders in that game. Secondly, you don’t know what condition all the players are in. We released those people who were better prepared at that time.

– This does not agree with the stated idea that Spartak will play attacking football.

– You can release five strikers, but you need to release the strongest. In that match with Rostov, the strongest players at the moment were on the field. As the game progresses, you see what is happening: someone is not strong enough, somewhere a fresh player has emerged, someone is losing to his counterpart, there are more threats from this or that flank. Naturally, at a minimum, we need to eliminate the shortcomings, and, at a maximum, we need to make sure that we generally outperform in these moments.

– Is the decision to release first the sixth defender, and then the seventh, a common one?

– Did you express your wishes to Alenichev, did you give any advice?

– Of course, what’s the point of being there then?

– We discuss, present arguments, and the head coach makes a decision - it is not disputed. Once again: what are helpers for if you don’t listen to them? If you think that Oleg Samatov is only a running coach, then you are wrong. He also took part in the discussion. There is no such thing as a running coach or a ball coach. But in Spartak it was already different than in Arsenal.

– Are you communicating with Alenichev now?

– Will you say hello when you meet?

- Ofcourse, why not? I am grateful to him for entrusting me with sharing the beginning of my coaching career. There is something to be proud of. Still, starting with KFK and ultimately giving Tula the Premier League is worth a lot. The governor awarded us regional awards. This medal stands apart in my collection.

– Do you see anything in Spartak’s autumn football that you taught?

“The guys reconsidered their attitude to the matter, and it immediately bore fruit. Plus, competitors have weakened. At the same time, it is incorrect to say that Spartak is in first place, because Zenit has become weaker. No, you have to use this! If a boxer comes out and immediately knocks out his opponent, then it’s not his problem. These are the problems of an opponent who is not prepared.

– A year ago, the same Ze Luis seemed like a failed transfer. Under Carrera he was transformed. What's the matter?

– Do you even understand what it means to transfer a football player from club to club? Especially a foreign football player, especially in Spartak. You remember Louis Robeson very well. Who did he come from and who did he become? The coach was the same. Whose merit is this, what does this mean?

– Robson apparently acclimatized and started playing.

- That's the answer to your question. Some people learn faster, others take longer. The general atmosphere in the team is also important; Ze Luis probably began to understand Russian a little better. When he first arrived, he still had a personal problem in his family, which I would not like to voice. Football is not 90 minutes of play, back-heel passes and back-to-back dribbles. It’s also personal life, friendship, microclimate, training. You see, if you put boots and a T-shirt on a tree, it won’t play. And the story with Ze Luis is very similar to the story with Robson. All that remains is to become a champion more than once.

– What did Massimo Carrera give to Spartak then?

– The first thing is dedication. Look how their eyes light up and how the guys fight for each other. Secondly, the players understand how to defend, how to protect each other as a whole team, and not just defenders.

– This was given by the new coach, and not your staff?

– The grain, I think, was planted by us. I repeat, you cannot grow a tree right away! Or modern telephones lie in front of us. Remember what telephones used to be like? Bit by bit, gradually they became like this. We received the team in one state, and now it is in another. Carrera is finishing the house that we started to build. Only now this is his project and his home. This is normal, there is no need to become paranoid.

– It turns out that this is not luggage, but a foundation?

– Foundation is too strong a word. But everything we did went for the common good. You see, the microclimate is important. When they can’t find anything for a football player, and he can’t work and says that everything hurts, then this worsens the microclimate. Others don’t understand why they should plow if others don’t have to plow.

Dmitry caught the time when “ Spartacus“not only played in the Champions League, but also regularly won it. In the fall of 1995, for example, he amazed Europe with a 100% result in the group tournament, and then fought desperately with Nantes for passage to the semi-finals. However, I myself Ananko clearly does not belong to the category of people who constantly look back at yesterday, no matter how pleasant it was. A nine-time champion of Russia, even after the end of active performances he found himself in life, and not in just one, but in several roles at once. He, like no one else from that glorious galaxy of Spartacists, fits the epithet “jack of all trades.”

Dima, you graduated as a trainer 10 years ago, but you still haven’t worked independently in this specialty. Why?

Firstly, after graduating from VShT, I still continued to play. By the way, in the same years I received two more higher educations. Everything is in the piggy bank. Now I use this knowledge. But I never had the desire to train, no matter where or how. I wanted to work only with like-minded people, which is actually what is happening now.

In one of your interviews when you were a player, you admitted that you don’t see yourself as a coach in the future. It turns out that you have reconsidered your outlook on life?

You know, a lot depends on the team, tasks, specific people. Let's say the period of work with Alenichev I found him incredibly interesting in the youth team. Therefore, I will be happy to continue working with him at Arsenal Tula.

- Has football still outweighed business?

If we talk specifically about Tula, then I am ready to combine both positions: helping the head coach and benefiting the club as a manager. And then we'll see.

It is known that you were involved in real estate. But real estate is too abstract. What exactly were your activities in this area?

Now this market is not as interesting to me as before. We can say that the stage has passed. I want to move forward. I am currently writing my dissertation on sports management. We must always change, look for and find something new and interesting in life. I also worked in insurance for six months - I know what kind of business this is. Now all strength, knowledge and desires will be devoted to the revival of Arsenal.

caught the time when " Spartacus“not only played in the Champions League, but also regularly won it.

Your words: “Cossacks are a very wayward people. So I don’t belong to anyone, I don’t stand under anyone.” Did this adherence to principles help you more in life or did it hinder you?

When you are an active player, of course, you have to adapt - to the requirements of the coach, to the interests of the team. Everything is for the sake of the result. Actually, our “ Spartacus“What he was famous for was that everyone stood by each other on the field, helped, and insured. There was no gag.

- But your namesake Alenichev is also a fairly principled person. Will you get along with him in tandem?

Each of us has our own opinion on certain issues, and we express it. Again, I repeat: I never had the task of working for the sake of work. I was ready to follow people with similar football and life ideals. In this sense, Dima and I are like-minded. As with Sasha Filimonov. I hope our experience will serve Tula football well. What can I hope for? I am sure that everything will work out for us.

Maybe, in order to be in the “clip” of trainers in Russia, you should be a more flexible person than you, than Alenichev?

Well why? Vaughn Karpin With Fedun, for example, they get along fine, although everyone has their own point of view on any problem. The club stopped moving from side to side - and things started to move forward. After a 10-year failure, I think, “ Spartacus"Finally got on the right track.

- Did your administrative experience at Torpedo-Metallurg come in handy somewhere in your life, did it open your eyes to something?

Naturally, because at that time I was an active football player - but I became a functionary. It was very important for me to feel: what is this? Accepting Belous’s offer, I knew that the team would be reorganized and renamed “Moscow”. The club was being built seriously and, as it seemed then, for many years. And the team was not bad, they played in European cups. In general, it was interesting. At one time I was eager to go abroad to see with my own eyes, to experience for myself: what is it like there?

Did you perceive coaching in the youth team as a job, a craft, or just another life experiment?

The word “hobby” definitely couldn’t be called it. We represented the country, even at the same youth age. I myself started playing in national teams at the age of 15, for me the national team is not just words, not an empty phrase. Therefore, he took his work very seriously. It’s a pity that we couldn’t achieve our goals; initially they were the highest. In any case, even from a negative result one can and should draw positive conclusions that will allow one not to repeat certain mistakes in the future. What was significant for me was that the guys were happy to go to the national team.

with a prize for winning the “Legends Cup”

Your Spartak thundered in the Champions League in the good sense of the word. What was different - time, team or all together?

Football is constantly changing and growing. At the same time, I want to say that “ Spartacus“In those years, we were one family - starting from the janitor at the base and ending with the first team. Almost the entire club traveled abroad with us to European Cups. " Spartacus"was literally imbued with the spirit of a winner - it was felt not only in the game - at every training session! No one allowed themselves to relax or do anything carelessly. The cooks fed us to the maximum, the football players worked to the maximum (smiles). That's why there was a result.

Plus - the 1990s. These are difficult times for people. But how damn nice it was to see the stands full - even in the bitter cold! This was the best assessment of our work. So, we did everything right.

Today, six wins in six Champions League matches seems like a real miracle. How were they perceived then, a decade and a half ago?

They were perceived as normal. We had self-confidence and an amazing team. There were 20 or 22 people in the main squad, and such great players as Andrei Afanasyev, Andrey Ivanov, may the kingdom of heaven be upon him, Mukhsin Mukhamadiev, they didn’t even always make it into the reserves! Can you imagine what level of competition there was in that “ Spartak"? And this did not stop us from remaining one family. If that team had survived, we really could have won the Champions League...

- Are you interested - as a coach, former player, spectator - in modern Spartak?

To be honest, I’m unlikely to buy a ticket to the stadium. Not a fan. When a club invites you, I come with pleasure. I don’t feel any super emotions, because I would like to see my native club constantly fighting for the championship and setting the goal of going as far as possible in Europe. But it is gratifying that recently the situation has begun to change little by little and for the better.

- You, among other things, also managed to be an expert on television. Liked?

And at one time I even received a salary from NTV-Plus. It was interesting to me. I would like to believe that the audience does too. Still, a lot of people watch TV, and they need to - no, not impose their opinion - just explain some specific nuances. Since they offered me a bet, I was probably interesting to both the management and the fans. Today I am not eager to go on television at any cost. But if I have time and an invitation, I come to visit. I once starred in the TV series “Voronins” - that was also a new experience.

“Now someone is chuckling: why does he need a fourth higher education? And I’m ready to give real examples when the knowledge I acquired at the university helped me in life and work.”

- Just a Swiss, a reaper and a player on the pipe!

If it works, why not? I came to TV as a guest and received a job offer. This is an indicator, I think. Insurance again. I went, completed my studies and didn’t just sit in the office, but actually made money – both for the company and for myself. I am used to working for results in any industry.

- And what wind, excuse me, brought the still active football player Ananko to the law university?

In fact, the choice was simple. Firstly, the educational institution was located in Mytishchi, not far from me. Secondly, the country was changing, businesses were emerging. There was also a personal motive in this whole story. My car was stolen right from the base, and I did not receive a single ruble of compensation, despite insurance. Of course, I wanted to understand why this happens. That's why I entered the law university - the faculty of criminal law. My diploma work was called “Private property, theft of private property and methods of its investigation.” I purposefully went towards this, I wanted to learn the laws and, in general, I studied them.

Now someone is chuckling: why does he need a fourth higher education? And I’m ready to give real examples when the knowledge I acquired at the university helped me in life and work. Now, for example, many have rushed to obtain agency licenses. I can not only get a football player a job, but also manage his finances correctly, provide legal assistance, and become a full-fledged lawyer for him, if the situation requires it. If I had such a person at one time, I would only be happy.

- Did you feel like a more prosperous person then, in your past, let’s call it that way, life, or today?

You know, over time, every person undergoes a certain reassessment of values. What does it mean - secured? I live in a country house, my daughter graduated from a private school last year, my father has a separate apartment in Moscow. I can afford to drive a normal car, eat normally, and dress normally. What did I need at 17 to be happy? A crimson jacket, chains and the like are throwing dust in people's eyes. Buying a “nine”, going to a foreign exchange restaurant - in my youth all this seemed really cool. Now the values ​​are, of course, different. And the main one is family. She comes first.

Ananko, Dmitry Vasilievich. Defender. Master of Sports of Russia of international class (2003).

A student of the Rostov Regional School of the Olympic Reserve (Rostov-on-Don).

He played for the teams “Spartak” Moscow (1991–1995, 1996–2002), “Rostselmash” Rostov-on-Don (1995), “Ajaccio” Ajaccio, France (2002–2003), “Torpedo-Metallurg” Moscow (2003) , "LUKoil" Chelyabinsk (2004).

9-time Russian champion 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 3-time winner of the Russian Cup 1991/92, 1993/94, 1997/98.

Played 1 match for the Russian national team.

Assistant head coach at the Arsenal Tula club (2011–2015). Assistant head coach at the Spartak Moscow club (2015–2016).

« WE, COSSACKS, ARE A WAYWAY PEOPLE»

The co-author of nine Spartak championships is a complex person, with his own, often different from others, views on life. He gives interviews extremely rarely, although he has something to say. This is what our readers have the opportunity to verify.

KOVTUN - MY GRANDFATHER

You are twenty-eight. And it seems that you have been playing football for an eternity. When you look back, your eyes don’t pop out of your head?

I live for today. If I start delving into the past, then I can stay in it. And the feeling of eternity comes from the fact that I started early and have been playing for Spartak for two decades now.

Why did they “start early”?

I've never been a super talent. People who were much more gifted than me always played next to me. I was driven by the desire to achieve something.

In your personality, you are somewhat outside the stereotype of a football player. Have you always felt comfortable in this specific environment?

At first, I perceived some jokes as an insult. But then I got used to it. I think if I felt uncomfortable at Spartak, I would not have stayed here. Take the same Chuisse. So he got it into his head that they treat him badly here, and that’s it, he’s no longer on the team. It all depends on the player himself. Because from time immemorial Spartak has had a strong team; no one was ever oppressed there. Another thing is that we have selected strong personalities, and it is not easy to look worthy against the general background. It might even break.

Have you ever found a scythe on a stone? After all, there were always enough tough people in the red-white camp.

- If it got to the extreme point, he called the person for a frank conversation. One on one. We always found a common language. There were almost no problems off the field. And I perceived attacks during the match as a person’s desire to help.

Major position.

If you want to learn, you throw away the husks and keep the constructive things for yourself.

It seems that you, for the last defender, are not very fond of working with your voice. And in your younger years, you probably were generally silent during matches?

Of course, even now sometimes I can’t scream. And then the people were entirely honored and eminent. Well, how can I advise them? The main thing is to understand that this is required for the business. For me, the process of overcoming myself took a little longer than expected, because I was used to treating my elders with respect.

In this regard, you are an oriental person.

This is how I was raised, and the boarding school played an important role in my personal development. In general, it was a strong school of life. No parents, no home, special rules: you have to be responsible for every word. You have a so-called "senior". Here it was important not to follow his lead, not to adopt the negative. By the way, many are mistaken that hazing is an army problem. Its roots go back to boarding schools and vocational schools. To survive, to remain yourself, you must make it clear that you do not intend to obey, that you will not fulfill the demands of your “grandfather.” Yes, you will probably get punched in the face, but they won’t touch you anymore. Both in life and in football, you move forward only through character.

If I'm not mistaken, your “grandfather” was Yuri Kovtun?

More precisely, we were supervised by the guys from the year he was born. I remember Yura well, but we didn’t meet closely with him. But now we have very warm relations. I know that I can rely on this person in any situation. By the way, we noticed that graduates of the Rostov boarding school always played in Spartak.

Is your photo on the Honor Board there?

I was hanging out in a boarding school even when I was studying. It's nice to know that you simply deserve it. Neither mom nor dad asked for me.

ATE LEMONS IN BUNCHES

Are you really a real Cossack?

Yes, and I constantly feel that the blood of my people flows within me.

How is it shown?

To understand this, it is enough to delve into history. During the era of serfdom, there were Cossack freemen. That is, people lived in a free settlement, were on their own. Cossacks are a very capricious, independent people. So I don’t belong to anyone, I don’t stand under anyone. I make my own decisions.

Do you have confidence in the future?

After I graduated from law school, I became convinced that it simply could not exist in our country. In Russia, no one cares about what you managed to earn with your feet, hands, and head. In an instant you can be deprived of all this.

Have your legs forgotten the blows that cost you three years of your career?

The problem is not just in the legs. Professional athletes experience significant changes throughout the body: enlargement of the heart, lungs, and so on. We are very different from normal people.

So, are you afraid for your health “in civilian life”?

Who is experiencing a second youth? The one who saved the first one. We need to take care of ourselves.

It just seems like your seventeenth birthday will last forever. Everything is different in life. I still feel as if I had just arrived at Spartak. But more than ten years have already flown by. And the sooner a person realizes that time tends to run away, the better for him.

How difficult was it at first for you to force yourself to go to bed at 11 p.m., not to eat too much, and so on?

My main difficulty was weight. No one could determine exactly what it should be like for me. How I fought with it, and ate lemons in packs, which is why I developed an ulcer, and tortured myself with stress! Only after years of searching did I discover my optimal playing weight - 78 kilograms. I started eating separately. I am convinced that if I had come to this at the age of 22, my career would have turned out differently.

CAN'T MATCH THE LACES

Are you a maximalist by nature?

I finally became one at Spartak. Although, since childhood, I have achieved certain peaks at every stage. From the simple section I made it to the city team, and from there to the regional team. Then there was boarding school - the peak of my dreams. Then the new limit is the youth teams of the RSFSR, the USSR, and there’s nothing to say about Spartak. When I received an invitation to it, I thought: I’m going to smash myself into pieces, but I’ll take advantage of my chance.

You are an emotionally stable person. What can throw you off track?

Nothing. But sometimes I lose my temper when a person doesn’t understand basic things. Either he doesn’t want it, or he’s simply not capable. If I have to deal with him, then I turn around and leave. You shouldn't put someone in a stupid position. And I’m not interested in communicating with the wall.

Not the best quality for a future coach.

I don’t see myself in this role. Although I have something to say. I won’t swear: I don’t know how fate will turn out. But if necessary, I will step on the throat of my own song. There were so many moments when I had to accept the rules of someone else's game. And it seems that he always successfully adapted to a model that was alien to himself. Ultimately I got what I needed. Take education, for example. By the way, when I took the state exam in jurisprudence, I was shaking as much as on the day of my debut for Spartak. But it’s okay, I controlled myself and went to answer first. In the end I got a solid B.

How were you shaking on the day of your debut?

It was the USSR championship, I don’t remember who we played against. When they called me in as a replacement, I couldn’t tie the laces on my boots - neither my arms nor my legs obeyed me. What did you do in the game then? Unclear.

Can you be scared now?

Hardly. Well, Arsenal, well, Real. The people performing there are the same as us. Why on earth should I be afraid of anyone? Respect - yes.

I KNOW TO CLIMB OUT OF THE HOLE

In European football, it is believed that Russians are jitters, unlike Western professionals. Have you ever noticed how world-famous stars' knees trembled?

They have a different attitude towards the game and, accordingly, the perception of defeats too. It didn’t work out - nothing happened, they took it and forgot it. For us, a loss is the tragedy of your entire life.

Personally, you are prone to self-flagellation

There wasn't a single game after which I went home and admired myself. But to kill yourself just like that... Although, for example, in 1996 we “burned” Lokomotiv and the third goal was scored on us through my fault. Okay, Gorlukovich calmed me down. He said: "There will be a million more matches in which you can correct this mistake." This is what football is good about: today you lose, and tomorrow you recover.

Every coach walks on a knife edge. He understands that sooner or later he will have to jump off and get cut into blood. Do footballers have a similar edge-of-the-abyss syndrome?

In every training session you have to prove that you have the right to play in this team. So much for walking on the blade. I made a mistake a couple of times, and less people look in your direction. And if you also have a weak inner core, then consider it all - you’ve won back. I had so many times because of injuries: double, double, double. But I found the strength to return to the base.

When you found yourself among those on whom the team leaders were not going to bet, did you think that they were somehow biased towards you? Many people begin to blame coaches for their difficulties.

Sometimes it was upsetting to the point of tears. But what's the point of being limp and looking for someone to blame? It’s stupid to go around and tell everyone how good I am: put me down, I’ll show you all. You have to grit your teeth, take your will into a fist and plow. Then your efforts will be rewarded. I am proud that several times I managed to climb out of such a hole in which many die for big sport. Thus, I gave a fitting rebuff to my “well-wishers.” For example, when I was returning from Rostov to Spartak, Andreev “admonished” me: “Where are you going? You won’t play there!” - “No, I will! I will still perform in this League.” I told him this phrase and left. And life showed that I was right.

Oleg Romantsev rarely compliments his players. Do you know what this is?

I am pleased that for so many years he has trusted me. You don't need to pat me on the head. Since I'm still here, everything is clear.

Still here... Over the past three years, I have heard ten times that you are about to change the team.

I don't like rumors, but they turn me on. With my play I want to prove that I am worthy of the foundation of Spartak. After all, at this stage I can’t imagine myself in another club in Russia. Of course, it would be possible to move somewhere because of material incentives, but what about peace of mind? I’m already such a Spartakist that if you cut me open, I’m all red and white inside.

And as a summary of our conversation, give a description of Dmitry Ananko.

I want to change and I change every year. There are many of me.

HOW ARE YOU?

What are you doing now?

I work in a commercial organization related to real estate. But I want to return to football - as a coach or manager. There are proposals, and now I’m thinking about them. Moreover, I have some experience: I worked as a sports director at Torpedo-Metallurg and, not in words, but in deeds, I know what club and transfer policies are. And as a football player, he went through a lot of schooling, playing under the guidance of such maximalist coaches as Oleg Romantsev and Georgy Yartsev. He also has foreign experience: he spent a season in the French Ajaccio, which was then headed by Roland Courbis.

Why do you intend to return to football?

There are thoughts and ideas that I would like to bring to life. If we combine our Russian realities with the Western approach, an interesting symbiosis can result. Much depends on who and with whom you go to work. In my opinion, a football club can achieve certain heights only if it has a team of like-minded people. This is how it was with us in the 90s at Spartak, when everyone, from Romantsev to the guard at the base in Tarasovka, was charged with one, champion goal. I remember how in those days ordinary club or base employees flew with us to many tournaments.

Do you have a HST diploma?

Yes. Defended it at the age of 28, being a football player. Received a third higher education after the Institute of Physical Education and Law. At VShT I studied together with Vasily Kulkov and Oleg Kornaukhov. I remember that at that time many were against the fact that current players received coaching education. I cannot share this position. If a person has a desire for education, why should he artificially create obstacles?

There was information that you were invited to be a coach at Khabarovsk SKA-Energia. This is true?

No. I don't even know where these rumors came from. On the day they appeared, I received calls from early morning: “Is it true that you are leaving for Khabarovsk?” The half-awake man didn’t even understand what we were talking about: “What Khabarovsk?!” I didn't talk to anyone from there. Just in case, I called Sergei Gorlukovich, who now works as the head coach of SKA-Energia. He also knew nothing and had no idea where it came from.

What have you been up to lately?

I work, as I already said, in an organization not related to football, and I play for Spartak veterans. I participate with them on trips around our country and the former Union. For a day or two I plunge into the unique football atmosphere. It’s a pleasure and an honor to take to the field in the company of such players as Dasaev, Cherenkov, Pozdnyakov, Kulkov, Shavlo, Pyatnitsky, Yartsev... I managed to play with many of them back in Spartak, and with some only as veterans. You get great pleasure from playing with such masters.

Which trip with veterans would be considered the most memorable?

Probably last year in Dushanbe. There the stadium was filled to capacity. 20 thousand fans came to the match, which, as local residents said, had not happened since the USSR Championship. Pop artists also flew to the Tajik capital with us, but after the game many spectators began to leave. This means that they came exclusively for football.

Did Mukhamadiev play?

But of course! Mukhsin is a popular favorite there, but he played for Spartak.

Who did you meet?

With the current team from the Tajik championship. And they defeated her. In more than a year that I have been playing for the Spartak veterans, we have never lost to anyone.

Alexey MATVEEV. Head of the column Sergey BUTOV. "Sport-Express", 03/03/2006

* * *

ONCE UPON A TIME IN TEAM RUSSIA

Dmitry Ananko is one of the best defenders in Russia in the 90s. Nine championship titles, Twelve years at Spartak and constant participation in European cups, but only one game for the Russian national football team. Seven years later, Ananko is all business: he runs a real estate agency, works as an expert on TV, masters the MBA program, takes children to the Real Madrid camp. In a large and frank interview with Sports.ru, Ananko spoke about Romantsev, Kurbis, Robson, Kebe and himself.

Corsica and Chavlo

- Not everyone will understand when you ended your playing career. In 2003-2004 you played for Torpedo-Metallurg in a dual role - player and sports director.

The team was about to take off. When I returned to Russia from France, Yuri Belous met me and asked for help. Help as a player. There were two experienced football players there - Shustikov and I - and we had to explain to the others how to play in order to stay. Apparently, we did it so well that Yuri Viktorovich invited me to work as a sports director, regardless of whether I wanted to continue my playing career or not.

You did not work as the sports director of Tor-Meta for long. Why?

I had certain conditions. Not financially, but in terms of who will work at the club. First of all, I set a condition - I will not work with Shavlo, who was a coach there. And so - this work was very interesting to me, especially since I already knew that the renaming of the club was coming, and this is a completely different level. We sent an official request to Marseille about Dima Sychev, but we were told that they themselves needed him. But I talked to both Onopko and Alenichev - there was a possibility that they would come to the team. We needed fans, we needed to change the mentality of the players, who had previously only been fighting for survival. Unfortunately, much was promised, but little was delivered. After working and looking at everything, I decided to leave.

Why didn't you want to work with Shavlo?

He himself knows why. I've already talked about this. After that, by the way, he forbade me from entering the stadium. Time has shown who he is and what he is worth.

In 2004, you started playing again - at Lukoil. What kind of team is this? The same one that will later become Spartak - first Chelyabinsk, and then Nizhny Novgorod?

Yes. When I left the post of sports director, I tried to return to football. I went to the Emirates, took the program and began to prepare on my own. But three weeks before the end of the transfer period I damaged my meniscus. I called Dr. Pfeiffer, flew to Germany to see him and had the operation. As a result, it came in handy for Yuri Pervak. He said that there was an idea to rename the Chelyabinsk club “Spartak” and asked for help to reach the first league. Which we successfully did.

In 2002 you left for France. During the 12 years spent at Spartak, was this the only opportunity to leave for the West?

When Spartak players had the opportunity to leave - Pyatnitsky, Tsymbalar, and others - they either did not leave or went to the wrong place. It's the same situation with me. At Spartak they didn’t even talk to the people who came to pick me up. When we played with Karlsruher in the UEFA Cup, this club wanted to buy me. But people from Spartak simply did not come to the meeting.

How did they let you go to France?

In 2002 there was already pressure on me. I understood: there are already a lot of young people, we need to make room. But as time has shown, this was done not because we were weaker, but for other reasons. We gave ourselves completely to Spartak, and in return we received... I found the option with Ajaccio myself. They offered me to go to Alania and somewhere else, but I said: now I’ll go my own way. While I was negotiating, I spent about seven thousand dollars on the phone. When everything had already been agreed upon and I was leaving the base in Tarasovka, they called me and said that one of the sponsors had abandoned Ajaccio and the club would not be able to meet my salary. “There’s no turning back for me,” I said. “Let me practice and I’ll prove that I’m needed.” I was right. 20 minutes after the training began, Roland Courbis - the then coach of Ajaccio - left to talk to the president. As a result, I went to this heavenly place where I could unload my head.

Corsica is for France as the North Caucasus is for Russia - very independent people live there. Have you, a native of the Rostov region, felt this?

Having arrived in Corsica, I came home. Cleanliness, order, friendly people - in the best traditions of the North Caucasus. Constant sun, sea 300 meters from the house, palm trees, bikini - what else do you need? And all positive. Especially after Moscow - a city where the weather greatly affects people in a negative sense.

What kind of coach is Roland Courbis? A deafening failure awaited him in Alania; in France, due to problems with the tax authorities, he almost ended up in prison.

Yes, he is a colorful personality. When Courbis was playing, he had an affair with the Princess of Monaco. Kurbis the trainer is an amazing psychologist. With the squad that was in Ajaccio, he did the impossible. He is one of those who works from the outside. He gives instructions, sits down to drink coffee and watches. The training is conducted by assistants. Where necessary, Kurbis stops and prompts. I think this is correct. If you participate in one exercise, you don't see how people work in another. In addition, he has many individual conversations with the players. And in “Alania” he simply did not have enough knowledge of the language. The translator still cannot convey the coach’s thoughts to the players with absolute accuracy.

Romantsev and Kebe

Remember right away how many times you are the champion of Russia?

If they count as they do now - nine. But I have eight medals. Because in ’92 he played only two matches. Although I don't really care.

You once said that if you are cut open, you are completely red and white inside. Will you sign these words now?

Yes. To be red and white means to be a maximalist. In relation to work, to people, to yourself. Some were surprised: how could a training session at Spartak last 55 minutes? Others couldn’t load up even in two hours. Because we treated every exercise to the maximum. This also carries over into today’s life. Whatever I do, I try to make the most of it.

Do you have an explanation why Oleg Romantsev, your main Spartak coach, has not been working anywhere for so long?

There are explanations, but let him answer these questions himself.

What is your relationship with him?

Since 2003, I have never been to the base. In six years I saw him only once - at Fedotov's funeral. I was one of the organizers of Dima Alenichev's farewell match. It was agreed through Georgy Sanych Yartsev that Romantsev would be at the match. But he still didn’t come.

Andrei Tikhonov still plays football at a decent level, although he is three years older than you.

Let's start with the fact that Andrei Tikhonov began playing football after the army, that is, after 20 years. I had my first operation already in the ninth grade, I was 14 years old, the second - at 15, the third - at 18. After that there were five more operations. This probably explains it all.

It is believed that in the West people play longer because their pre-season training camps are several times shorter.

I agree. And look how long they play in the NHL! At the same time there are more loads. I once asked Vyacheslav Fetisov’s wife Lada: why doesn’t her husband write a book? Fetisov and Larionov are people who not only play for Ajaccio, but at the age of forty win Stanley Cups. Our structure of the training process itself is not the same - it’s a very long period. “Spartak” at one time traveled a lot to mini-football tournaments, which took place in January-February. It was at these tournaments that we got in shape.

Do you have the most memorable match in your Spartak career?

There were many, but I will remember one. When we played against Arsenal, it was ten degrees below zero outside. We were told that there were 300 thousand applications for the match. People gathered an hour before the game, watched the match for two hours, and then left the stadium for another hour. Then someone from the management said: “Who is capable of gathering so many people under such conditions for such a long period of time?!” What politician? What singer?

12 years at Spartak, 9 gold medals, regular appearances in the Champions League and only one game for the national team. Why so little?

I went through all the stages in the youth teams. But in 1993, at the Under-23 World Cup in Australia, not so good things happened. I don’t want to talk about them, because the people involved in this still work in our football. We were the only European team that made it out of the group at that tournament. But the dogs were unleashed on me, after which the road to the national team was closed. And only in 2001, when, as I understand it, the press forced me to call, I got into the team. To this day, I don’t have the most pleasant memories associated with the national team. However, even though I didn’t play in it, I’m still proud of my career.

And how did you behave in those days when the team was announced? Were you worried? Did you hope? Were you expecting them to call?

No. I just know what kind of people they are. I was doing other things - studying, preparing for a different life. I never focused on football alone.

Which Spartak player are you closest to?

With Alenichev, Bulatov, Parfenov, Buznikin, you can list them for a long time. Yesterday I called Dr. Vasilkov - we haven’t heard from each other for a thousand years, but we talked warmly, I asked questions that interested me, and received answers. I recently spoke with Stolzers and Tsikhmeytruk. I even get goosebumps when I remember that we were players on the same team. Both have now finished playing and are trying to find themselves in football.

Just recently, Andrei Ivanov, your defense partner, passed away due to alcohol. Did they try to help him?

Pisarev, Shalimov, Mostovoy were friends with him. Even before it was shown on TV, they told me that the guys were trying to help. But here it’s difficult to lead a person by the hand and say: “Let us cure you.” He himself must want it. There were attempts, but unfortunately it didn’t work. The funeral was handled by Spartak.

You did not see the main delivery of foreign players to Spartak. Who was the most amazing alien in your time?

With a minus sign - Kebe. A very good football player, but once he even had to explain something manually. I couldn't stand and listen to his antics. He used to lock himself in his room and didn’t want to go anywhere - to a match or training. I didn’t understand the management: why does the team need such a player? Not only does he have to be persuaded to go and train, but he also causes negativity in the team.

- “Explain manually” means punch in the nose? Or just hang out?

No, I don’t push... In a positive sense, I remember Robson, of course. He came out to his first training session at Spartak with a tennis ball - to show us that he is Brazilian and can handle even it deftly. But in the end, he played the way he did, two years later, not earlier.

Real estate and Madrid « Real»

- When you came to Torpedo-Metallurg, Belous said about you: while others were resting, Ananko was engaged in education. Where do you get such a passion for learning, which is rare in football?

At the boarding school where I studied, knowledge was drilled into us, and I really didn’t like it. At Spartak, my university was the physical education institute in Malakhovka. But then I thought: I don’t want to become a physical education teacher. I decided to go to law school. I finished it with a “good” grade and I can tell you about my thesis even now, it’s called “Private property, theft of private property and methods of its investigation.” I went there to understand: when will laws begin to take effect in our country? Now I started to think completely differently. Let’s say I speak differently with the police on the roads: in half the cases they don’t fully know the laws, and the people, by definition, are afraid of them. Then I entered the Higher School of Technology - I have time, why not? In addition, during his career he was engaged in construction. Now I am a student of the MBA program - the one that is located in the building of the Plekhanov Academy. I’m telling you: football was my job, but I didn’t focus on it. And most of all I was worried when they put me in a training camp and closed it with a fence.

You have said more than once that you do not consider making money from Russian football a utopia. Explain why?

We simply don’t want to make money from football. We are surprised: why don’t people go to football even after the European Championship, where the national team played so well? Guys, what are you doing for this? We gathered a full stadium for Alenichev’s farewell match, despite the fact that it was a veterans’ match. We are now working with Real Madrid and we see that people are making money on everything. “Spartak” is not worthy of this? Can't he have a museum? Spartak and CSKA are for Russia what Real Madrid are for Spain. There is no need to invent anything. Go and look, and bring the best here. But this needs to be done. Hiddink said: after the Euro there is an impetus that cannot be missed. But I think: if Hiddink leaves, our football will wither again... Although there are examples to the contrary. The same Sergei Kushchenko. The same Evgeniy Giner. Why did Spartak skid? Because people like Shavlo worked there. Although now at Spartak the commercial director Fedor Shapoval is, in my opinion, a very promising specialist.

You run a real estate agency. How did you get into this business?

How was the issue of apartments resolved before? The club gives it to you in a certain area - take it. What if I don't want to? I said: give me as much money as it costs. I added and selected an apartment where I wanted. And now I can help the guys with loans and with choosing housing. There is also a company - although it’s a bit difficult right now - that helps football players invest. When you finish your career, you realize that one hundred thousand is a decent amount. Unfortunately, a lot of divorces happen after people finish. I have an excellent lawyer, he has already helped many.

Together with Dmitry Cheryshev you take children to the Real Madrid camp. Is this business popular?

Quite. However, this year, due to the crisis, fewer children were sent. This is understandable - the pleasure is not cheap. It is indicative how Real fill the gap when players are on vacation and the base is free. During this month, firstly, they watch children from all over the world, and secondly, they earn 3-4 million euros. And even such an arena as Megasport is idle. True, last year we held the Legends Cup there.

A tournament where there was a collapse: the French refused to play their match until they were paid.

The event is not cheap, and your pockets are not bottomless. It was their right - certain things were written in the letters of guarantee. In an hour on a weekend it was difficult to find the 10 thousand euros that we had to pay them. It's good to have friends. Formally, they are right, although they are all millionaires and it is not easy to understand them as a human being. Nevertheless, the event turned out to be significant. The Portuguese have already approached my friend’s company, which held this tournament, and they want to organize the same thing at home.

I've lost count of how many jobs you have now. How do you respond to strangers who ask what you do?

I answer: “What do you want?” My work lasts 24 hours a day and I do whatever I want. A friend once asked me: “Dim, you’re from Rostov. We need a landing stage, can you get it?” "Can. Just explain what it is.” It turned out that the landing stage was the floating craft they needed on the Moscow River. I got the landing stage.

What else do you want to get from life?

I want to enjoy life. Life is very interesting, and I'm just starting to live. I get pleasure from the fact that I can take my father on vacation, make my daughter happy, and help the guys. I want there to be more sun in Moscow. And over time, maybe some kind of sea will be built.