During his fifteen-year career, Russian football player Denis Kolodin played for seven different clubs in the Premier League, and at the end of his performances he went to the Kazakhstan championship in the local Altai. In addition, he defended the color of the youth, and from 2004 to 2010 - the national team of Russia. Playing as a central defender, he nevertheless scored about 40 goals in his career, which is a serious indicator for a player of this role.
Denis Kolodin: biography and facts from life
Kolodin Denis Aleksandrovich was born in 1982 in the Volgograd region. He lived with his mother, stepfather and younger brother, was fond of fishing and, of course, football.
At the age of 7, the boy began to visit football section local SDYUSSHOR, and in 1994 the coaches of the Volgograd Olympia drew attention to him. By the way, the now well-known coach Leonid Slutsky managed the team then.
It is interesting that Denis Kolodin started playing in the attack, but due to his growth and good texture, he was later transferred to the center of defense. The football player is rightfully considered one of the best personal guardians of the Russian Premier League of the last decade. Kolodin easily wins most martial arts in his own court and in the penalty area of opponents. In addition, thanks to a well-placed strike, Denis was a full-time set-piece performer in most of the teams he played for.
The beginning of a professional career
Kolodin started playing professionally at the age of 18. His first club was the Volgograd "Olympia", the colors of which the player defended in the second league of the PFL. Denis spent 2 years as the main defender, after which he was invited to Uralan.
Kolodin moved to the yellow-blue under the patronage of the same Slutsky. It was originally planned to invite a defender who would play in reserve squad"Uralan" and, if necessary, replaced the players of the main team, however, Denis quickly established himself and began to play for the first team. In Kalmykia, Kolodin stayed for two years and managed to play forty-four matches for the club. Looking ahead, we note that both in Uralan and later in Krylya Sovetov, the defender began to actively connect to the set pieces of his team, as a result of which he managed to score several times at the opponents' goal.
At the peak
Literally a year later, every fan following the ups and downs in the Russian Premier League knew who Denis Kolodin was. The football player spent two successful seasons as part of the Wings of the Soviets, after which, in 2005, he was invited to the camp of one of the contenders for the main title - Dynamo Moscow.
The first two years in the capital team left mixed impressions about the defender. He played just as well, but literally from the threshold he managed to quarrel with the Portuguese legionnaires of Dynamo, after which he ceased to fall into the base of Wortmann's team. The following year, Dynamo barely escaped relegation to the first league, however, Kolodin himself was named the best central defender of the championship along with CSKA veteran Sergei Ignashevich.
Since 2007, Denis Kolodin finally became a player in the main team of the Blue and White and played for the team until 2013. During this time, the defender managed to win bronze medals Russian Premier League in 2008, and also become the third prize-winner of the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland. In total, Kolodin played 133 matches for Dynamo.
The well-known Romanian coach Dan Petrescu tried to promote Denis's career in the capital's team. He has repeatedly expressed support for the player, even when he missed almost the entire season due to injury. However, over time, both Petrescu and the football player himself understood that Kolodin would hardly be able to play at a high level and fight for gold medals. Denis left the team in 2013, and Arena Khimki fans chanted his name as a sign of respect.
End of career
Despite the fact that at the time of the transfer to Rostov Denis Kolodin was already over thirty, and his form, due to the lack of constant playing practice, left much to be desired, the head mentor of the Yellow-Blues noted that the defender has good prospects to play in team. So in the end it happened.
Moreover, after the season at Rostov, Denis did not end his career and went to help Volga gain a foothold in the Premier League. He failed to do this, but the club went downhill rather due to financial problems. Kolodin himself confidently played the whole season, after which he went to the Kazakhstani "Altai" - a place that was destined to become the last in the career of a central defender.
Denis Kolodin: personal life
According to the football player himself, there was no true love in his life. Perhaps that is why the athlete is still single, although Denis does not have to complain about the lack of support in the stands in the face of the fair sex.
Thanks to rich football career Denis Kolodin maintains good friendly relations with Roman Adamov and Leonid Slutsky. Together with ex-football players Rinat Dasaev and Nikita Simonyan, the player is the representative of the organizing committee for the upcoming World Cup.
10.01.2018
Kolodin Denis Alekseevich
Russian football player
Russian footballer. Defender of Kazakhstani football club"Altai".
Bronze medalist of the Russian Championship and the European Championship. The British Daily Mail put Kolodin in second place in the list of the best players in the Russian Premier League.
Denis Kolodin was born on January 11, 1982 in the city of Kamyshin, Volgograd Region. Denis loved to swim and fish, and in the wake of the success of the local Tekstilshchik, like most of his peers, he became interested in football. He got into the section when he was in the first grade of the school - he and several classmates were invited by the coach of SDUSHOR-2 Vladimir Zorkov. The children's team, in which Kolodin played, won 5 tournaments in 3 years.
In 1994, Denis and two of his teammates were noticed by representatives of the Volgograd Olimpia, which needed reinforcement to play in the Children's football league. The future football player did not want to leave for an unfamiliar city and live in a boarding school, but Olimpia coach Leonid Slutsky persuaded Denis to move. Initially, Kolodin played as a striker, and at the junior level he often became top scorer. He was forced to change his position by problems with his right knee - having undergone surgery and not training for a long time, Denis both professionally and physically lagged behind his peers in development, after which he could not return to the attack. Slutsky assigned the player to midfield, and later gave him a place in the center of defense.
In 1996, Olimpia won the DFL and began playing in the amateur national championship with almost the same squad. At the amateur level, Olimpia also did not stay long - in the second year, Volgograd got the right to play in the second division of the PFL.
In 2000, the professional stage began in Kolodin's career. The next two seasons, which he spent at Olimpia, Volgograd played in the Volga zone of the second League of the PFL. Denis was a solid base player - 32 matches in the 2000 season and 34 in the 2001 season. Kolodin played as a stopper and had impressive performance indicators for a player of this role - in two years he scored 14 goals. Olimpia at that time was a promising young team. Together with Kolodin, Roman Adamov and Andrei Bochkov began their careers in it. In the second division, Olimpia showed a good game: in the debut season, Volgograd became 10th, and in 2001 they were already in the top three. In the same year, Kolodin could end up in the Vienna "Austria" - a scout of the Austrian club watched him and his teammates Zhdanov and Ryabykh, but in the end all three remained in Volgograd.
In 2002, Slutsky left the team, going to train the double of the Elista Uralan. The Kalmyk club played in the Premier League. Soon Slutsky invited Kolodin to watch at a club gathering in Turkey. The young player approached coach Sergei Pavlov, and on February 8 Kolodin's transfer to Uralan was announced. As Denis later stated, perhaps a case helped him - Pavlov was also a native of Kamyshin and, perhaps, wanted to help his fellow countryman. Kolodin's debut game as part of Uralan was a friendly match between the team and the Hungarian Ferencváros, which ended in a 0-0 draw. In this game, Denis replaced Igor Chugainov, who left for the training camp of the Russian national team.
Despite the fact that Kolodin was counted as a double player, he managed to gain a foothold in the club and proved to be brighter than other newcomers from Elista. After 6 matches for the second team of Uralan, on April 13, Denis played the first official match behind new club against Anji. Uralan finished the 2002 season in 13th place and avoided being relegated, while Kolodin played 22 matches in which he scored one goal against Zenit. After the championship, the footballer received several offers from famous clubs, including CSKA. The transition was prevented by the irresponsible, according to Kolodin, attitude of the leaders of CSKA, although the defender had already flown to Moscow for negotiations. Moscow "Spartak" wanted to exchange midfielder Vasily Baranov for Kolodin, but this deal fell through.
As a result, Denis stayed in Elista. The next season was less successful for the Elista club - Uralan flew out of the Premier League. Kolodin, again playing in 22 matches, was one of the few players on the team who made a positive impression, although according to the player himself, the season was unstable. This was also noted by the head coach of the Elista team, Igor Shalimov, who said that in that season Kolodin was hindered by the “disease of age”. In addition, in that championship, for the first time in his career, Denis received a long-term disqualification - for 5 matches. In the match with Zenit, it seemed to the footballer that "the referee helps them, but drowns us." In that game, Kolodin received two yellow cards, both for disputes with the referee, and later the control and disciplinary committee regarded his actions as "an attempt to physically influence the arbitrator."
After the departure of Uralan, there were few chances that Denis would remain in the team. Slutsky advised the player not to sign contracts with serious clubs for another year, but despite this, Kolodin did not have to play in the First Division - he began the 2004 season as part of the Wings of the Soviets. The transfer amount was 1.35 million euros. Wings President German Tkachenko said that Kolodin is “one of the most promising Russian football players, a strong, tenacious defender who can also play in the position of a defensive midfielder, ”noting that several prominent Russian and Ukrainian clubs fought for the player, including Dynamo Kiev, Shakhtar and Zenit. St. Petersburg's mentor Vlastimil Petrzhela was interested in buying Denis, calling him a "smart, powerful, young guy", but Zenit and Uralan did not agree on the price.
Kolodin's debut match for the Wings took place on March 21, after which he firmly took his place in the main team of the Samara team. In the first season on account of his 25 games played. It was here that Denis finally retrained as a central defender. Krylia created a sensation that season, winning the bronze of the championship and gaining the right to play in the UEFA Cup, and in the key match with Saturn near Moscow, it was Kolodin who equalized the score by scoring his only goal in that championship. Also, "Wings" reached the final of the Cup of Russia, but lost to "Terek". Kolodin's game did not go unnoticed - Georgy Yartsev called the player to the Russian national team, and on August 18 Denis made his debut for national team in the match with Lithuania.
In the course of the 2005 season, it became clear that the Wings would not be able to repeat last year's success - a financial crisis broke out in the club. The team dropped out of the UEFA Cup in the first round, losing to the Dutch AZ, but having managed to impose a fight - the Dutch went further only due to goals scored on the road. The financial situation in the club was deteriorating, and it became clear that the Wings would have to part with some players. In May, at the end of the first round of the championship, Kolodin moved to the growing Dynamo, the transfer amount was 1.8 million euros. Kolodin recalls warmly about the time spent in Samara - against the will of the Dynamo leaders, Denis insisted that he be allowed to spend farewell match with Amkar, and in an interview he said that if it were not for financial problems, he would not have left the club.
The second half of the season Kolodin finished playing in Dynamo. In early June, Denis made his debut for a new club in a match against CSKA, and in November he opened the scoring for Dynamo, scoring against the same CSKA. The first season was not too easy for the defender, although he spent enough time on the field, Dynamo coach Ivo Wortmann sometimes did not put the player in the squad. Another negative moment was Kolodin's skirmish with Manishe and Jorge Ribeiro, which almost escalated into a fight, for which Wortmann applied disciplinary sanctions to the defender. In August, there were rumors about a possible transfer of Kolodin to Moscow, but the negotiations did not develop. Denis was one of the few Russians who had playing practice at Dynamo during the Fedorychev era. In total, Kolodin played 27 matches that season. Dynamo finished the championship in 8th place.
2006 was the worst year for Dynamo in Russian history. The club finished the championship in 14th place, one step away from relegation from the Premier League. Kolodin scored 27 matches and one goal that season. The overall failure of the team did not prevent the recognition of Denis's game personally - the RFU Executive Committee included the player in the list of 33 the best football players championship of Russia. Kolodin, along with Ignashevich, became the best central defender.
In the 2007 season, Dynamo managed to improve the game. The season turned out to be successful for Kolodin, who opened himself from a new side - as a scorer. Denis scored 9 goals, which was his personal record for performance in one season. After the first round, Kolodin, the defender, was in the lead in the scorers dispute, and at the end of the championship he remained the best among the Dynamo players. It is noteworthy that Denis did not score any of the goals from the game: 7 goals were from penalties, 2 more were scored from free kicks. As a result, Dynamo took 6th place, Kolodin, who played in 27 matches, was again included in the list of 33 best players in the Russian championship, but already at number 2, Sergei Ignashevich became the best in the position of Denis, according to the RFU.
In 2008, Dynamo continued to progress - the result was 3rd place and the opportunity to take part in the Champions League. This was Kolodin's second bronze medal in the Russian championship. Also this season, the European Championship was held, which turned out to be successful for the Russian team, which reached the semi-finals. Kolodin played an important role in the success of the team - he was the main central defender of the national team and made 4 appearances. After the Euro, the transfer price for Denis, according to the authoritative German resource Transfermarkt, increased by almost 1 million euros, while the rest of the central defenders of the Russian national team fell in price. In general, a successful season for Kolodin was ruined by the first professional career a serious injury - on September 27, in the match of the 23rd round of the Russian championship with Krylya Sovetov, the defender of Samara O Bom Sok inflicted a serious ankle injury on Denis. The Russian needed surgery and a long recovery. The injury was so serious that Denis thought about ending his career. However, the failures at the end of the season did not affect the overall assessment of Kolodin's game - he was included in the list of 33 best players in the Russian championship for 3 times in a row and regained first place in his position. The final results of the season are 22 matches and one goal scored against CSKA.
Kolodin managed to recover by the beginning of the 2009 season and was able to play in the European Cup for the first time in his career - on July 29 in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League against the Scottish Celtic. This game was a debut for Denis in yet another way - in the absence of Khokhlov, he led the team to the match as captain. However, Dynamo looked weak in European competition: in the Champions League, Muscovites lost to Celtic in the sum of 2 matches, and in the Europa League - to CSKA Sofia. In the championship, Dynamo also looked worse than last season - only 8th place. This season, like the last one, was overshadowed by an injury for Denis. Damage back muscles thigh, received in game 20 of the round with the Wings, forced the defender to miss 6 league matches and a significant part of the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, including decisive games with the Slovenian team. In total, Kolodin played 23 matches in the Premier League, in which he scored 2 goals. Denis described the 2009 season for his club as "unsuccessful".
In January 2012, Kolodin's loan to Rostov was announced. The Pitmen had the primary right to extend the defender's lease. Head coach team Sergey Balakhnin said that Denis came to Rostov in mediocre form, but noted the good prospects for the player. Kolodin played 8 matches in the second stage of the 2011-12 season and both transitional matches with Shinnik. In the Rostov club, according to the football player himself, he received the necessary game practice for a full return to professional football.
After the end of the championship, Kolodin returned to Dynamo. Head coach Dan Petrescu promised to help the defender in recovery: “He missed a whole year due to injury, and in such cases you need another year to return to the previous level. I will try to do everything possible so that we see the former Kolodin. Despite this, Denis spent the season on the bench of the Moscow club. In 2012, he only entered the field once, which did not prevent the Dynamo leadership from offering the player a new short-term contract. In the second half of the season, he played in only one more meeting, after which it became clear that the contract with Kolodin would not be extended and he would leave the club.
In 2013, on July 6, Kolodin, as a free agent, signed a contract with Volga Nizhny Novgorod. The football player admitted that his transition does not deserve the attention that he could have attracted 5 years ago: "Now it's just news about a player who came from nowhere, almost ending his career." Kolodin, however, noted that he has no plans to leave big football. And on July 14, Denis made his debut for Volga in the first round match of the new championship against his former club"Dynamo" and in the 2nd minute scored an assist on Alexander Shulenin. The match ended with the score 2:2. The defender continued to play at the base of the Volga, having played 21 matches, he was unable to take part in 4 more due to disqualification. Despite regularly playing starting lineup, in winter Nizhny Novgorod were ready to part with the player. The team, which was experiencing financial difficulties, took only 15th place and failed to escape relegation to the FNL, after which, in November 2014, Kolodin left the Nizhny Novgorod club. The player decided not to end his playing career and in the winter of 2015 went to training camp with Sokol Saratov. On this moment the football player plays for the Kazakhstan "Altai".
the day before new meeting with the Spaniards, we talked with an eyewitness and a direct participant in the events of a decade ago, defender Denis Kolodin. At the European Championship, which became "bronze" for the Russians, he played four matches. Including the opening match of the tournament against Spain.
You were in the team that advanced from the group to the Euro. How can you explain the reasons for the successful performance now?
Denis Kolodin: We play at home. At home, the national team generally lost quite a bit. And England was taken out, and they played with Spain in a draw, and the Portuguese were defeated. If the World Championships were held somewhere else, perhaps they would have performed differently. And at home we always played well.
In 2008, everyone noted that the team was physically well prepared. And now the situation is similar. Could this be one of the reasons?
Denis Kolodin: Many teams are running. Watching matches on TV and feeling that some teams don't stop at all. I would have died in the 20th minute from the way they run. So they are so well prepared. Well done. Otherwise, you won't play in such a tournament. There, the Germans were standing - and everyone saw the result.
You played against Spain in Euro 2008. How do you remember those matches?
Denis Kolodin: The Spaniards were on horseback then. Now they are old, give themselves concessions. And then there were young people - they ran forward like mad. Now they play more like the Germans - they hold the ball, without special moments. They don't run anywhere. The ball runs for them, and that's it. They had a lot of moments back then, but not now. But the chances that they have - they, in principle, implement everything. Therefore, I would not say that Russia is too tough for this Spain. You can play with everyone. Morocco played with them 2:2, why can't we?
Which of the Spaniards then most remembered?
Denis Kolodin: There, Xavi, Iniesta were in the center, Villa striker. They could recruit three squads. Now a little less. And young people are not like that. Asensio in Real Madrid seems to run out, but here he is somehow invisible. It seems to me that the composition of the Spaniards was stronger, which was proved by the “gold” of the World Cup and two victories at the Euro.
Then with the Spaniards you had no chance at all?
Denis Kolodin: Now the national team could not win seven matches before the World Cup. And then, on the contrary, we beat everyone before the Euro. They scored six, four goals each (we are talking about friendly matches against Kazakhstan and Lithuania - ed.). And, probably, they imagined themselves. Ran forward, number one. They immediately hit the bar, they thought it would go now. But it turned out - we are a pasik to them, they are a golik to us. They got it in the ears, and only after that they calmed down. Maybe it will work out with Uruguay, and we will now settle down. And then again, checkers naked - forward, we are the best. If Uruguay had also been beaten, then against Spain there would have been a risk of going through the sleeves. And so - we will be set up, we understand how to play.
Can the fact that the Spaniards dismissed the head coach right before the World Cup affect the team?
Denis Kolodin: Well, of course. Naturally, this has an effect. There was one person, he kept the whole team in his fist. And another came, and this fist softened a little. Because he is not known as a coach. Maybe it will be hard for him to collect everyone now.
What changes do you expect in the Russian national team for the game with the Spaniards?
Denis Kolodin: I'm waiting for Golovin to come out. Because he is the engine of the team. Dziuba in the riding fight for the ball pulls more defenders to him, so zones appear. If he plays the same way as in the first two matches - with aggression, with anger in his eyes - and the whole team has the same attitude, then, in principle, you can win. Perhaps even easy then to win against the Spaniards.
How important is the figure of the head coach and how do you like the work of Stanislav Cherchesov?
Denis Kolodin: Since he made it to the playoffs, then, of course, already "offset". I hope that we will go further, and we will not stop there. At the same time, we do not waste words. We made a step - we move on. Now there is such a big holiday from which it is reluctant to leave so quickly.
What general impression did you make group stage world championship?
Denis Kolodin: There are no sensations. I just liked many teams, such as Morocco, Iran. The same Senegal - they did not get into the playoffs, but showed a very interesting game for the audience. No one overexposed the ball, did not roll it from behind. Everyone immediately ran forward during the selection. Therefore, it was a pleasure to look at them.
Denis Kolodin: Many teams with big stars like Germany looked tired
You said that there are no sensations. But what about the failure of the German national team?
Denis Kolodin: Many teams with big stars - Germany, Argentina, Spain - it seems that they are already tired this year. The national championship, the Champions League - they are exhausted and play somewhere at the expense of the class. Nobody wants to run. Move the ball, play slowly. And everyone rushes against them, and everyone succeeds. Because you can’t beat anyone in the world on foot. Germany did not run - and flew out.
For the third time in a row, the world champion has failed to qualify from the group. Is this a trend or a coincidence?
Denis Kolodin: Judging by the Confederations Cup, which Germany won, everyone thought that they would do well here too. But Lev took the veterans who were already worn out by the season in the clubs. Perhaps if he took the young ones who played a year ago, they would have left the group.
Did you personally manage to visit some matches, make up your impressions as a spectator?
Denis Kolodin: Yes. We were invited to the opening match, and to the game Germany - Mexico. Great. Fans with their positive emotions warm up everything, make a real holiday. Mexicans were more than half of the stadium. When they poured out into the street after the match and sang songs - of course, it was very impressive. If some gloomy Germans went, then there would be no holiday. And so - the fans make the atmosphere.
For the first time at the World Championships, video replays are used. Are they improving football?
Denis Kolodin: If you talk like a fan, then when I watched the moment, they showed it, figured it out. All competently, clearly - well done. And as a footballer, naturally, you try to deceive both the opponent and the referee somewhere in the game. It seems that he deceived, well done, but then they revised it - and no longer deceived, goodbye. So I don't know. It's different for everyone. Too many are already running after the judges, asking to watch this TV. Play football, what is there to watch? Even football players are already distracted by it. Let's see how it goes. While these are the first trials, there are too many mistakes in a game. Maybe these repetitions will not be needed.
Denis Kolodin was one of the key figures in the Russian national team at the sensational Euro 2008. He has two more memorable medals for third place, which he took with Dynamo and Wings of the Soviets. In an exclusive interview with the site, the football player recalled all the milestones of his career, and also spoke about what he is doing now.
In "Dynamo" was not needed
- How former player Samara "Wings" and the Moscow "Dynamo" ended up in the sports school "Khimki"?
When I finished with football, Alexander Kiselev offered me a position at the Khimki school. And Dynamo? They don’t call, they forgot, apparently (smiles). But there is no one to be offended here.
- Did you quickly decide for yourself that you would like to work with children?
It so happened: the knee hurt a lot, and I decided to finish. While being treated, I thought that I needed to do something, try myself in some new role. I entered the Higher School of Economics for an “A” license, we have a lot of football players there, by the way. I decided to try it on children first (laughs). Will, will not - we'll see. You just need to feel yourself in this role in order not to deceive anyone, yourself - in the first place. If it doesn't work, let's try something else.
- Nobody offered to go to the team of the second or first league? Not chief, but simply to the coaching staff.
Everyone needs people with experience, not beginners. They can take it after HST, of course, but by acquaintance. I have no such connections.
Didn't you want to return to your native Volgograd and start your coaching career there? Maybe even at Olympia, where you formed.
Also childish? What about the meaning? No, if they get fired here, we will look for some options. Let's see how the curve of fate will lead.
- A good gang has gathered in Khimki: you, Arkhipov, Yanotovsky.
We are trying to do something for young talents. I hope they can learn a lot from us.
- Are the new Denis Kolodinas already visible, or is it too early to assess the future?
I'm coaching 2011, while it's hard to say something about the potential of the guys, everyone is equal for us. The main thing is to get interested in football so that a desire to play appears. Naturally, someone is better at something, someone is more physically gifted. Let's see what grows out of them.
What was the hardest thing about taking the first steps in your coaching career?
Organize the process. So that the children do not indulge. In the first trainings, you just work as an animator. You come and collect them all over the field. It is necessary to make them want to do things that they do not particularly like. They want to play football, but school is very important here: technique, tactics and physical readiness. It is necessary that they all do it with interest.
You were a forward at the beginning of your career, but then you were transferred to the center of the field, and then to the defense. Do you see the moment when you need to prompt the children with the choice of roles?
Mostly because of physical qualities. I still have them all attackers (laughs). All 15 people that are in my group. And we play four in the field plus the goalkeeper. And who to put where? In the "frame" was anyone who runs more or less quickly, catches. Those who have a reaction. But here it’s hard to please everyone, someone even cries sometimes. But gradually you find an approach to everyone. You will convince someone that it is better to be behind, there you can have more possession of the ball. Someone in the attack is waiting for long passes.
Elista
- For most of your career, you called yourself "unkillable" ...
Punched himself. Back in 2008, by the way. And immediately it turned to me big amount injuries. We just need to talk less on this topic, maybe it would be more wholesome.
- Some kind of bad rock. After Euro 2008, the injuries went one by one ...
At one time they said that you started your way in the Premier League thanks to Sergei Pavlov. Like, he took to Uralan under the patronage of Slutsky in order to support a fellow countryman from Kamyshin.
In fact, everyone at Olympia thought so. The coach decided to help his countryman, as it was seen by many in Volgograd.
Wasn't it a shame that people rate it that way?
First, yes. But I wanted to get into some team, because I was already 20 years old. It's time to start playing somewhere - I think that at this age you can already take place as a football player. But I was very shaking at the beginning: from the second league to wave immediately to the highest is strong. I wanted to go somewhere higher than in Olympia. And it’s not even so important how to get there: through a coach, a manager, or something else. After all, many are not even given a chance to try themselves on highest level. Guys and vegetate in the second league. And they gave it to me. Something worked, but something didn’t, but then everything went on, spun.
Global Look Press/Alexander Chernykh
It took you only six rounds in the duplicate of the Elista club to be in the first team. How did you manage to get used to it so quickly?
There were some very experienced players there. I just tried not to get in the way, and they prompted me on the field. After all, Adzhindzhal, Chugainov, Kazakov were there. Good gang. “Stand here”, “take that”, “do that”, and I just had to follow their commands.
- And by the end of the first season at Uralan, you were noticed by many clubs.
I was just young, managed to stand out a little in my debut season in the elite. Yes, there were offers from CSKA, Spartak.
- You even almost ended up in CSKA, but something went wrong in the end.
Maybe I thought it was too early to leave Uralan after the first year, I had to somehow gain a foothold in the team, gain more experience. Very often, players who excel in the first year don't show anything in the second season. That's why I wanted to stay, to demonstrate my level of football. And then move forward.
- Now the players, having barely received a more or less serious offer, almost immediately agree to it.
Money was not important to me, I just wanted to play in the Russian championship. And I got into major league. I just wanted to enjoy football. When you play well, you are offered completely different conditions financially. It’s not you who ask for something or knock it out, but the management itself improves the contract for you.
- Wasn't it a shame that the move to the capital fell through? Still, CSKA and Spartak are names.
I don't even know exactly what happened there. As it turned out in the end, so it happened. I stayed in Elista and do not regret it.
We spent another year and...
Went to Samara. There were several more interesting options, but in the end I settled on the “Wings of the Soviets”. In fact, he moved there just before the transfer window closed.
Portuguese "Dynamo"
- Then Kolodin was married to Zenit and Ukraine, by the way.
There was a lot of talk about Dynamo Kiev. They said they really wanted to get me. I even “hung up” at the airport after the training camp. I spent almost three days waiting for some kind of signal or call, but nothing. I don’t know if there was real interest from Dynamo or not. Walked in Moscow (laughs). After Samara, there were many different proposals.
I looked at the composition of the "Wings" in 2004, when you took bronze. It even became a pity that the football fairy tale of the Samara residents ended so quickly.
- Before the transition, were there any rumors about the financial difficulties of the club?
There were financial difficulties, but we focused on football. Three days later, there were rounds for the fourth, plus we reached the final in the Russian Cup. But the final match with "Terek" failed, and also blurred the ending of the championship. Could have been champions, but slipped to third place. If we played a little more, we could next year show result even higher, but didn't happen.
- Did you have to sit for three or four months without a salary?
Differently. Financial problems did not interest me, I repeat. At least a year without money. Footballers, on the other hand, earn much more than the average person. If you do not buy expensive things, then the funds will last for a long time.
- Then they immediately rushed to Dynamo, where there were also difficult times - the dominance of the Portuguese.
I moved to Moscow and stopped getting into the squad. Ivo Wortmann did not see me in his scheme. I even wanted to return to the Wings on loan. And what's the point of sitting if only foreigners enter the field? Then they removed the coach, and everything went on and on, they began to trust.
Global Look Press/Alexander Wilf
During the transition to the camp of the "white-blue" you even managed to quarrel with the leadership. They asked for a farewell match for Wings, but in Moscow they refused.
It's not exactly a farewell match. There were negotiations with Dynamo, they said that they would arrange a transfer in a week or two, but that he would not play for Samara again - that he would not be injured. What am I going to do for myself? He said that when, after some time, you formalize my transfer, then we will talk. I went and played, even though everyone in Dynamo was against it.
- I read somewhere that you even managed to fight Costinha and Manishe during training. Is it true?
Yes, this is not a conflict. Just hustled a little. There can be a lot of such moments in any training. Everyone is trying to prove that he is the best.
- How tense was the atmosphere in the team? A large colony of foreigners did not contribute to cohesion.
I did not intervene in all these quarrels, so I do not know everything that was going on there. But from the outside, everything seemed to be normal. Although I do not rule out that the Portuguese "mutated" something there. They were just always dissatisfied. How? Nobody will say now. They complained about someone, maybe about their hard life.
- Won Thiago Silva immediately fell ill in Russia, picked up tuberculosis.
He is seriously ill, I agree. But when I arrived, he was already on treatment.
- Nine Portuguese - is it too much?
We were told that they would come and teach us how to play (laughs). The guys came to Dynamo, but something did not work out for them. Then the management said that now we have to pull the team.
- Is it comfortable in a team when you don't know what to expect tomorrow?
I asked for a loan, as I said, but then everything seemed to calm down. Not when Dynamo had 11 legionnaires at the start, but a little later. No matter how bad the Russians were, but the composition, where there were only foreigners, did not shine with results. When at least they made a 50 to 50 squad - both Russians and legionnaires - that's when something went wrong, but before that there was nothing good.
- Only Danny, Ciseru and Cushtodiu survived until the bronze year of 2008.
Basically, Danny stood out. He was a key player in Dynamo. Even in the "Zenith" was able to show himself in full.
- Was there a feeling that the majority of the Portuguese who arrived were “passengers”?
I wouldn't say so. Some stood out, some didn't. And what's the point of bringing in those who are no better than their own, Russian players? Here the questions are more to the leadership.
- The same Siser did not come to court, although he sat at Dynamo for a long time.
He came quite young, the car is like that. They hoped that he would "shoot" in the end, but something did not work out. They took it, they hoped for it. Maybe they just didn't guess. After all, you can buy Messi, but he will not play in Russia.
- Have you formulated for yourself that the search of legionnaires is to the detriment?
If they went out with 11 people in the squad and everyone won, then everything is fine, good for the club. But they did not give any result, plus they complained to everyone that it was bad in Russia. I think this had a negative effect on them in the end.
Global Look Press/Dmitry Golubovich
- Bronze with Dynamo or bronze with Wings? Which medal is more valuable to you?
They are all the same, these bronzes, the script is even the same. We went first lap in first place, but then slipped to third place. They are even emotionally comparable. Always wanted something more. We were happy with the result, but nothing more. Although, by the way, I didn’t play with Dynamo for the last seven games due to an injury, I was on crutches. Let's single out Samara then, so I played all the matches, without injuries.
- How much harder is it to watch football when you can't go out and help your team?
It's harder to watch everything on the bench than on the podium. It's calmer there. At least for me. You feel like a fan. When you are on the bench, you want to jump out, play. And when you are sitting on the podium in a cast, the feeling is completely different.
Penalty
In one of the seasons you became the most scoring player"Dynamo". But the club had good performers in the attack line.
This is Andrey Kobelev. He told me to shoot a penalty, that's all my performance. If someone else had beaten him, he would have been the best (smiles).
- And what is the secret of penalty kicks? How to punch them correctly? Some advice to Fedor Smolov.
Yes, I am the same. Since childhood, I never took a penalty, my legs were always wadded and shaking. You come up to beat, and fear rolls over.
- Every time?
Of course, how else? Now I wouldn’t even finish it to the gate, jitters. And they all took it and ran into Fedya. Take it and try it yourself. People simply cannot hit the ball, but while he was walking towards the ball, he had so many emotions and thoughts spinning. I remember all my life. From the outside, it seems to be simple. Here the goalkeeper is even easier. Guessed with the direction - handsome.
Global Look Press/Daniil Ivanov
- It is necessary to initially decide where to hit and not think further?
He probably changed his mind about where to hit a thousand times. Such is the responsibility. I don't even know what to advise. You can shoot like a “roll”, but he will still roll into the goal. And you can hit hard, but the goalkeeper guesses and takes. Von Sychev always hit the center, goalkeepers eventually got used to him.
- Are you in qualifying match at Euro 2008, they also did not convert a penalty. in the key game.
Yes, with Andorra I could not realize. But I interrupted even there. I have two blurry strokes in 2008. Before that, in the championship, I could not upset Moscow. In both cases, the judge demanded an interruption. I started to panic in my head, and the second attempt turned out to be a failure. The longer you think, the more problems. Constantly some thoughts climb into my head, unpleasantly.
“But in the end it all ended well.
Of course, but we suffered and thought about how to keep this score. If I had converted a blow, everything would have been fine, 2:0. Quite comfortable. Maybe Arshavin would not have been removed then, he would have been able to play the first two matches at the European Championship, and not serve a suspension.
Read the continuation of the interview with Denis Kolodin in the coming days.
