Anatoliy Tymoschuk: I have never worked under guidance of Mykhaylichenko

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We spoke with Anatoliy Tymoschuk about the upcoming season. The Ukrainian midfielder quickly became the favorite of Zenit fans and the leader of the team. Nobody says now that $20 mln paid for him by the club were spent unwisely.

Vacation

— How did you spent your vacations?

— Thank you, it was great! I and my wife visited four countries this winter: Mauritius, Seychelles, Singapore and Maldives. On our way back we also spent a day in Vienna. Heaps of impressions!

— How did you feel when you started your pre-season work?

— Enthusiastic. I started playing football a week before the end of my vacations. This year we start the season a month earlier than in 2007 so we have less time to prepare. So I decided to start beforehand.

— What tasks have you assigned to yourself for this year?

— Of course, the highest possible! I want to win in all tournaments with the club and the national team.

Skrtel

— Were you glad for Skrtel who moved to a top European club?

— Yes, it is an honor to any player. I know that Martin wanted to play in England. Zenit management took that into account and allowed Skrtel’s transfer.

— You must have discussed this transfer with your friend Andriy Voronin?

— Yes, I learned about Liverpool interest to Skrtel from Andriy. He told me that the club was watching the defender and asked me about him. In my opinion Martin is a good and skilled defender who can play well in Liverpool.

— Do you think Skrtel’s leave will weaken Zenit?

— Difficult to say. He was a key player last season. Martin is a model professional but he is just a player. If those who replace him work as hard, we’ll survive his leave.

Arshavin

— Andrey Arshavin also said several times about his desire to leave St. Petersburg. Will his leave be an irretrievable loss for the club?

— It is too early to talk about that. If he has a good variant of his further career, it would be positive for the club and the player alike in my opinion. It is better not to make him stay against his will. The player should give his heart and soul to the team and not to force himself to play. There won’t be much use of him in that case.

Premier League

— They say that it is easier to get to the top than to stay there. Do you feel that the next season will be more difficult for Zenit?

— It’s true. I’ve already had such experience and know what it is like. When I became Ukrainian champion with Shakhtar for the first time, we failed to repeat it the next season. However our second attempt at “golden double” was successful. I think the next season will not be easy for Zenit and we have to be ready to new complications.

Ukraine national team

— What is your opinion about the new head coach of the national team Oleksiy Mykhaylichenko?

— I think that any coach or player invited to the national team is worth it. It is a great honor for all of us to defend the Ukrainian colors. Some might already have an opinion about the new head coach but only time will show whether they are right. I think that Mykhaylichenko needs support and confidence to achieve the goals that he has.

— Do you know him well? Will you get along?

— I have never worked under his guidance. We met several times when we were training at Koncha Zaspa and he was the coach of Dynamo and then of the U-21 national team. I think we’ll get along well. We have the same aim. We played at the World Cup and want to do that again. To do this the team should be a comprehensive whole, both players and coaches.

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