Ad

– Can you keep up the pace in your workouts?
– I have no problem with it, said Alexander Zubkov, the 25-year-old Ukrainian national team winner of Ferencváros, who will arrive in Ferencváros in May 2019. – We work hard, but that’s okay. Preparing is a very important time in a football player’s life – if you like it or not, you have to run.

– Do they really run more than previous head coaches?
– More! I would be surprised if we had a physical problem in the spring. As they say, we are building ourselves now, we are working now to keep us fit. We will be playing for the championship title again in the spring, the ninety minutes have to be endured from start to finish.

– Do you really hate this job?
– The majority don’t like preparation, it’s interesting, I don’t have a problem with it, and it never was. There is no hard work against me, I know why we do it. It is a really difficult time now, especially under the control of Stanislav Cherchesov, the good news is that the ball is there most of the time in many runs. I’m not saying that when I get home in the evenings, I’d still like to run a marathon, but the preparation is just like that … The family is back home in Kiev anyway, so I have no choice but to relax.

– How did they stay home?
– According to the original plans, we would be in a training camp in Spain these days, but we are deliberately organizing them so that they stay in Ukraine while I am there.

– Did you manage to relax mentally during your winter vacation?
– Absolute. After the last league match, we traveled to the Maldives. The journey was very long, but once we were there on the island, it was a miracle itself. We were in a threesome with my wife and little girl, it was a real dream vacation. Afterwards we had time to go home to Kiev, we greeted the new year there, and after our little girl, Sophia, turned one on the second of January, we also held the birthday party back home.

Nigerian striker Fortune Bassey has arrived on Üllői út

As is well known, the striker certified by the Czech league was Ferencváros: a fradi.hu wrote Fortune Bassey from Ceské Budejovice. The 23-year-old assailant moved from Africa to Europe in 2018 at the age of twenty to the Czech third division Bohemians B team in Prague. Half a year later, he signed with Olympia Radotín and scored 24 goals in 36 games. He has been part of the Ceské Budejovice since 2020, having scored nine goals after 19 games this season. Stanislav Cherchesov’s variation possibilities thus increased in the offensive third, the Nigerian striker could benefit the Hungarian championship team as the best peaks.

– Do you enjoy the role of a father?
– Sometimes it’s not easy, but the best expression for it is happiness. Every single moment spent together is wonderful.

“Do you think there will be reason to rejoice on the football field in the spring?”
– The championship title is required! We have to spin up for spring, we can’t afford to stumble as much as we have so far this year. I hope I have better matches too.

– Cherchesov has never denied that he likes athletic football. Do you think this will be of any benefit to you?
– I don’t know … I never had a problem with my physique, I was strong and dynamic even when I was younger. The workouts are now put together so that everyone is in good shape, we are in the gym every other day. Everyone works hard to be as muscular, stronger and dynamic as possible. In today’s football, this is essential.

– When their new head coach mapped Fradi before signing the contract, he was surprised to see that Alexander Zubkov was not a basic person on the team. Have you heard of this?
– I haven’t heard, but I hope I’ll refute that in the spring. Football is just like that, when a player plays more than one coach and less than another … I have less opportunities than Peter Stöger, I hope Stanislav Cherchesov makes better use of my settings. Because I know I have a lot more in me than I have ever shown!

– Is it any advantage to have a better understanding with your coach about the common language?
– I would not call it a disadvantage by any means. Communication is easier between the two of us, and I didn’t have to miss workouts in preparation. What is important now is to get to know each other better, to understand each other, what the trainer expects of us – both as a team and individually.

– And? Are you starting to understand?
– Yes. Tactics and movements come to the fore in trainings as well. From these you can already know what you want to play with us. However, don’t ask me to tell you that! Not my task.

– They will start in Dunaszerdahely on Wednesday, there will be a championship rehearsal at the DAC home. What can you expect from Ferencváros?
– No matter what the match, the result will be important.

“I would take care of your place with the phrase,” Stanislav Cherchesov hates that word.
– Yeah, yeah, I know about it. So, in Wednesday’s preparation match, the result won’t be a side effect either, yet we’ll have our last clash before the league start. From the point of view of our self-confidence, it doesn’t matter what kind of performance we have. We’re still a little hard to move on now, the DAC is unlikely to be perfect, but we’ll try to get the most out of ourselves. We also need to practice the tactics, and Wednesday’s clash will be perfect for that.

ROUND 18
Saturday, January 29, 2022
2.30 pm: Paks FC to Zalaegerszeg TE FC (Camel: M4 Sport)
5:00 PM: Debrecen VSC-Kisvárda (Camel: M4 Sport)
19.30: Budapest Honvéd – Gyirmót FC Győr (Camel: M4 Sport)
Sunday, January 30th
1 pm: Puskás Academy – Mol Fehérvár FC (Camel: M4 Sport)
15.15: Mezőkövesd-MTK Budapest (Camel: M4 Sport +)
8 pm: Újpest FC – Ferencváros (Camel: M4 Sport)