Nigel Dawes' agent Shumi Babaev said that his client may leave Barys. The hockey player is concerned about the current situation at the club. At the same time, the team captain has still not received any proposals from the management of Barys regarding the extension of the contract, which will end in April, which means he may not play at the World Championships in Budapest.
- Shumi, you visited the Olympics and watched Linden Wei play. Did Barys lose a lot with his departure?
I believe that without Dawes it is not the same Wei. But for Barys this player, of course, would still be useful. And the fact that he was released free of charge is, of course, a big flaw on the part of the management. You could get money for it. But in the end it turned out that he was released for free, and the player was a restricted free agent and was highly valued on the market.
Another thing is that Wei is not playing very well in Switzerland right now. And maybe his performance at the Olympics didn’t work out very well. But we start from what he was like in a threesome with Dawes. It is clear that Dawes makes everyone who plays with him better. Thanks to it, many people get good results.
- Dawes’ contract with Barys is ending, what’s next?
The contract ends. And the probability that Nigel will remain at Barys is 50/50. We still have not received any offer from the club. Although Dawes was told that an offer would be made. But these conversations took place back in October. They contacted us and asked what financial interest we had. I said, “Make an offer that you can make, and we’ll go from there.” But we haven’t received anything in response yet.
But this is not the only problem here. The problem is that during the season Nigel was dissatisfied with a lot of things - what was happening in the team, how everything was happening in relation to the players. He, as the captain of the team, was very concerned about the pressure that the club president put on the team during the season, and how it happened that the team fell from above to below.
It’s clear that it’s easier to blame everything on the players. But I think everyone understands that this is not only about the hockey players, but also about what happened around the team. Nigel and many others don't like it.
And he's not just talking about the problem with foreign hockey players. We talked with Nigel about how Kazakh players are treated. He and I talked a lot about this. If you make half the team from young players, and half from those who have already declared themselves, there will be little to gain. It will also be difficult to achieve any results with the national team. Everywhere needs its own edge, you need to do everything right. There are many questions, no one wants to stay and play in a team that will lose all the time, in which there will be little good players.
Yes, I myself am unhappy with the situation. Even before the break in KHL calendar connected with the Olympics, Barys general manager Erzhan Aldabergenov called me and said: “Let's terminate the contract with Wright by mutual consent.” Why? Firstly, Wright has a different agent, a foreign one. Secondly, I asked him: “Why on earth should a player terminate his contract by mutual consent when the season is not over yet? Who will pay his salary?” This is not a normal situation.
Dawes' participation in the World Cup as part of the Kazakhstan national team probably depends on whether he extends his contract with Barys?
Yes. Participation in the World Championship, of course, will depend on this. Of course, he will not be able to go to the World Cup without a contract in hand. He can't risk his career. We will wait until he signs a contract, and then we will see how the leaders of his new club react to this. And if it is “Barys”, then there are no problems, naturally, he will then go to the World Cup.
- Does he have offers from other clubs?
We even try not to talk to anyone, because first of all we are waiting for an offer from Barys. In order to move forward, you need to look at what your team offers. And while he has a valid contract, we try not to communicate with other clubs.
In the third series of interviews with agents, Shumi Babaev, who refutes all rumors about himself, tries to find only positive aspects in the work of the KHL and believes that sometimes a smaller salary is good for a hockey player.
The stars speak
– You explained the transition of your client Alexey Badyukov from Dynamo to Ak Bars in an original way: “Last night I didn’t sleep well, went to the window, looked at the sky, and there were two constellations with familiar outlines, and one of the brightest stars before my eyes began to move from one constellation to another. And then I realized that this was a sign. Why would this be, I thought? I called Alexey, woke him up and said: we need to move to Kazan. He replies: do as you see fit. Then I woke up Mikhail Igorevich Golovkov, I said: let Lesha go. I saw that the stars stood up in the sky. He says: since you ask, since this is the case, then there is no problem.” Do the stars often tell you to change players?
“It’s just that at that moment it was impossible to say more.” But this doesn't happen often. Most often I try to say everything directly, without choosing expressions. That's what should have been said at that moment.
Since time has passed, tell the truth: Badyukov left Dynamo because Sergei Zinoviev came there?
- No, that's not the point. It’s just that Dynamo head coach Vladimir Vuitek didn’t like Alexey’s overly emotional behavior. Badyukov was very emotional about the game on the bench, got the team going, worried about the game, about the result. And Vuytek perceived this as an attack on his authority in the team. First, Badyukov was removed from captaincy, and then sent to Kazan without any problems.
So who decided that it was better for Badyukov to leave? You or him?
Interesting.
“That was just the situation.” Badyukov didn’t want to leave Dynamo, but I had to convincingly explain to him why this was necessary. It’s interesting that a year and a half before that, I strongly advised him to leave Kazan for Dynamo, and then Alexey also didn’t want to change the team. I had to put pressure and convince.
Does this generally happen only with Badyukov or do you do this with all your clients?
– The hockey player and I make the decision to change the club collectively. And if this decision is wrong, then not only the hockey player is to blame, but also me.
What is there to discuss? Here they pay 100 rubles, there – 200. We have to leave.
- No no. I have never put the financial issue at the forefront. It is important for me that the athlete receives comfort. He must perform in his club, with his coach. The game will start, the result will be money.
Can you advise your hockey player to moderate his financial appetite?
- Certainly. And I do this often. If a player is offered less in some team, but I know that he will play there, then I will advise him to sacrifice the offer with high salary, but from the club where he will be a substitute. How can I explain to you... This is not my business.
Wow.
“I just don’t perceive this work as a business.” This is a job I would do for free. Everyone knows about this, it has always been this way. Well, yes, it’s good that I get some money for this. I was one of the first agents in Russia. And then I noticed that people who got involved in this business tried to copy me in some ways. Dress the same way, communicate with the guys the same way.
Did it work?
- No. And all because you have to be natural. And if it doesn’t come from the heart, then nothing will work.
On the ice with clients
By the way, no one saw you in a formal suit.
- Yes, I can come to negotiations with club leaders. torn jeans, in red shoes. Ask whoever you want. But no one suffered from this. In reality this has no effect. What to do: I am who I am. And all my hockey players are not just clients, but friends. That's just how I see my work. I train with the guys in the summer, go through pre-season training, and go on the ice. We are together all the time.
Your principles are unclear. Isn’t it important for you that the hockey player gets a high contract and you get a good percentage?
- Let's look at the situation. Here is a player who receives 100 thousand, but spends 10 minutes on the ice. And he is invited to a club where they pay 80 thousand, but at the same time he is constantly on the court. Of course we have to go. Yes, if only because his performance will increase and in two years he will receive a contract for 300 thousand. In the end, I only make money. But I will do it if I believe in the hockey player.
Do hockey players believe you? It takes a lot of effort to convince a hockey player not to receive 100 rubles, but to receive 80 in the next two years.
– If an athlete does not cheat hockey, then he will do it.
How do you find clients? Do hockey players come to you or do you come to them?
- First. I hardly persuade anyone. Sometimes there are options when my friends ask for someone, and I cannot refuse. But in general everything is much more complicated. If it comes new hockey player, then I first need to understand what kind of person he is. Here is Evgeny Lapenkov, who played for Neftekhimik. We worked with him for a year, and I didn’t get a penny for it.
Why do you need this?
- Yes, I just need me to trust the person, and he trusts me. Fully. No business will work if you don’t put your soul into a hockey player. And if I don’t believe in a person, then I will never take care of his affairs.
You can leave me
Who else have you ever broken up with?
- During this time, I broke up with Alexander Ryazantsev, who now plays for Vityaz. We broke up with him while he was in SKA. Sasha said that things weren’t working out for him, he wanted to try with another agent, and we decided to end the relationship. We broke up with Yegor Mikhailov. This happened after I got him a job at Novokuznetsk Metallurg.
It's a shame?
- No. I tell everyone that the door is always open from me. If you want to leave, no problem. I also had a conflict with Vitya Alexandrov. He had a brilliant season, but my colleagues approached him and promised mountains of gold. Now Victor is in Nizhny Novgorod.
Here's the interesting part. They say that in the world of agents it is not customary to poach clients this way.
- Anything can happen. I don’t do this, but someone thinks this is acceptable.
You are all in the Agents Association. Can't you come to an agreement?
– What about the Association? To be completely honest, I created it. It was my idea. I just don’t need a leadership role there, there are people who can handle it.
But isn't it nice to steal clients?
- What can I do? Tell them - don't come. Let them go. If a person doesn’t want to work with me, then I won’t keep him. Those who trust me completely stay with me.
If I now approach Maxim Spiridonov, your regular client, and offer 6 million dollars in some team, then he...
– ... and won’t listen. You can do an experiment. Take it and call Maxim. They approached him back in 2001. Max went through everything in this life, and I was always there. I don't think he'll leave me now.
Maxim is also an interesting person. He was a star, then dropped to the big leagues, and is now back in leading roles. How so?
“He just wasn’t very lucky with his coaches.” And after moving to Lokomotiv from Amur, and in the future. Spiridonov deliberately went to the big leagues. This is the bottom from which you had to push off in order to emerge.
I'm giving away mine
There are rumors that now you can get any player into Barys. Set me up.
- This is not true. I can't place anyone on this team. There the club president knows all the players in the league better than you, me, professional statisticians. He remembers, for example, what skates Sergei Nailyevich Gimaev wore when he was a hockey player. So it’s impossible to give him any player. In "Barys" there is generally one of best managers in the country.
But where do the rumors come from?
– The head of the Astana club may ask me to find a player, but these will not necessarily be my clients. By the way, I have similar contact not only with Barys, but also with other clubs. They just can take advantage of my knowledge of the market, connections in America and Europe.
Tell me, is business different? football agent from a hockey colleague?
– It’s different. These are different areas. They say that working in football is more profitable, but there is also more dirt there. But it makes no sense for me to change my field of activity; I have been in hockey for a very long time, since about 1989.
Have you had any disappointments with hockey players? Or maybe you were deceiving someone?
- How can I deceive you? And so that I... There was one hockey player, the relationship with whom absolutely did not work out. But I attribute this to his youth.
Do you have your own team of lawyers?
- Well, I’m a lawyer myself.
And will you be able to defend your clients in court if necessary?
- No. There are special people for this. But I can conclude the right contract myself.
How much is your fee?
- Five percent.
Have the clubs deceived you?
- Yes, but not under the contract.
Tell me.
– At one club I was asked not to include some bonuses in the contract, as they were over budget. We agreed verbally that if my player shows desired result, then everything will be paid to him. Now, several years have passed, we are still waiting for what was promised.
Your mistake?
- Partly. But before making such a decision, I consulted with the hockey player. He said, “I agree.”
So what should we do now?
- Nothing. Wait for money. I will note, however, that such news spreads very quickly in the hockey world, so everyone will now be extremely careful with this team. And I’m not going to help them with players if necessary. However, I remained honest with the hockey player. I gave him my money.
Wow.
- What should I do?
First number^
Agents are considered to be the ones who introduced the kickback system into hockey.
– I have never offered a kickback to any coach. And no one will say that I ever took it. They don’t even offer it to me - it’s useless.
But can you add your client to the team?
- No. I tell everyone, if you want to play for the national team, do better. But I understand that not always a strong game can lead to national team any level.
Does this mean there is a problem with kickbacks?
– What do you think? Look what's happening in our youth hockey. Why is all this happening? It's good that we took sixth place at the recent World Championships. Now everyone will think, what is really happening here? After all, already in childhood Parents regulate the composition of the team and put pressure on the coach. What about the specialists themselves who work with children? This is terrible. I was recently at a training session where one of the former hockey players super leagues What was he doing? He yelled at the kids and handed out slaps. And after such training they went to the tournament. Yes, hockey should be a holiday for a child!
Let's get back to your business. Tell me, is it possible that a lockout will begin in the league?
- I think not. Athletes are very naive people. They ask me in all seriousness, who will pay them wages during a strike? No one wants to endure, no one wants to give up their rights. Everyone has a family, loans, cars, apartments. Everyone tries to make money while they can. So I don’t think a strike by hockey players is possible.
By the way, have you received accreditation to work in the KHL?
- Yes. I have accreditation number one.
Added: 12/24/2015 10:43
Source: Championship.com
The famous hockey agent Shumi Babaev became a guest of the “Championship” editorial office and talked about Nazarov, Skabelka’s career and much more.
Hockey agents are not public people at all. As a rule, all the laurels go to their star clients. The leaders of our hockey do not always take these influential people into account, accusing them of inflated salaries and inflated budgets. At the same time, agents know hockey from the inside, understanding its problems like no one else and accurately identifying pain points. And most importantly, they are not afraid to talk about them directly. At the end of May, Yuri Nikolaev visited the “Championship” editorial office, and now it’s the turn of another famous agent- Shumi Babaeva.
Shumi Babaev is one of the first hockey agents in Russia. His clients are Anton Burdasov and Evgeny Artyukhin, Ilya Sorokin and Ivan Nalimov, Maxim Shalunov and Damir Ryspaev, Konstantin Glazachev and Egor Dugin, Vladimir Tkachev and Maxim Kazakov, Mikhail Grigoriev, Daniil Apalkov and many, many others. In the first part of the conversation, we touched on the topic of Andrei Nazarov and SKA, talked about the future of Andrei Skabelka and Ilya Sorokin, and also discussed the work of coaches in the KHL.
“Nazarov’s contract at SKA was smaller than at Barys”
Last summer all hockey world discussed the transfer of your client Andrei Nazarov from Barys to SKA. How did the capital of Kazakhstan react to the move of the head coach?
Even when Nazarov left, the club's leaders took his side. They understood and said: “The man was given a chance to work in a club like SKA. Is it possible to forbid him? And I think this is the height of professionalism. Askar Mamin allowed Nazarov to try his hand at SKA without any compensation to Barys. And at the same time he said: “If it doesn’t work out, we are always waiting for you back.” I don’t know such club leaders in our league anymore. This is an example of a person who thinks not only about today. And he also thinks about those who work with him, that they also need to grow.
Was SKA a challenge for Nazarov?
Naturally. How could one refuse such a transition? He agreed. Yes, maybe he acted a little wrong in relation to Barys. But such an offer does not come every day. And it's not about the money. His contract at Barys and SKA was the same. I’ll tell you even more: in SKA the contract was smaller.
The results of Barys without Nazarov were not impressive.
It’s good that in such a situation, Mamin let the Kazakh coach work. But there is another problem. There is a man who used to be the head coach of Barys, and then from year to year sat in coaching staff. And he has been changing head coaches one after another for eight years. Whoever comes to this place! Sagymbayev worked normally, I think. But that person constantly influenced the process. This lowered the level of the game. Koreshkov came - the same thing, this man is again standing on the bench, again trying to insert his two cents. Nazarov came, posed the question harshly, pushed this man aside - and that’s it, the team started playing. This point is also important. There should be no stagnation. There must be some movement.
Are kickbacks possible in Kazakhstan?
Only in that which does not concern the “tops”. Somewhere from the inside, quietly and peacefully, someone, perhaps, can do their dirty deeds. For example, people who now work in the leadership of “Nomad”, “Snow Leopards” - they openly hate me. And in the direction of all the players who work with me, they say, I don’t understand what. These hockey players are not allowed to play, they are treated very harshly. And why? Because I won't give money to anyone. I won’t call anyone and ask them to put me on the team. They won't wait for it. And they don't like it. They have a completely different policy. That is why the Snow Leopards are not achieving results. Although this is the oldest team in the MHL.
“Putin understands the very essence of hockey”
Doesn't management care?
It wasn’t enough for Mom to be involved in the youth league! He has a national team, he is looking for money during a crisis. And it’s good that there is support from President Nazarbayev. He supports sports, and clubs have stable funding. Otherwise, what would have happened? At such and such a time of crisis. The same as in Russia. If it weren’t for Vladimir Vladimirovich, all sports would have collapsed now. When Putin changes the head of the federation, he does it for a reason. He gets to the point: “We need to install this guy there, we need to strengthen him here, somewhere we need to appoint a person who can bring in financial flow.” Take Mutko. The attitude towards him can be whatever you want. But they put him on football, which he is a professional at. He may not speak English well, but he doesn’t need to. He can hire a translator.
Putin gave Mutko a self-instruction book.
And even here the president knows what a person needs. Putin gave Mutko not football regulations, not the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but an English language self-instruction book. Because Mutko knows everything else. If they put him on football, he can handle it. And we see how, with his arrival, the Russian national football team immediately began to progress.
And in hockey?
Vladimir Vladimirovich himself plays hockey here. And there aren't many people young who can get on skates and play in a short time. I am not the person who will compliment Putin. And looking at his game, I see not that he skates fast, but that he chooses the right position. He got a good shot. He hits. And you can't argue with that. It's a matter of intelligence. If a person has intelligence, if he understands the very essence of the game, naturally, he will be able to further lead this process. Therefore, with support for sports, everything is not so bad for us.
“Nazarov had no conflict with Kovalchuk, and Burdasov looked at him as a father”
By the way, a lot of criticism towards Kovalchuk expresses the opinion that he is no longer the same...
Whatever he is, we can criticize him and say ten times that he has no place in the national team, but he already has merit for the country. He brought joy, pleasure and happiness to millions of people when he scored winning goals at the world championships. And the fact that he has temporary crises... Let's blame not only Kovalchuk for this. Let's talk about the fact that his name should not dominate the coaches who work with him. They must use it correctly and give it the opportunity to develop. They must work with him and communicate.
I know Ilya, he is a professional. And if head coach comes up to him and says that he needs to do this, I don’t think he’ll balk. But artificially taking it and sticking it somewhere is also wrong. Even a player like Kovalchuk needs to be helped to develop and not stand still. And if he leaves next year, I am sure that he will calmly sign a contract in the NHL and play there.
They say that after all, here he lowered his demands on himself.
If so, then he was allowed to do it. This was not pointed out to him. He himself may not understand that he has lowered his demands. They should have told him: “Ilya, play like this here, don’t overplay here, play like this on the power play, you must bring benefit to the team.” No professional will ever say: “No, I will do it my way.”
So, it was about Nazarov?
I don’t think that Nazarov did a bad job at SKA. He worked in his own way, he prepared the team. And the team does not physically fail. It was not Zubov who did this, but Nazarov. There are simply players who, in his opinion, did not meet the level of SKA. How can you remove them if they and the team won the Gagarin Cup? I understand leaders, it's not that easy. Zubov has arrived. Well, is Zubov better than Nazarov? Nazarov has incredible experience.
What kind of relationship did Nazarov have with Kovalchuk?
They have a great relationship. In general, he had no conflicts with Kovalchuk. Nazarov’s problem is that he comes and immediately puts himself in a tough position.
It can only be accepted by a player who also has a rod. A player with charisma who will think: “You can call me whatever you want, and I will go out and do my job.” Nazarov can yell at you and “vacuum clean” you during the game, after the game. But when you leave the arena, when the game ends and training process, he forgets this and communicates with you absolutely smoothly and normally.
It’s not like coaches who remember some grievances for years. We have a lot of coaches who are offended. This one didn’t come to him 50 years ago, this one refused him 100 years ago. And they keep getting offended. And the same young people come. But Nazarov is not one of those. He scolded, came out, clapped, hugged, forgot. And Zubov is a novice coach. I can't say anything bad about him. But the fact that he adapts to the players, “falls” under them, SKA will not be better. Although God grant that he succeeds. The more good teams, the more young coaches, the better. These are new trends in hockey. I wish Zubov only good luck. As a player he was one of the best Russian defenders world hockey. This is not even discussed. A person who is recognized by everyone in the NHL. But the question is: is he ready? at the moment to be the head coach of a team like SKA?
The same Kovalchuk started playing with him now.
This means that he found an approach to Kovalchuk. I put Burdasov in front of him, he wasn’t afraid. Although Burdasov played 20 minutes for Nazarov and scored 25 points. And as soon as the coach changed, they began to hold Anton. How, why, and for whom this was done is also unclear. I, as Burdasov’s agent, see what is happening to him now at SKA. And I don't like it. I know that now they are quietly preparing to exchange Burdasov to a club from the East for a player who has a conflict with the coach. The SKA management has every right to do this, but, I admit, it is not clear to me when they are going to change the team’s best sniper and one of the best players in terms of utility.
How did Burdasov himself communicate with Nazarov? After all, they had one unpleasant episode right during the match.
They communicated great. When Burdasov was still a kid, Nazarov trained him in Chelyabinsk. Anton looks at him like a father, or like an older brother. And because Nazarov scolded him there... Well, that’s right. Why not?
“Belov, Zubarev and Koskinen immediately took sides against Nazarov”
And yet, Nazarov’s main problem with SKA was his authority?
No. It’s just that many SKA players are not used to being somehow insulted or forced. As a matter of fact, the superstars had no problems with this. And it was precisely that average contingent of players who consider themselves superstars. That was a problem for them. What can you call them, what do you mean? Ugly.
Is it Belov, Zubarev and Koskinen?
They immediately separated and took sides against Nazarov. This was clear, evident from all the matches. Look how they played under Nazarov and how they play after his departure. Are there any questions left after this?
The game that Koskinen showed under Nazarov did not 100% correspond to the level of SKA. The team lost matches because of him. In SKA, the goalkeeper must be such as to win a difficult game single-handedly. And Koskinen lost it alone. The team scored, fought back, moved, and he lost.
Nazarov used to change Koskinen after the first goal.
How can you not change it if it gets messed up from game to game? How?! No one has enough nerves. And in SKA there are Yezhov and Shesterkin, who are no worse than this Koskinen. I know the situation, how he left Siberia. On whose initiative did all this happen? Not on the initiative of “Siberia”, but on his. Not a pretty situation. He wanted to leave Siberia, you understand. Mid season. But it’s not my place to discuss any player. We're just talking about a trend.
“Kozlov and Nazarov were set against each other”
When did SKA make an offer to Nazarov?
It was all abrupt. Within a few days. That’s why I admire Askar Mamin’s actions. The man calmly agreed to let the coach go in order to give him the opportunity to grow. And at the same time, Mamin gave two Kazakh specialists a chance to try themselves and work as head coaches, this is worth a lot. If they didn’t succeed now, they will succeed later. Even if Barys doesn’t make it to the playoffs this season, he gave them a chance. Not everyone will dare to take such a risk.
Now Nazarov has arrived, and we see how the team is changing. And the fact that “Barys” has not yet won against him on the road, he has not yet managed to correct everything. This is still more the mentality of Kazakh players. They play well at home, they like to play at home, but they don’t like playing away. And playing away is plus 50 percent to your maximum. You have to take out everything you have and put more on top. Especially when every game is for 6 points.
Many said that SKA was not Nazarov’s team, that he would not get along with the players.
I thought so too. And I told him this. But on Peter's part it was a justified invitation. Nazarov was the only candidate who could take the helm of SKA at that moment. Ambitious coach, not afraid of anything. There are no authorities for him. To come to SKA you need to have nerves of iron. Nazarov understood in advance that it would be difficult, and we discussed this with him. He agreed to this. He took this risk without fear of damaging his image. This is an action.
But you didn’t advise him to go to St. Petersburg?
I told him: “It will be very difficult for you. Here you have built everything, here everything is done for you, here the leaders trust you. And there the leaders will also trust you, but there will be a lot of people who will not like your joining this team. Who think differently."
Was there really a conflict with Roman Rotenberg?
No, what kind of conflict is there? I don't think this is a conflict. One said, the second answered. Maybe Roman Borisovich didn’t like something, but then he had to come and discuss it with Nazarov. SKA is its own world. Some people liked Nazarov, others did not. So this division into camps began. And it’s difficult to figure out who was in which camp. In this sense, we can only talk about players. And the leaders of SKA - they fought for Nazarov to the last. And when it seemed like they should have removed him, they left him. So it’s unlikely that anyone in the SKA leadership was opposed to Nazarov. And Rotenberg is one of these leaders.
How did Nazarov survive this resignation?
Very calm. We already understood this in advance and understood where we would go.
How far in advance?
The last two weeks it was in the air, it was clear. It was already a matter of time.
Until when was he ready to fight?
Until the victorious. He was ready to fight until the end of the season.
But problems began in the off-season. Again this one big story with Dr. Egor Kozlov.
I know Yegor well. He is a great guy, doctor, specialist. And I talked to him after this incident. It was a coincidence. It feels like someone set the situation on fire and set them against each other. Nazarov had nothing against Kozlov, just as Kozlov had nothing against Nazarov. What kind of scandal can there be between a coach and a doctor?
Maybe Nazarov wanted to take his doctor?
In the SKA system, in order to hire your own doctor, you do not have to fire someone. It will be necessary - they will take 20 people, each player will have a doctor, if that helps. Therefore, to say that Nazarov wanted to expel Kozlov is some kind of nonsense. Egor was configured incorrectly and Andrey was configured incorrectly. They had nothing against each other, but the conflict took such a turn.
“I support Nazarov in everything, he is an emotional person”
How was Nazarov received at Barys? Was there any tension?
They were waiting for him back in Astana. When he was released from Barys, they immediately said that if something doesn’t work out, we will be happy to see you.
Is it true that Nazarov, in addition to Barys, had an option with Admiral?
You need to ask the Admiral management about this. They didn't contact me.
Especially considering his performances in Vladivostok...
I'll tell you that he resolved the situation with the audience. There are no problems there. Do you know what the situation was there? Nazarov was told before the game that the judges would work against you. He came out, looked and indeed - refereeing against Barys. And when you stand on the bench and see how your team is being beaten, you have to react somehow. And that gesture was not towards Fetisov, I know that for sure! This name was slipped to him. I even know who did it. He showed this gesture to the head of the club, and Fetisov was not involved in the daily affairs of the Admiral. For this purpose there was another person there, not even Mogilny. This gesture was addressed precisely in that direction. Then he told Vyacheslav Alexandrovich that he had nothing against him. You see, this is Nazarov, in the heat of the moment he can do whatever you want, that’s what makes him good. He should be allowed to do this, it’s okay, let him do it.
So you support him in such actions?
I absolutely support whatever he does! I support Nazarov in everything. He does this not on purpose, for some kind of PR, but out of emotion. He will do something, and after 15 minutes he will think “damn, I probably shouldn’t have done that,” but he has already done it and cannot turn on the rear. Nazarov is a man-emotion. The show and interest in hockey are based on such people. Well, what did he do? Did you throw the bottle? They quarreled, they shouted, they forgot. Inside, this is quickly forgotten, and only journalists do not forget. But it’s the job of journalists to stir up interest in hockey. And in order to feed their families, journalists need a person like Nazarov. If there weren’t people like him or like me, who say everything straight, there would be nothing to talk about! They would sit and say: “oh, everything is so good, so wonderful, we are developing so much and have already overtaken the NHL.” Yeah, we overtook the NHL... In our dreams, this is fantasy on the third floor. Yes, we still need to huff and puff to catch up with the NHL.
Andrey Nazarov returned to Astana. Will he coach the Kazakhstan national team at the World Championships?
Yes. This is not discussed in the Barys system. You become the head coach of the team and automatically the head coach of the national team. This is implied.
Will Nazarov grace the World Championships?
I think it'll be fun. I hope he's on last game will save everything, like Znarok. All gestures.
“If we take Kvartalnov out of brackets, then Skabelka is best coach in the KHL"
You represent the interests not only of Nazarov, but also of another young coach, Andrei Skabelka. How is your relationship with him?
Let’s say I forbade Skabelka from even thinking about the KHL for many years of his work. Every year he said: come on, it’s time. I told him that no, it’s not time. Work, achieve. And he changed. At first the rope was so rigid, peculiar and not flexible at all. He was involved in conflicts within the team. Then he realized it was a dead end. And he changed from year to year both as a coach and as a person. Arriving in Novosibirsk, he, too, was lost at first, then he found himself and began to work. Now look who is our best KHL coach, isn’t it Skabelka? I think yes.
And Dmitry Kvartalnov?
Kvartalnov outside the brackets. There is such a team there, you can’t compare CSKA’s budget and Skabelka’s capabilities.
He showed himself well both in Sibir and in Severstal before that...
Kvartalnov is a top coach, this is not discussed at all! But look, Skabelka worked from the first year. I really appreciate Dima, for me he is a top KHL coach, of the highest qualifications, that’s 100%. Not discussed. And he took the blame for the fact that the team lost 3-0, but this is his fault. Think about it, if a team loses a series (this refers to the semi-final series of the 2015 Gagarin Cup, in which CSKA and SKA met. - Note from the “Championship”).
He drew conclusions, and now CSKA is in the lead and, in the absence of stars, with the exception of Radulov and someone else, shows simply crazy hockey when they are on every meter of the site. This team is generally everywhere on the ice. It feels like there are always one, two more CSKA hockey players!
Which mentors, in your opinion, have increased the capabilities of their team precisely through coaching?
Kvartalnov, Skabelka, Skudra, Nazarov also think that they exceeded the mark at Barys. The team goes beyond its capabilities, given that most of the players there are Kazakhs.
At Barys, the first link is the stars, experienced hockey players.
But one link is not enough to win. You won't play with just one line.
- “Magnitka” will argue with you. They won the Gagarin Cup with one link.
So “Siberia” then shook them out with this one link, next year. Who else are our coaches? Andrievsky, I think. And this act of his, when he wanted to leave, and the team supported him, is also worth a lot.
“The sale of Yakovlev is the success of Yakovlev’s manager”
How do you evaluate the work of Alexey Kudashov in Yaroslavl?
You see, Kudashov is taking some steps forward, but this is Lokomotiv. This player selection system is not designed for the coach, but for the future. This team is completed by a manager, certain people, regardless of who the coach will be. The coach's task is simply not to spoil it. From what I see, Kudashov still has a lot of work to do. He has done a lot for the first year, he is already ahead of the curve. I just have a good attitude towards Alexey. When he was already finishing his playing career, I saw him in the stands all the time. He sat on the podium with a notebook and took notes, studied all the time, tried to progress. Kudashov is moving forward with big steps, but in the work he is doing, he still makes a lot of mistakes. They are there and they are visible. There are psychological errors here, and in the understanding of the team and players. He still cannot properly evaluate his team. He is working on it and is improving every day.
This is strange, because he was an experienced captain and understood such things very well.
It's one thing when you are a player, another thing when you are a coach. He didn’t have this moment of transition, once, and he immediately became a coach, a head coach. He worked as an assistant for Atlanta for a year, but it was a very short period of time. Yes, Kudashov is developing, he himself is tailored for this. It was clear that he would be a coach. And I think that in two years he will be one of the top coaches in the league. This is not even discussed.
The main thing is that the club management has enough patience.
There are people there with such patience, they won’t take an extra step. They may be greedy at the initial stage when the player has to play for little money, but when it comes to the decisive moments, this is not an organization that will spare money in order to retain a specialist, a player or someone the club needs. In this regard, Yakovlev is a super professional.
But they didn’t keep Yegor Yakovlev; SKA beat the offer for money.
So what, is this a loss for Lokomotiv? The money they sold him for is Lokomotiv’s super success. They received about 120 million rubles for it, as far as I understand. Crazy money. This is business. Why should they compete if they received adequate money? They have a system that works. Yakovlev is not a top player. The fact that he plays in the national team does not make him one. This is a young, promising and promising player who will develop. He will be a good player, but the fact that they could now sell him for that kind of money is a success for the managers. The same can be said about SKA. It will grow, they will sell it for more, and this will also be a success. This does not mean that we are faced with a failure of SKA selection. Everyone acts within their own interests. Lokomotiv has this policy, SKA has a different one.
“Ilya Vorobyov spent too much time as an assistant”
Which other coaches can you rate based on this season?
I thought that Pokovic worked well at Dynamo Minsk and I think that he does not deserve such treatment. There were some hidden matters there, and he left. But it's not good for them. I think that the coach did a very good job at Ugra. Yes, now they are in decline, they fell out of the playoff zone, but the hockey they showed with their set of players was not bad. Krikunov always works at his own level.
Ilya Vorobyov replaced Mike Keenan at Magnitogorsk. Also a young specialist.
You know, Vorobyov will be a good coach, but it will take time. I think he spent a little time as an assistant. It should have been released a little earlier. I think he should have been preparing the team for this season, being the head coach from the beginning of this season. And I know that Velichkin wanted to do just that. And that would be better. Although Keenan is Keenan, there is nothing to discuss here.
It’s just a little difficult for Vorobyov to enter now. I think if he had been in charge since preseason, this would have been a completely different team. Who else deserves our attention, stands apart? Titov has not yet confirmed anything. The fact that Orekhovsky failed is predictable. I didn’t see any trust in the young players in his work. There are a lot of them in the Vityaz system, but he did not rely on them.
Maybe they demanded results from Orekhovsky, so it didn’t work out for him?
They held him until victory. If they had demanded a result, the team would have played out already by this time. Let's take the same "Admiral". They said: give us two months. Over the course of two months, the team went up and down, and then look at how the team has played since November. But in Vityaz it was the other way around. I’m telling you: these coaches come and ruin the preseason so that the team can start, like all these old guys used to do, foreign coaches That’s what they like to do too - so we’ll start lightly, rise to first place and stay there. May they not stay there! Those who sit below will hammer you later. They will last 20 games, but the championship lasts 60. And they won’t be anywhere. And look where Avtomobilist, Yugra, Vityaz and all the other teams are already. Here is the answer to this question. And look where Sibir is, which is going ahead clearly and planned, and where CSKA is, where Lokomotiv is. Now SKA will take its rightful place.
There Pyotr Ilyich Vorobyov will help them.
Yes, it is very good that Pyotr Ilyich became a youth coach there. The way they worked with young players there was not very good. I think there will be big changes now.
“How can there be an average coach at Dynamo?”
How do you assess the latest steps of such an experienced manager as Andrey Safronov? He sent Dugin to Admiral - he started playing, Glazachev - the best in Spartak - started playing, Daugavinsha sent to Nizhny Novgorod - he plays great for Skudra. At the same time, Kaygorodov had already been kicked out, Filatov was sent to the VHL, and the “downed pilot” Petruzhalek was taken.
This moment... is very difficult. I'm afraid the problem is much deeper than it seems.
Is it about the Dynamo Central Council?
What does he have to do with it? What does the advice, staffing the team and coach Vitolins have to do with it? When they won, it was good, when they lose... When a person sits in one place, one success comes, then another, the shores are lost a little. You don’t feel reality, everything is fine around you, you are in euphoria, you created a headquarters that worked for Dynamo, and they completely trusted it. True, I’m sure he makes all the key decisions himself. Do you think Vitolins is working well at Dynamo?
Average, but his situation is difficult...
Are “Dynamo” and “medium” suitable? Maybe Dynamo has an average coach? Which one works average?
So we say that it’s not the worst option. If Dugin and Glazachev played together last year, scored a ton of points, and he constantly smashed them? And this season he didn’t let them play together at all. What does this mean? Did Safronov do this? Safronov said: break up Dugin and Glazachev, don’t let them play? Now it’s easy to blame everything on Safronov. And you can blame a lot of things on him, but you can’t blame everything on him if he trusts the coach, and he does whatever he pleases.
Last year Vitolins was close to retirement.
But they didn’t put it aside, and that’s what we’re talking about.
The point is that if there was such a question, it means that they do not fully trust.
Wait, let's approach from the other side. Let's say I'm a coach, things are worse than ever, I'm close to resigning, but I haven't been fired. What does it mean? What do I understand as a coach? So I'm fine. This means I can continue to pursue my line. Right? Logical? If I don't get fired, it means I'm doing everything right.
But then someone would have to be put in Vitolins’ place.
What, it was impossible to stage Nikolishin?
Nikolishin showed everything in Traktor.
I have a different opinion, that it was not he who showed it in Traktor. And not even Gomolyako. I have another version of the development of these events. Neither Gomolyako nor Nikolishin are to blame here.
“Sorokin remained in CSKA taking into account that he would get to the Olympics”
When will Ilya Sorokin leave for the NHL?
We rewrote the contact with CSKA for three years, taking into account that he will be included in the Olympic team. They did this deliberately. I turned to CSKA and offered to extend the contract. He will be visible, people will work with him. I am grateful to CSKA and Kvartalnov for giving him a chance. Much of the credit for this goes to Dmitry Yachanov, who saw the potential in Sorokin and bet on him. He said from the very beginning that Sorokin best goalkeeper teams. And Ilya proves this in every match.
What kind of money does he need? He doesn't care about them. It is my task to create conditions for him so that his life changes. Not regarding Sorokin, there are situations when a player is already 28 years old, but he has never received big salaries. But he's one of the best in the league. And how can I not do so as not to squeeze the maximum for him, when for 12 years before this he received pennies compared to other players? I have a chance, and, of course, I will create all the conditions for it. They will remain silent about money, but tomorrow they will tell me: “The hockey age is short, and I haven’t even earned any money.” There are many such guys.
Will Sorokin reach Bobrovsky's level?
I hope it comes out. Ilya is a professional. He is calm, confident and without a crown on his head. He has good ambitions. He doesn't need to run after girls and spend money. Or buy yourself a super expensive car. You must be able to earn money and be able to spend it on yourself. Everything has its time. If you don't enjoy this money, then you see no incentive to earn it. There is no buzz from life. You should be able to relax, take your family somewhere, help your parents buy an apartment.
Are you looking to get players to North America as quickly as possible?
No. I keep them here as much as possible.
There are players who need to be sent out earlier. There was once a junior world championship in Minsk. And such a player - Shalunov - wanted to work with me, but his mother decided to do business with another agent. And where was Shalunov? I told him: “Max, what you do on the ice is funny. Yes, you are big and talented. But you lose the whole fight at the sides, you don’t lead power play. You don’t play, you’re afraid of any power move.” All this fell on deaf ears. Then again there is no player. Calls back: “I want to work with you.” I replied that I was ready to help if he did as I said.
Sent him to America, to training camps. You drive, you work, you plow like a dog. He also had a sore knee. He applied for a visa, left in July and worked there. As a result, he was the last one sent from Chicago this year. He was sent to the farm club, I told him to sit there. A year later he became a man. He arrived, and what he didn’t have, everything appeared. Plus his performance and attitude towards the regime, which he changed. This is how I like to do my job. Just like with Timkin, with Apalkov, with Galuzin. Many of us climbed together. Maxim Spiridonov, Alexey Badyukov, Kostya Glazachev, whom I have been leading since he was 16 years old. Rudenko. Or Dugin, with whom we went through a lot together. We went on strike, he went to play in the Belarusian championship, and unquestioningly followed everything I said. I don't have democracy. All the young players do as I tell them.
Are there any guys among your clients who dream of the NHL?
The bad soldier is the one who doesn't want to become a general. If you don't dream of the NHL, then you need to finish hockey. We talk about the NHL as something good that we should strive for. There is no need to make a cult out of the NHL, but we should strive to become the best.
Do you orient your guys towards this?
I don’t refer anyone to the NHL. The only thing I tell them is that they need to progress every year, work in the summer. Young guys call me and complain: “I play for two or three minutes.” I explain to them: “in these two minutes you must do the maximum.” I cite Burdasov and Dugin as examples. They played for seven minutes and got results. If they do this, they will end up in the first or second link. That's how it works. Another thing is that I don’t understand when they don’t take players who play in the KHL to the youth team, but take those who scored two points in the VHL. This is strange to me. The guys who don't deserve it are coming. Last year they didn’t take Vereshchagin, Glukhov was released.
“I don’t rule out that after the season Skabelka will accept an offer from a top KHL club.”
Is there a demand for Andrei Skabelka from the top KHL clubs?
There was such demand last year. He is in the last year of his contract with Siberia.
Will he follow Kvartalnov’s path?
Don't know. Maybe he will stay in Sibir, or maybe he will go to a top club.
Will his decision depend on whether Kirill Fastovsky remains at the club?
Fastovsky remains in Siberia. This increases the chances that Skabelka may remain in Novosibirsk. But if he receives an offer from a top club with the appropriate conditions, I do not rule out that he will accept it. These will be other opportunities for development. Let's see how the situation develops.
A top club may not allow him to work.
How do you position yourself? Some will be given, some will not. It all depends on the character of the coach. If he's a wuss, they won't give it to him. If he shows character, they will give it to him. No - you will pay compensation. The coach determines the composition. Same thing Znarok. He is very good coach, but we understand that he is not the only one who makes decisions regarding the composition. In February, all the young people will go to the Eurotour, but all the strongest should go to the Channel One Cup, and those who are not the strongest should not go.
Who's the odd one out?
What about our defense? Is it normal that SKA’s defense went there?..
"IN KHL agents feel like nobody"
How does the KHL interact with agents? Has the attitude toward you and your colleagues changed with the change in league leadership?
No, attitudes towards agents do not change. Agents, for example, are nobody in the KHL, and the KHL doesn’t perceive you in any way. How many years have I been an agent, the KHL has never invited me to an event to close the season. What does this mean? They don't invite people to events to discuss problems. There is no point in inviting me, because they will hear from me what they don’t want to hear, everyone knows that I will not remain silent. We feel like nobody in this league.
Although in theory we should be one of the influential people, we are, but official level the league doesn't take us into account. They come up with some kind of regulations on agency activities... Have they invited at least one agent to read what they write there? This is funny! They write a letter to Filkin. Despite the fact that the KHL is developing in one direction, here we are rolling back, we just have some kind of archaic time. And it feels like people don’t want to think about what might happen. They just don't understand that everyone has a countermeasure. They will do something against me, and I will do something in response. But I’m already experienced, I’ll find my place in this business. Ugly.
There was a situation with the KHL when I was prohibited from simultaneously working as the general manager of the Kazakhstan national team, and at that time a relative of the head coach of the Russian national team was an agent of the national team players. And there’s nothing wrong with that; it didn’t affect the result in any way. Understand, I was the general manager of the Kazakhstan national team, which no one except the Kazakhs can get into initially. And they manage to prohibit me from working. For what? Why can't we develop? Why can they hold five positions in clubs and the national team? And this does not mean that the club coach becomes the national team coach. This does not mean that he will drag his players. What they don’t want to hear is... The new leadership that has arrived are crisis managers. So far there are no complaints against them, against Chernyshenko and his staff. At least there is some adequacy in what is happening now.
Was Chernyshenko's arrival necessary?
Of course, the swamp always needs to be shaken up. I’m not saying that Medvedev worked poorly, he worked well, but there are people around who get used to good things. So we take a young hockey player to some team in order to raise not his wages, but his skill. If a coach does not improve a player’s skill over a period of time, then the problem is not in the player, but in the coach. It’s the same here: if a leader cannot raise the level of skill of his subordinates, it means that he has loosened his grip somewhere, he is still busy at another job, or something like that. In this situation, I see movements, but besides this, there are also negative aspects that they do not get around to, they are dealt with by the same ones who did it before. Therefore, if we are going to change it, then let’s do it in full.
How do you think the relationship between agents and the league should be structured?
In our league there are several agents that they can invite to their place, talk, understand the problem and ask, again, how to work with other agents. It doesn’t matter to me, let the young guys work, but they don’t know how. What, will they come and take the player from me or from Yura Nikolaev? It's funny. So they poke around, poke around, recruit a bunch of young players, whom they then simply abandon. Who will be responsible for their ruined careers? There is such a topic: they take 200-300 thousand from parents, they say that they will send them for viewing. Of course, they send him, come to an agreement, and after two weeks the guy is released, and the money is in his pocket. This is a well-known scheme.
112 people come to the clubs per summer. I will not name these clubs. The agent must also be a professional, act in the interests of the player, but also not ruin the clubs. We have a misunderstanding: clubs often say that they cannot let a player go, there is no one to replace him, and the player is rotting. He will sit on the bench of a farm club for two years, will not play a single game in the KHL, and who will pay 3-4 million for him? There should be a criterion that if the club does not allow a certain number of games to be played, then he should have the right to leave without compensation, the club does not need him, especially if the club did not raise him. There are some mechanisms, they should be there for everyone. And so he sits, the manager screwed up, they pay him a salary. The general level of club management does not keep pace with the development of hockey.
“Not only are there not enough managers, but even skate sharpeners”
We have a lot of people saying that there are not enough players. Is it the same with managers in Russia?
There are not enough managers, there are no skate sharpeners. Look - 2-3 players per team fall on the ice per game. The problem with children's coaches. Parents call and say: to play a whole season, you need to pay 300 thousand rubles or 500. Well, where to pay that kind of money? And this is in teams that are visible. And there are many of them. I know the system in Yaroslavl, where they harshly and radically destroyed it. It’s impossible there, the coach can’t do it.
Where else is it impossible?
In Kazan there is a well-built system, but there in all the republics the question is closed with calls: “A guy will come, take it...”. Why not take it? The moment there is a little different. CSKA is still structured more and more rigidly. But in Moscow it’s only CSKA, the rest have this moment. I think that Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk have a well-functioning system that produces personnel.
Kazakhstan has this problem 100%. Under the previous head of the club, the players were told: you will work with this agent. And they are all in youth team they stood in line and signed contracts with him. The president of the club at that time knew this. But the head of the club simply doesn’t know this, it’s not his responsibility. It controls other processes.
And now?
In Kazakhstan we see real improvement. The team is going to the playoffs for the ninth season with not the biggest budget. Yes, they have legionnaires, they help. But these are not the foreign players who change every year, as in other clubs. These are hockey players who play in one club for three or four seasons, for five years. This indicates that the work is being done correctly.
“Almaty, Krasnoyarsk and China should be in the KHL”
Is a second KHL team needed in Kazakhstan?
If it is Alma-Ata, then yes. Believe me, they will be worth the money. There is an interest from the country's President Nazarbayev, who sees the results and how the image of Kazakhstan is rising. Moreover, Almaty is a city with a unique climate, there are both mountains and plains. You can come and go skiing. It’s the same as you asking me: “Is it good if there is a team in Dubai?” I will say: “Dubai is great, great idea!” Just like China. Even though the Chinese will be lower in skill level, we will get a huge market.
The market is understandable. What about the development of hockey? What can China and Dubai give to our hockey?
You see, every team is unique. The same Chinese and Japanese play their own hockey. If they get into our space, they will add something of their own. We are used to playing against the Russians, and when we go to the World Cup, we encounter different speeds, refereeing and players. It's like we're on another planet. When a team of a different format appears, our experience grows.
Isn't the KHL overhyped? Everyone admits that there are not enough high-class players for so many teams.
And who should be removed? Look at Novokuznetsk. The team is below standings. You can say that they have a small budget and even it is being spent incorrectly, that they have the wrong players, they can recruit others. But how can Novokuznetsk be deprived of hockey? The city where many stars were raised, including those who play in the NHL. Another thing is that it is necessary to build more professional management work there - that’s probably true. "Yugra"? It's hard for me to say definitively. The team is young, whether it is needed or not is the tenth matter. Khanty-Mansiysk – sports region, we just need to get people used to hockey.
Look at Krasnoyarsk. This is a city where people are accustomed to bandy, but there “Falcon” has gone for rejuvenation, the “Platinum Arena” is being built again. And this young team is clearly being built with an eye on the KHL. If Sokol enters the KHL in a year, then I am sure that more than half of the current team composition will remain. Do we not need Krasnoyarsk because there is bandy there? Look at the shows the guys put on there so the fans can enjoy it! Today, Sokol is one of the youngest VHL teams not tied to Kakhaelov clubs.
Still, don’t you think that initially there were too many clubs in the KHL? The desire to increase the number of teams had a negative impact on quality.
There are satellite towns where, perhaps, the KHL is not needed. But how to cut to the living? What are we comparing to? From the NHL? The territory of Canada and the USA is smaller than that of Russia. We cannot artificially deprive some region of the spectacle. Sometimes you come to a city and there is nothing to do there in the evening. Hockey is the only entertainment.
“For us, foreigners are gods! Try speaking Russian in the NHL locker room."
You say that it is difficult to cut to the quick, but on the one hand there is “Admiral”, where the management builds a system, and on the other there are clubs where there are no professional leaders and their goals are completely different. Will we wait 150 years to catch up with the NHL?
Ildar Muhometov was given the opportunity to build a young team, and he is not afraid to do it. Within the existing budget, he and David Nemirovsky collected good team. But “Admiral” has the second-lowest budget after Novokuznetsk! What choice does Muhometov have? There is no extra money and there never will be. They have a debt of 200 million since last season. As far as I heard, the KHL promised Admiral to compensate for part of the flight costs and did not do so. Past league management, not current. But even within such strict limits, Muhometov and his team were not afraid to rely on young people.
Why are others afraid? Do they hold on to their place? Don't be afraid to bet on Russian players. Yes, we have problems with schools and children’s coaches, but every year interesting kids come out who need to be given a chance. But they don’t give it to them. They sit out for two or three years, rot, and then they need to be revived. For some reason, we bow down to everything foreign. In our hockey club locker rooms you can speak in English. And you try to go to the NHL and speak Russian or Finnish there. For us, foreigners are gods! They will rest for five days, and ours for two days.
Is there a hidden lease in the KHL?
There is, there will be and there should be until official rental is allowed. Only in this situation can we develop our players. Or we should ban legionnaires altogether. What's the problem with renting? If a club has a lot of young players, why not send some of them to another team where he can get playing experience? Usually, all these rentals cost pennies. The club closed the hole in the lineup, the player helped the team, and then returned. They say that migration of players before the deadline is good, but loaning is bad. Rent will be in any form. Nobody will ban it. The club bought a player and then sold him - and who will prove that it was a loan? She must be. We need to do everything right so that it doesn’t happen when a team with great financial resources recruits players and then rents them out. This is not normal, this should not be allowed to happen.
Is the quality of hockey in the KHL decreasing?
Everyone says that a number of players left in the summer and KHL level because of this I fell. Look at the table! Will you see a gap between the teams there? The level did not decrease, but leveled out. The championship may have become less spectacular, but certainly no less interesting. Every day, depending on the results of each day, the teams change places. The level of the top clubs has dropped a little, but the lower classes have improved.
But at the same time, for example, “Kuznya” is still the same as it was below.
So, is Kaprizov a bad player in “Kuzna”? Kazakov played in "Kuzna" - a bad player? Is American Stoa a bad legionnaire?
Nevertheless, they sold the Stoa, Kazakov returned to Omsk.
But Kaprizov remained. Who is it good for? For Kaprizov? A boy who can develop will stop developing because in Novokuznetsk he does not have worthy partners. Kirill will miss the playoffs. It’s all about management, the leadership team... We have Solovyov as a coach in Novokuznetsk, you understand? I have nothing against him, but that’s it, his time has passed. We need to develop. Such people with rich experience coaching career must be consultants, assisters, or honorary positions in management. They shouldn't be head coaches! Of those who give results, I can’t name anyone else except Bilyaletdinov and Krikunov. Two people. The “forge” trudges below from year to year. Yes, the budget is small, but good hockey You can show it with a small budget.
Competent managers and trainers also cost money...
I don't agree. You give the person a chance to develop. And the manager you give a chance will also come on the minimum conditions as the hockey players. He will also come and work for little money, make a name for himself and move on. This is a development process. So it is in Europe. Why are there teams that have no money? They make a team, lure in those effective players who are currently there, and then sell them off. It's business, it's good. If today “Kuznya” can sell Stoa, Kaprizov, or someone else, and with the sale they will recoup their budget, that will be great. But we must not forget about the result, about the game.
“Parents are calling: how much will it cost to play on the Russian national team?”
You said that you were afraid that the junior team, which entered the MHL, would be half-assed.
In our conditions, I am always afraid of this. And I'm usually right.
Isn't that the case now?
In Prokhorov's team? I don't follow her. I'm not interested. I don't see this project. Me personally. For me this project is utopian.
I see players, good players, who are preparing, but what are the results of our junior team? How they play international level? The same Rumyantsev team. It's all the same. Who are we kidding? This is self-deception. Then make not one, but three teams: a criminal one and two simple ones. If you want to play for the national team, be really the best.
My parents call me and ask. “How much does it cost to play in the Russian national team? We just want our son to sit on the Russian national team. How much money to give - $50,000? Will $50,000 be enough? - they tell me. I know that $50,000 is even a lot. If I did this, this guy would play. I told them that they called the wrong place. I tell them: if you find the right phone number, you will have it on the team. No problem. You just dialed the wrong number.
So a man calls me and asks: how much money do I need for my son to play in the KHL? Where does he play? - I ask. Nowhere, somewhere in the first league. Well, let him play for a year or two in the first one, then in Major League, and only then will he go to the KHL for trial. And to me: “No, no, no, you didn’t understand me. How much money do you need? The question is: “How much money do you need?” I don’t need extra money, I’m not interested in it. I'm not a poor person. That's how they call, that's how they insist. Only you, who are so omnipotent, can solve this issue. When they tell me that I am omnipotent, I am flattered, but it is funny.
And you tell me that you can join the Kazakhstan national team...
I would never do this. I would never in my life compromise my relationship with the leadership that trusts me. When I was the general manager of the national team, I never gave anyone a chance to think that I could hire someone through connections. I traveled with a team, gathered a second team from different places in Kazakhstan. I went with her to the mountains, five hours from Bucharest. Where there are no windows in the palace, and the uniform does not dry in the locker room. I went to see all these guys in person. So that, God forbid, no one cuts off this person who can help me tomorrow.
Have you never worked for money?
Never. That's why I don't have superstar players. The ones I didn't make myself. There were offers from foreign agents with whom I could work, giving away most of the money. And work, take these stars. But I'm just not interested. I’d rather grow them myself little by little, year after year.
“Agents like Gandler recruit players and then don’t pick up the phone from them.”
How is your relationship with Mark Gandler, do you communicate with him?
Never communicated. They are all sitting there. They recruit a bunch of players and sit abroad. The guys call them, but they don’t answer the phone. And then these agents say, they say, you didn’t break out, you didn’t become a star, I’m not interested in you. Here I have a player, Timkin, for whom I fought. And his former agent told him: “I’m not interested in players like you.” He left him, and the guy was offered a contract in the second team of Omsk for 200,000 rubles a year. Viewing contract. I see that in his entire previous career, in his skill, a person cannot end up like that. After a lot of work and scandal, he moved to Vityaz, where he proved his worth. And this is not the only case, there are many such examples. It's just that most players remain unheard.
Yes, I am dissatisfied with what is now happening with Zhenya at Magnitogorsk. It is not used that way, but this is Magnitogorsk, there is the first link there. There is nothing you can do about it, it is a given that must be accepted. He got lost, slowed down, went into minus compared to what he was. But he is young and will quickly gain his strength if he moves to another team.
Pavel Buchnevich recently visited us, who just said that Gandler hasn’t called him for a long time, only his assistant gets in touch...
That's how they work! I know agents living abroad; the players have never seen them! The player had never shaken his agent's hand in his life. You can't throw guys out like that. They call me, but I really can’t help them. I say, guys, I’m sorry, but I don’t know you. Mom calls and says that we chose you. In general, when they tell me that they want to leave their agent, I ask: why? For example, Yura Nikolaev and I now have such a relationship that we work together and follow a parallel course. We understand where to go and try to drag this body along with us. I think it works well, and some people like the way I work. And when a player tells me that the agent cannot find him a team, the answer follows: “Don’t you think that there are no teams that want to take you?” Having a bad attitude is one thing. But if you want to plow like a dog, that’s completely different.
I also come to the camp in the summer and go out on the ice with everyone. I have been organizing this camp every year for 10 years. I go out and plow with everyone. The shouts addressed to me are the same as those addressed to other players. Because you go on the ice and are a member of the team. Even in our training camp, everyone wants to win.
So I say, what did the agent promise you? “My agent told me that I would play in the KHL,” I hear the answer. In such cases, you should not leave me, but run! As a result, a person plays 6 seconds in the Major League. The number of agents who work correctly can be counted on one hand. We also have Kholin, Paremuzov, Cheremin, Prikhodko, Romanov on the market - they have all been working for a long time. I also consider them good agents.
Tochitsky...
Tochitsky is not an agent. We had a conversation with Andrey. A year has passed since he finished his agency work. Then he moved to SKA. I tell him: “You became a general manager and are trying to put the players you had into this structure.” He replied: “Shumi, I had this at first. But then I got rid of it, I broke myself. I understand, otherwise I won’t become a manager.” I came to the Kazakhstan national team, stood on the bench and understood that there are no strangers here, the whole team is yours. I took young hockey players, and we played against Barys. You won't even think about whether this is your player or not! Shove your player in and then lose the World Cup?
We, the Kazakhstani team, were harshly condemned for Olympic Games. Ugly and brazen. They were simply not allowed into the main draw of the Olympics. The team I worked with was one of the best in the entire existence of the national team, even now everyone says that. Before the team goes to any tournament, I flew to this city, looked at all the hotels and conditions, locker rooms. Then he returned, and we flew there with the team. And when they handed it over gold medal World Championship – it was especially pleasant. This may be Group B, but not every agent can boast of this.
“In the youth team there were about 10 players from one agent, and everyone was silent about it”
Your opinion on Damir Ryspaev is interesting. Your client, kind of new project"Barysa".
He will be a hockey player. He doesn't want to be a fighter, but wants to be a hockey player. He goes to training camps in the summer, working on his skating and throwing. This year I was in Slovakia. I can figuratively say that Ryspaev started playing hockey two years ago. For example, Olympic champion Zhenya Davydov first came to the section when he was nine years old. And Ryspaev came late, at about 19 years old. Since Nazarov is there, he has a chance to become the person the team needs. Yes, for now he's just fighting. The fact that Nazarov is doing this project is good. Let it be, why not? They had a great fight with Artyukhin. Zhenya, however, was almost unprepared. He knew about the fight, but he didn't fight as well as he could. Well, let them fight, this is hockey. The same Mnatsyan, who plays in “Admiral,” can also beat himself. It happens that people fight, and then become best friends. Not on the sly, as some of us do. Ankudinov attacked Gimaev, and then curled up. What is it? Does this make hockey better? And the fact that Perkovich refused to fight Ryspaev is cunning. I explained to Damir. He was not afraid, but did everything correctly. Ryspaev was sent off until the end, and he then began to “strangle” the team. The same thing happened in the match between “Admiral” and “Barys”, when Pushkarev performed a power move against Mnatsyan. Fisenko offered him a fight throughout the game. Pushkarev can fight, but in this situation Nazarov did not allow him, so he refused.
Vladimir Tkachev was not taken to the last MFM. Why is he not playing so productively in the SKA system now? After all, he was invited to the place where Nikita Gusev is now performing.
He has an injury. I'll explain what happened. When he moved from Moncton to Quebec last year, he was already dealing with an injury. I walked with a sore arm for two months. When he recovered, straightened his arm, he immediately began to play. No rehabilitation. And he played on injections throughout the second half of the season in the Quebec League. He came here, and he has neurology - pinching. And now he is busy healing an old injury that was caused to him there. Everyone saw what he did in Edmonton, they would have given him a contract. As a player, he remained exactly the same. But this whole injury situation... In every collision he was hurt. Now he is being treated at SKA, specialists are working with him. He became more powerful and gained more mass. Tkachev will show himself yet. This is just the situation. Moreover, I didn’t know about it. He didn’t tell me anything, he knew that I would somehow react to this, but he himself wanted to finish the season. He remained silent, seemingly like a hero. But he shouldn't be allowed to do this to himself.
According to the composition of the Russian national team for the upcoming youth championship peace do you have any questions?
I always have questions about the lineup for the World Youth Championship. I don't voice them. It’s better to remain silent, let them do what they want. Last year, one agent was Bragin’s adviser. He was a scout for North America. So he simply “killed” many worthy guys, and about 10 people played on his team. Everyone was silent about this! And then they say that Shumi is bad.
Created 08/25/2012
The hockey agent of Anton Burdasov, Andrei Konev and Yegor Dugin again gave an interview in which he spoke unflatteringly about Vladimir Krechin.
After forward Anton Burdasov left Traktor this summer and moved to the St. Petersburg team SKA, the correspondence controversy in the press between former hockey agent Shumi Babaev and the director continues hockey club"Tractor" (Chelyabinsk) by Vladimir Krechin.
Let us recall the chronology of events.
On June 21, 2012, it was announced that Anton Burdasov would transfer from Chelyabinsk Traktor to the SKA team from St. Petersburg.
Shumi Babaev:“Anton was thrown a bone in Chelyabinsk. He received a contract according to the regulations - and sit, boy, don’t rock the boat. After a very successful season with Traktor and the national team, he deserved a more respectful attitude towards his person. But the Chelyabinsk club thinks differently " (Edition "Sport day by day")
Vladimir Krechin:“Let’s first touch on Anton’s agent Shumi Babaev, who created an unimaginable fuss in the press and spoke unflatteringly about our club. I will say that he acted the way he will be treated in the future. No more and no less. Regarding the phrase that “ Traktor “threw Burdasov a bone,” we believe that the money that was offered to Anton in Chelyabinsk was one hundred percent adequate for his age and level of play last season. If he were 27 years old and consistently scored 30 goals per game. season, then the conversation would be different. You need to understand that Traktor is not a club that can afford to spend any amount, that’s why Anton left for a larger contract. And, objectively speaking, he didn’t want to stay in Chelyabinsk, but. For us, only the monetary motivation of a hockey player is absolutely unacceptable. The desire to play here is no less important. Speaking about the rumors that were circulating about Burdasov’s departure overseas, they were true initially, but it was important to leave Anton in Russia and save the money. for Traktor. When he left for the USA, the club lost both finances and the player. And it so happened that we kept the money received as compensation for his transfer to SKA. So the Burdasov issue is over for this season. " (official website of HC "Traktor")
Vladimir Krechin:“We made a qualifying offer to Burdasov, as required by the regulations. The amount was named in accordance with his performance. But his agent was against it. He didn’t sit quietly - where he could, he doused Traktor with slop. On all sites: “They don’t appreciate it, they treat it badly.” ... "Despite the fact that Burdasov received 10 minutes of playing time in each match: when he played well, no one benched him. We were reproached - they say, Burdasov rested for the third periods. I can answer now: they benched him when he did not perform game task. That's the only way. Nothing personal. As a result, our club was given an ultimatum: either Burdasov will receive so much money, or he will leave for America. And then Traktor will receive nothing at all. Then we decided: whatever they would give for Burdasov, we would sell him for that much. There were two buyers - Ak Bars and SKA. Peter offered an amount twice as much as Kazan. Good money. We were very surprised when he said bad words about Belousov in the newspapers. A young guy, his head is not clear yet. He doesn’t understand that you can’t burn bridges, but such words remain in your memory forever. Chelyabinsk for him hometown, grew up in it and, perhaps, will live... This city made him a world champion. Traktor gave him an apartment. And respond like that? Just a slap in our direction. And this says, first of all, about the human qualities of Burdasov himself." (Sport-Express publication)
It would seem that this story has been put to rest, but yesterday Shumi Babaev again continued a series of mutual reproaches.
Shumi Babaev:“The fact that Krechin is trying to blame his unprofessionalism and inability to perform the functions of a general manager efficiently on a 21-year-old guy cannot cause anything but a smile among hockey professionals. In one of his last interviews, Mr. Krechin allowed himself to express the opinion that Anton made insulting remarks about the chief coach Belousov and the Traktor team. We consider this a blatant lie and demand an official apology from Mr. Krechin - this is Anton’s hometown, Traktor is the team that gave him the path to hockey, and he is very respectful of the Chelyabinsk fans. And if in the near future Mr. Krechin does not present official evidence of those very offensive statements, then we will file a complaint with the disciplinary committee and further in the chain of command. Recently, Mr. Krechin has failed, there is no other word for it, Dadonov, Konev, Burdasov and Dugin. , giving preference to foreigners. Home-grown players, who all without exception wanted to play in Traktor, have no place in Krechin’s team today. All his talk about extreme requests from players is not true. Instead of two players Dadonov and Burdasov, Chelyabinsk signed one Altonen. If Mr. Krechin can't do his job, then he needs to submit his resignation and stop nodding towards young players." (Hockey Truth)
– What is the difference between an “agreement of intent” and a contract? Does this mean that the letter of intent can be thrown into the trash at any time? Why is it concluded? (Kuzebay)
– Initially, it is not assumed that the letter of intent can be thrown into the trash. It states that it is part of the main contract, it contains the details of the parties and signatures. It is usually drawn up in cases where there are some inconsistencies with the regulations or the issue with the official contract, with its form, which the KHL offers, has not been finally resolved, as was the case this year. Now the form and content of contracts have changed, there are discrepancies with current legislation. 70 to 30.
That is, this is already a contract; it does not stipulate the possibility of termination. If you have signed a letter of intent, then you sign a contract.
– Is there any information about Alexey Badyukov’s new club? Why didn’t Ak Bars sign a new contract with him? (Vadim Kuznetsov)
– We waited a very long time and were ready to wait another month, but unfortunately, apparently there is some kind of change in policy at the club. The contract was not offered and only after that I started looking for new teams. There were proposals before, there were four or five teams. No names yet.
After the situation in Minsk unfolded like this, Alexey himself said that he was not happy with this, he was not used to playing in a team fighting to get into the playoffs and there were no problems with terminating his agreement.
– How did it happen that a hockey player, who played one successful season in his career, has since received good money and does not agree to a lower salary, knowing that sooner or later he will be paid. Why have all the players rebelled against paying for results, for statistics, and are demanding big guaranteed money? Who started the wage race anyway? Who exactly? When it ends. (Kuzebay)
- The question was posed incorrectly from the beginning - if they want to ask me why players have inflated salaries and why clubs fight for them - this is a question for the club managers and their perception of the player.
Best of the day
What has happened so far - non-guaranteed contracts - is a very large field of activity for all kinds of manipulation of players, this does not lead to anything good - since there is no stability for either the clubs or the players. Why should a player refuse money if he is offered it? This is their piece of bread.
Club leaders have started a wage race - they must have better contact with each other. There are agents who practice the auction method, calling all the clubs. Here, leaders must find out behind the scenes how much they can give. But this is not my style of work.
It is difficult to unambiguously assess which club was the first; the financial situation was different in different periods. It all started back in the 70s, in the 90s the methods were similar, only before they offered apartments or cars rather than money, but now money plays a decisive role.
– Please explain, Spiridonov and Glazachev have fully signed contracts with Dynamo Minsk and will play for this club next season? And also, how much does the club management want to cut the preliminary contracts for your players? (Minsk)
– Contracts are registered in the CIB (KHL central information bureau). But as far as I know, today the Dynamo representative is in the KHL and everyone possible ways is trying to void these contracts.
Management wants players to play for the same amount of money they did last year. And for many – even less. Reduction from 20 to 40 percent.
– Do you know that the trial that you modestly hinted about is already underway, only the accused is not you, but Katkov? Apparently, someone will be left without a percentage of the contracts. Why then did he hastily begin new team look for Badyukov, because no one doubts Mn’s victory over Dynamo in court? We are waiting for similar news regarding Podgratsky and Nemirovsky. (fan_theme)
– I think this question is wrong, since there is no information about the criminal case against Katkov, there is no reason to initiate it. Don't believe rumors.
– In an interview with one state publication, Tsyplakov said that he contacted Babaev by phone after the sensational “raider takeover” scandal. There he says that Babaev was going to sue “one electronic publication” that allegedly incorrectly reported the agent’s words regarding Tsyplakov. It turns out interesting: one thing is being said into Tsyplakov’s trumpet, and then, therefore, something else. Or did Babaev really sue the electronic publication? Which is unlikely. The plaintiff will never become a guest of the defendant.
“I didn’t tell him that I would sue him.” It was about what I wrote about Tsyplakov, that he tried to seize power. We talked to him and came to the conclusion that we misunderstood each other. I told him that I was very glad that he was not taking part in this story, and the picture was slowly becoming clearer.
– Who was the first hockey player who turned to you for help? How do you feel about the KHL’s possible decision to publish the salaries of hockey players? Do you think this could harm players?
– The first hockey player was Evgeny Davydov, in 1998, I signed him to Ak Bars.
Then let them make the salaries of actors and singers public. All together it will look adequate. I have no problem with this. People must understand that every day, when they go to the hockey rink, hockey players risk not only their health, but also their lives.
– What do you want to achieve with all this unhealthy noise you raised around our team, how much would the salaries of the hockey players you recommended to us increase compared to last season if all the transfers took place, and how much money will you lose if none of the transfers will not take place in Minsk? (Primero)
- Firstly, I won’t lose anything, since the contract amounts that were offered to Dynamo Minsk are normal for the league, and not overpriced, as many people think. I have already said that with these contracts I would be ready to go to independent arbitration, which has now been created. If Dynamo wants to keep these players all together, I will be ready to submit to the decision of this arbitration.
Secondly, some would have smaller contracts than last year, some more - due to the fact that last year rules were introduced limiting salary increases, and many were forced to remain at their clubs and They couldn’t raise their salaries because there was no such arbitration commission.
I want to achieve not only in Minsk, but throughout the league, so that the people at the helm of teams play according to general rules, be responsible for your words, be correct, do without threats towards agents and players, since I am still very “scared” :)
And the main thing is to adequately assess your capabilities before making a command, think about the consequences. Do not make loud statements if there is no opportunity to do so. I have great respect for the leaders of all the clubs in the league, I have never allowed myself to insult anyone, so it is very surprising to me that they are trying to accuse me of disrespect for the team’s management, which in all my interviews stood out to me as the leadership of one of the three republics making a lot for the development of hockey.
– You probably knew that after Naumov left, the money in Dynamo clearly decreased, nevertheless, they offered Dynamo exorbitant contracts. It is obvious that by the end of the season in Minsk they simply would not have been able to pay them. What were you guided by?
– Firstly, I didn’t know that with Naumov’s departure, money left Minsk. There were no exorbitant contracts.
Secondly. I was told before recruiting the team when asked what the club wants to achieve that the goals are the highest. The minimum goal is to reach the playoffs and then progressively. Funds have been allocated for this, and a strong team, in which bets will be placed on those players who can produce results.
– What is the likelihood that your ward Evgeniy Artyukhin will remain in the NHL? Is Atlanta's new management offering a contract? (Voice)
– In my opinion, he should stay in the NHL. Since the last season proved his benefit for the club. He can earn more here, but he needs to play there. I always advise players to stay there if they are in demand.
– Many of your guardians played in Amur Khabarovsk last season, what is their future fate, where will the guys continue their careers, because a financial crisis has emerged in Khabarovsk? (balamutik)
“I’m not so old that I have guardians.” And I haven’t had any players in Khabarovsk for several years now. Therefore, I don’t know anything about the crisis there.
– Amounts of contracts of Spiridonov, Glazachev, Badyukov, Nemirovski and Pokharski. Only numbers and last names. (Paradox*)
– If you want to hear all this, then you need to contact the KHL, the club or the players. I have no right to voice these numbers.
– Who do you think can go to Dynamo Mn among the KHL players with a Belarusian passport? (Lipan)
– Unfortunately, none of the leading players. But now Dynamo can be replenished with Czechs and Slovaks.
– Judging by Dynamo’s messages and your comments, you are the agent or intermediary of most potential Dynamo newcomers, and you probably keep in touch with many others. What is the players' reaction? It's definitely different. I don't think everyone said no. Which hockey players remain at Dynamo? Who will definitely leave the team? (Betisfan)
– The players’ reaction is different from my reaction – they are more shocked than me. All the foreigners say that this will never end in our league. There was still no reliability, and I am very sorry to hear this. Agents are looking for contracts for all players, but some I know are already turning to the IIHF for advice on contract issues.
I can’t say yet who exactly will stay and who will leave the team. From the opposite side of the “Belarusian front” they only say that they will soon stop communicating with me.
– What to do if your agent is Kabanova’s dad? How often do parents ruin their children's careers? Why do they play in Sweden or Switzerland - and play well! - for much less money, and in our country a hockey player with a salary of less than 500 thousand dollars a year is considered a beggar? (tooth and zareta)
– Kabanov’s dad is not an agent, he’s only a dad. Every parent chooses the future for their child by raising him properly. I think they are happy with everything.
I have met many such young hockey players. Many people stopped playing hockey because of their parents, but there are also examples to the contrary. Take, for example, Father Arzamastsev from Novokuznetsk. Well-mannered guy. After talking with his father, I personally am not worried about the future of Arzamastsev Jr. as a hockey player.
In our country, a player with a salary of 500 thousand dollars is not considered a beggar, this is nonsense. And in Switzerland people often earn more than five hundred thousand. Those players who earn 500 thousand there do not go to Russia even for a million to play. A recent example is Dewey Wescott, he moved from Minsk to Zurich, where he will be paid 325 thousand (they can talk about this). Here he was offered a much larger sum. This once again proves that fans perceive hockey players only as grabbers and people who want to hit the jackpot by any means necessary. Spiridonov and Glazachev agreed to Dynamo Minsk in order to play on the same team with Shtumpel. Nemirovski, Ash and Giroud also wanted to play on the same team. That’s why it turned out that they ended up in Minsk for less money than they were offered in other clubs; they matched each other. How can I explain this to you? Believe it or not is your business.
– Why do you think Sweden and the Czech Republic prohibit their clubs from joining the KHL? Do you think a draft is needed in the KHL? (ZaxarDV)
- This is politics. Thus, they will undermine their authority, which is why it is created new league. I think that this is an absolutely real organization. Of course, it is not a fact that the clubs will withstand this financially. But it will not become a competitor to the KHL.
The draft is needed, but KHL clubs must have the right to protect their students, because otherwise they will not have the motivation to invest money in the development and maintenance of their schools. Three, maximum four players - within this limit the protection rule must apply. And in this case, the draft will benefit independent schools. Any rink can train a hockey player and get some real money for him.
– How criminal is the world of agents? Is it true that the Chechen mafia is protecting you? (tooth and zareta)
– I consider the world of hockey agents to be non-criminal for more than ten years. I have many Chechen and Ingush acquaintances who occupy different positions in different structures. I didn’t think about the fact that they were covering for me and that they were criminals. I have lived in Moscow all my life, so the question is not relevant.
– Most club managers hate agents. Why do you think? (tooth and zareta)
- Why do you love us? We are trying to make sure that the workers they hire cannot be fired or cheated overnight.
– How did you start working with Dynamo Minsk? From whom did the initiative come? (Jeremy)
– I have known Sergei Leonidovich Katkov for about 17 years. When he received an offer to accept Dynamo Minsk as general director, he asked if I could provide him with any assistance in recruiting the team. Knowing him as a very decent person, I agreed to provide all possible assistance. It’s unpleasant for me to read now in many media that his name is associated with some kind of kickbacks, possible fraud, abuse of power - these things cannot be attributed to him.
– What kind of future do you see for Kirill Kabanov? And how much does the bad character of a hockey player affect negotiations with the leaders of the club that is going to buy him? (AmbeR)
– Only his dad knows Kabanov’s future. It would worry me if he wanted to play for the Russian national team in the future, but, as I remember, he spoke about changing his citizenship. For me he is no longer of interest. If he changes his mind, he will be of interest to me as a fan of the national team.
It affects in that part if the player does not get along well in the team or for him the financial side is dominant.
- Please us, ordinary fans - please do everything possible and impossible so that Spiridonov-Shtumpel-Glazachev play for Minsk! We want to be in software! (minsk)
- Believe me, I am doing everything possible for this. But unfortunately, not everyone thinks like you.
– Can I find out when all negotiations with Dynamo Minsk will end? (alexander1990)
– It seems to me that for Dynamo Minsk they have already been completed - it’s just me trying to change something. This can all continue until the start of the championship. Only goodwill and a statement by the two sides can speed up this process, I have always said and will continue to say that I am ready for any conversations - even the most unpleasant ones. If, after I left the office, the Dynamo management had not given out information about what I was asked to revise or cut, not a single comment on my part would have appeared in the press - everything would have been quiet and calm and dirty laundry would not have been washed in public .
– Noise, how much did Sports.ru receive from you for PR? (panya3)
– Since I am accused of kickbacks in Minsk, I will transfer all Belarusian rubles received from there to the Sports.ru fund. I hope they have enough tea (from the bag).
– You have already had club projects even larger than Dynamo Minsk, Barys and, it seems, Dynamo Moscow. Have there been any conflicts due to inflated contracts in these clubs? (Jeremy)
– This is the first time this has happened to me – a conflict over “inflated” salaries. I don’t think the word “project” is correct at all.
– Several years ago you helped Sergei Alekseevich Nikolaev in his work, and in those years not only your players, but also strong foreign players willingly went to Kuznya. Why has this flow stopped now? And what is needed for Metallurg to cease being a raw material appendage? Change the president, general manager, director of the club? And my nickname is cool :) (Shumibabaevets)
- I have very good attitude to the Metallurg team from Novokuznetsk. I am constantly in contact with coach Dmitry Parkhomenko. But there are nuances. One of these nuances has a last name - the respected Mr. Rozhikhin (general director of the team), who for three years now has not wanted to give the money he earned to Krivokrasov, Khasanov and Alexandrov. They earned these amounts in the form of bonuses for points and other indicators at the end of the championship. At one time, I did not file a lawsuit, since clubs were joining the KHL and if they had debts, the clubs would not be admitted there.
The management of Metallurg approached me and the guys with a request to wait until the start of the next season with these payments. Naturally, we agreed, since Metallurg had a positive reputation when Kitov was the general manager. But after three years the cart is still there. At first they asked us to wait a little longer, and then the guys themselves called Rozhikhin and he made it clear to them that they could say goodbye to this money. Legally, nothing can be done; the management of Kuznya knows this, because the claim had to be filed within three months from the date of non-payment. But the guys still hope that the issue will be resolved positively.
– Tell me, what in this news excited you so much that you decided to launch a massive media attack on Dynamo? (JaaniS)
– I am always excited only by the form of communication with me. I do not tolerate aggressiveness or commanding tone addressed to me. It is difficult to intimidate a Russian officer.
– How do you work with young players? Many of your players are already at an age, where do you intend to get recruits? Which young Russian hockey players can you mention? (Shumibabaevets)
– In general, I would like to mention young hockey players, not necessarily mine. Barbashov, Kostenko, Namestnikov, Shalunov, Dugin, Burdasov, Antipin, Kuznetsov and about ten other hockey players aged 92-94 who can grow into high-level masters.
I never offer my services to anyone myself. I work with people I know or those who have recommended me.
Every summer, all my players and I get together for a training camp. Thirty people will be training this summer, and I will be with them. Although it’s hard, I’m also an athlete.
Some agents “coach” parents, supply players with clubs, skates, and act as taxi drivers, but this is not my style. I can only offer my experience and vision for the continuation of their careers.
- If you are like that good agent and you protect the interests of the players so well, why weren’t you afraid that your players would stop paying their salaries by the middle of the season due to the club’s lack of funds? (HenryFord)
– There was no talk about the fact that they wouldn’t pay, they just terminated the contact and that’s it. If they do not fulfill their obligations, the KHL will deal with them. Everyone does their job.
I would like to note that in this regard, I am pleased that many club managers called me and expressed their support, as well as agents Isakov, Nikolaev, Eremin, who showed their participation, but the trouble is that the president of the Association of Hockey Agents is not only called and did not ask whether his help was needed, because his duties would have been to gather all the agents and ask them not to sign players to Dynamo Minsk until the end of the conflict, and also on the website he controlled there was a slanderous interview addressed to me and Katkov .
In this regard, I would like to state that although the Association of Hockey Agents was created with my full participation and was originally conceived by me, I am announcing my resignation from it or demanding a change in its president.
– Everyone knows how to become a hockey player, but what does it take to become an agent? Can a simple person from the street without connections, but with a great desire to work, count on success in this field? (Human)
– If you are ready to work for three or four years without salary, in your own name, proving your need for this business, your benefit for hockey players, then everything is in your hands. Ready to help and advise.
– With Andrei Shayanov leaving Barys and the scandal in Dynamo Minsk, is it possible for Max Spiridonov and Shtumpel to return to Barys? And another question: why did the first-line players leave Barys for Dynamo Minsk? Was it really because of Shayanov? (Chelsea-Nurik)
– In a personal conversation (mine) with the club management, and the guys with the head coach, opinions were divided. Shayanov openly said that he did not see the possibility of working with these players. The club's management, in turn, was interested in keeping the leading players on the team, but did not plant a time bomb under the coach.
The parting was morally painful for both parties. Could they end up at Barys again? The question is not for me.
The guys, in turn, I think, would not refuse such a development of the situation.
– Many Russian hockey players are reluctant to talk to the press. Do you, as an agent, care about this problem or not? (Vadim Kuznetsov)
– This doesn’t interest me at all. If the press writes verbatim what the hockey players say, the situation will change.
– Have your hockey players been taken away? Is there a lot of competition in your field?
– Competition is always good, it exists, they try to take it away – but if we stop cooperating with someone, it’s for other reasons. I have no competitors. Isakov, Cheremin, Nikolaev are good colleagues, but there is no point in competing with them - I do what others don’t do. Since I no one else works.