Valery Karpin, head coach of the Russian national team and former Real Sociedad player, recently traveled to Spain to watch a Real Sociedad match. In an interview, he discussed the current state of the Russian national team and the situation of their attacking player Zakharyan.
Karpin stated that the Russian national team is currently in an awkward position and it’s unclear when they will be able to return to normal competition.
On the Russian national team’s current predicament:
“The national team’s situation is indeed quite awkward. We can only play friendlies, and we don’t know when we’ll be able to compete in official matches again... In fact, I can’t even say for sure whether we’ll ever get another chance to participate in official competitions. I don’t know how to deal with this situation. But precisely because of this, I’ve been able to adjust the age structure of the squad and give many young players opportunities to test themselves in matches.”
If you had the opportunity, would you consider coaching Real Sociedad?
“I remember someone asked me this question a long time ago. I always say I’d be willing, but right now it’s impossible. I still have two and a half years left on my contract with the Russian national team, and I couldn’t possibly just walk away while the team is in this situation—it goes against my personal ethics. Maybe once I’m no longer under contract with the national team, I could give it a try.”
On Zakharyan:
“I came here mainly to see Zakharyan. He got injured this week, but it’s not serious—from what I understand, he’s very likely to be fit for the next match against Celta Vigo. Both Real Sociedad and Celta are my former clubs, so I’ll also be attending that match in person. Zakharyan is full of fighting spirit and exceptional talent, and I hope he can truly realize his potential. A year ago, he complained to me about not getting enough chances, but now he’s become more mature. He says he wants to prove himself through hard work rather than making excuses.”