"We bought all the matches. There was a specific agreement with Spain". This is the "bomb" dropped by Andrei Antanasovich Kanchelskis (played 34 games with Russia in 1992-1998), former football player and coach (he last coached Navbahor Namangan in the Super League of Uzbekistan), who also played in Premier League with Manchester United (has won the championship title twice).
– Can you explain a little more your attitude towards coach Cherchesov? You criticized him a lot in the Russian team. Why? After all, it delivered results.
"I have a normal relationship with Cherchesov. I just think that he should not have been a coach in the national team. Because a goalkeeper is a coach of goalkeepers. That's what I said and I'm saying now. He works well in clubs, but not in the national team. For in my opinion, Berdyev should have become a coach. That's all."
– Don't you think that after the quarter finals of the World Cup it was worth changing the rhetoric a little and supporting Cherchesov?
"Why should we support him? For buying everything in the World Cup? All the matches are bought. What, you don't know? (this evaluative opinion is the personal view of Andrei Kanchelskis and is not confirmed by sources). We played the world championship at home . The same as Korea and Japan, when they eliminated the Italians. The result was seen in the European Championship. This is the most important indicator. In the World Cup, they caught our ears. Plus, who did we play? With Uruguay, who scored us. With the Spanish, who played incomprehensibly. It was a very strange game. Trust me, in time, it will come out."
– Do you think it can happen at the level of the World Cup?
"Have you ever wondered why the coach of Spain (Lopetegui) was removed in one day? Hierro was appointed, who, regardless of the result, would work in the federation. Guys, believe me, there is reliable information and all this will come out with the passage of time. You will learn a lot of interesting things. Spain did not play, but suffered. They acted aimlessly, they just passed the ball. I have not played football, I do not understand what it is? Moreover, the information was specific. We have not contacts with Uruguay, they didn't care and beat us 3-0."
– Do you believe that players of the level of Iniesta and Ramos can agree with this?
"Epo, dëgjo, nëse mbreti i Spanjës të lë të kuptohet hapur…Ata thjesht qarkulluan topin, nuk shfaqën iniciativë. Djema, edhe një herë po them, duhet të më besoni. Erdhi mbreti i Spanjës, kishte një marrëveshje specifike."
E besoni apo e dini këtë version të ngjarjeve?
"Besoj dhe ka informacione nga njerëz të caktuar, madje edhe futbollistë. Unë nuk do të flas më shumë. Unë dua që kjo të mos vijë nga unë, por nga vetë lojtarët. Herët a vonë ata do të rrëfejnë dhe tregojnë. Do të vijë koha dhe gjithçka do të thuhet qartë. Për momentin, po. Nëse kjo është e vërtetë, nuk do të debatoj. Ai fitoi dhe tani është trajneri më i mirë rus. Kjo është e vërtetë."
– Atëherë a mund ta drejtojë kombëtaren tani?
"My opinion is that he was not suitable for the national team. Someone may have a different opinion. In the club he works well, I do not deny it, but white cannot be black. Maybe he is just a club coach, but is not suitable for the national team."