At the prematch press conference the Blue-White-Sky Blues midfielder says that it’s going to be a important match, rated the chances of both his teams and admitted that in spite of his playing years at Standard, Zenit’s victory is more important tohim.
— You were warmly met by Liège’s fans and journalists. Who does your heart belong to in tomorrow’s match — Zenit or Standard?
• I play for Zenit and so what’s most important is to step it up for the Blue-White-Sky Blues. This is an important match because we are playing in the Champions League and we have to make it to the group stage.
— If you score a goal against Standard, what are you going to do?
• For me the most important thing is to win. If I’m lucky enough to score a goal, that’s great but the main thing is to win.
—Why has Standard started off so poorly in their own Championship? When their trainer says that they have a five percent chance, is he playing with us or is he being serious?
• I think Standard has 4-5 really strong players, but they don’t have enough additional quality players to carry the rest of the team. It’s difficult to speculate about the percentages or chances for success. Every time a team goes out, they go out to play and that’s what Standard is going to do tomorrow.
— Players often say that it’s tougher to watch the game than it is to play? What was it like watching the match in Liège from the stands?
• I’m not going to be as stressed tomorrow. I’m going to be watching the game objectively, trying to evaluate both how we are playing and how they are playing.
