Russian national team midfielder Aleksandr Chernikov spoke about the importance of friendly matches in the absence of international competitions in an exclusive interview with the online publication “Euro-Football.Ru.” This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
According to him, friendly matches are an important source of experience for the national team. Chernikov recalled his debut match as his best game.
This match was against Cuba, and the team won by a large margin. He also recalled that the match against Paraguay was canceled.
At that time, he was in the starting lineup and was very eager to play against a strong opponent. He emphasized that the national team currently has the only opportunity to play on the international stage, and such matches provide international experience.
Preparation for official matches also takes place during friendly games. In his opinion, new connections form among players in the national team, and understanding the coaches’ requirements is important.
The demands differ between club and national teams, so holding training camps and matches is necessary. Chernikov said it is wrong to call coach Valeriy Karpin strict; he is a moderately demanding coach who ensures discipline.
He also knows how to joke with the players. Speaking about Safonov’s adaptation to PSG, he noted that they communicate within the national team, but Safonov mostly interacts with Stas Agkatsev.
Although Safonov currently has limited playing time, Chernikov hopes that due to his hard work, he will get more game time. He also emphasized that Safonov has won all club trophies except the Club World Cup.
In his personal life, he enjoys relaxing in the village of Vyselki in the Krasnodar region. He has been to the Maldives twice but mostly prefers to spend summer in his hometown with family and friends.
He said he does not like fishing and prefers to relax by drinking coffee instead. He also added that he might consider building a house in the village when he gets old.
