
Former footballer Dmitriy Radchenko shared his thoughts on the reasons why young players get little playing time at Saint Petersburg's Zenit team. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
According to him, the team's head coach Sergey Semak follows the goals set by the club's management. Their main task is to compete for all trophies.
In such circumstances, the coach does not risk the result by giving many opportunities to young players for experience and relies on reliable players. Radchenko emphasized that there are enough talented young players at Zenit, but they need more playing time before joining the main squad.
He said it is natural that young players do not immediately join the main team after the academy. At this age, playing time is very important, and sitting on the bench is considered useless.
After the 11th round of the Russian Premier League, the club on the Neva shores occupies fourth place in the table with 20 points. According to Radchenko, giving more opportunities to young players is important for their development, but in the current situation, the coach prioritizes the team's overall results.
That is why young players are gradually being integrated into the main squad.