"It is not clear what to expect from football now"

Young fans of Spartak about the first club championship in their memory

On Saturday, May 13, Moscow Spartak plays the first match in the status of Russian football champion in the 2016-2017 season. Championship fans have been waiting for 16 years. Since 2001, a whole generation of fans grew up who did not see a single championship, while in the 1990s Spartak reigned in Russian football and won the first out of ten championships. The absence of titles did not affect the popularity of Spartak, in difficult times he did not lose fans, many new ones appeared. Medusa talked with those for whom the current Spartak championship was the first in the long years of pain.

Konstantin Yeremeyev,

Student, Moscow

In 2001, I was six years old. I do not remember anything about the Spartak championship, I just did not hurt for Spartak then. Interest in football and this club appeared later. The guys in the courtyard and at school “drowned” for “Spartak”, those who are older, seriously - with campaigns on the “fan”. "Fan" is a rostrum behind the gate. Cheap tickets, a lot of pyrotechnics and emotions. Football here is watching standing and almost all 90 minutes chant different chants.

I myself got football only in 2004. I was brought by a dad of a classmate. He took for a company with his two sons. My parents paid for the ticket, he took it to the stadium. Spartak played with Amkar and won 6-0. The burbnyak scored for three goals ( in fact, a hat-trick in that match made Alexander Samedov ). The first time you are on football, and the team that you begin to sympathize with the opponent tears with this score, you will disappear your last doubts. However, I was not even impressed with. The first thing I saw: two men in shorts. Of the clothes, except for panties, they only had Spartak flags. And they were not boys, namely men. Fifty years old. It seems then I thought that a fan is generally a profession. Then I did not think that then complete hell would begin.

Regular campaigns on football began only in 2007, when I spent almost all pocket money on tickets. A ticket to Luzhniki could be bought for 200-300 rubles. Once a month, I could well afford it. Before that, I watched matches, mainly on TV. I tried not to miss. I will not say that I never regretted that I had chosen precisely Spartak, and not CSKA. But I quickly drove these thoughts from myself. It seemed to me that waiting for the championship is very cool. Moreover, I heard about the previous ones mainly from stories. For me, they were something like ancient legends. I remember how in 2005 I first saw Yegor Titov on the field ( he missed a year due to disqualification for using doping ). I thought that Spartak finally bought a very cool player. Only a month later they explained to me that he appeared in the team before my birth.

And now I waited [the victory of Spartak]. Two guys from those who were sick, when I started, is no longer in the world. And somehow I do not quite believe that we are champions. It could not just take it, and to happen. Probably the fact is that we were repeated for a long time that the championship team needs to be built for a long time.

Egor Maksimov

Journalist, Moscow

In 2001, I was such a seven-year-old Glorichenter. Then I thought that if Mikka Hakkinen in Formula 1 is always the second, then I should be lucky somewhere. True, the moment [selection of the team] turned out to be not very suitable, for it took 16 years to wait for the next championship. There have never been thoughts to quit or start to root for another team. Boil is inexplicable, like love. But then I sincerely rejoiced at every new coach and every new player, even if it was Abdellya Baga or Florin Shoave ( in the first half of the “zero” “Spartak” he conducted a large -scale transfer policy; dozens of players played for the club, some are so bad that they are still remembered ).

My main connection with football was dad. True, he was afraid to take me to Spartak. Then it was really dangerous. I remember how one day we went from the match in the train and our car was thrown into stones. Despite the fact that in that train, in general, not only Spartak fans rode, but also just people. Therefore, the first match for which I went was the Lokomotiv match. There was also the game of Saturn from my native Ramensky and Rubin in the 2003 season, and it was terribly boring.

The first match of the favorite team I went to, Spartak is Rostov. Dad specially chose the game more dead. It was 2005. As I remember now, we scored Bazhenov and Pyanovich. I saw the goal of Bazhenov with my own eyes! I also then took an autograph from [the legendary Spartak goalkeeper of the 1980s] Rinat Dasaev. Dad showed me him, and I ran to the VIP-bed. I did not quite firmly knew who it was. I just remembered that this is a very cool goalkeeper. Then I still started a notebook for autographs. Everything ended when I got the autograph of Yegor Titov. I decided that it makes no sense to continue, because I already achieved everything.

Despite the lack of titles, there were very vivid moments. I remember how in 2011 the Ajax was beaten in Luzhniki 3-0. It was wildly cold, we went with a crowd of friends, and on the way back, already in the subway, we danced, swinging the car. The grandmothers who were traveling with us shouted that we were a shame of the country. But this is part of the pain, probably. On the "sports" there was still the famous Spartak escalator. Lifting up a couple of hours before the match is a continuous chanting of rather rigid chants, screams, noise and coins flying down. There were also terrible disappointments. I remember how we lost to CSKA the first match in the new stadium ( this is the derby for the “Opening Arena” in May 2015 CSKA won with Spartak with a score of 4: 0 ). I brought the girl there. It was vile. Firstly, we were not far from the CSKA sector, where everything was smoking. Ours chanted insults to their players, coach and leadership. The mood was filthy. In general, I did not choose the most successful match to bring the girl.

For 16 years I thought about what I would do on the day when Spartak will become a champion. I thought who I would be at that time, and where I would find myself. And I ended up in Prague. I could not even think that Spartak would become a champion in this resurrection. I could fly away the next day, but I chose this one. It was necessary to lose to Zenit “Zenit” ( after this game, Zenit lost the chance to catch up with Spartak ). I left the plane, began to update the application and found out so that Spartak became the champion. I felt just a complete idiot. I really wanted to be at the stadium that night, but there was simply no one to celebrate the championship in Prague. I hope Spartak will arrange a separate celebration at the nearest home match.

Daria Volokhova

Manager, Murmansk-Moscow

- I began to hurt after another club ( Volokhova flatly refused to call him - approx. Medusa ) all friends at school, and I, too, for the company. That's just dad, I was ill for Spartak, and he was worried about this situation. We watched football in different rooms. And the meetings after such matches were difficult. Then dad began to act with cunning. He offered me all literature about the history of Russian football, about Spartak. And now, once, I sat down to watch football, and suddenly I realized that I simply could not get sick against Spartak, I couldn’t. So it all started. It is amazing that friends accepted this and understand. Of course, we were very trolling each other, but in a friendly way. And then they gave me a Spartak scarf for my birthday. The famous rose: "Death to the enemies." True, I myself ended up at the Spartak match only in 2010. It was a match for the Cup against Metallurg from Lipetsk. Spartak won 1-0. However, the most important event and the most powerful impression over the years: the first match at the “opening”. I am very glad that they played with the "Croven Star" ( fans of the two teams connect long -standing friendly relations )

I have always been an optimist. She believed that sooner or later the championship would come and met every new season with hope. She believed that every new coach needs to give a chance and that it is impossible to make hasty conclusions. Especially, of course, she believed in [Valeria] Karpina . Everyone believed in him in general, he has a very strong charisma. I was sure that he would still make the club a champion. He had good contact with the team.

It is impossible to refuse the pain. My school friends, by the way, have already ceased to get sick, especially since no one has become a fan. And I am interested. And more and more. I was really waiting for the championship, but I did not make anything. She did not make promises in the spirit: “I will go to Germany” or “I got to the Ostankino Tower”. But there were very unpleasant moments. I was annoying the frequent change of the coach. But the most vile story was in 2012, when the team “leaked” the coach [Uni Emery], and [the former player of “Spartak” Artem] Dziuba called him “a coach”. Dziubu, by the way, I can’t forgive. The football player should not behave like that - it does not paint anyone.

When I found out that we won the championship, I cried. The game "Zenith" with "Terek" did not watch. I was at one work at work. And then friends began to call. And I, first of all, called dad. I did not go to the stadium, although I live not far. My work is connected with football, so I had to work. Compose congratulations for the club president - Leonid Fedun.

Ilya Afinogenov

Medic

I was in my second year Pirogovka. It was 2009, and I went to football for the company. So I first ended up in Luzhniki. Budkot is mortal. I don’t even remember who Spartak played with, it seems, with Lokomotiv. Even then I won. What to hide, in that company there was a girl that I really liked. She interested me significantly more than football. It is believed that for some reason, that these are boys draw girls into pain, I can say by their example-it happens the other way around. In general, we came to the Puddle. We searched us on the way three times. Prior to this, on the way from the metro to the stadium, a man walking nearby, raising his hands, drove quite painfully in my ear, at the entrance to the rostrum, a bottle of water was taken from me.

In general, I was annoyed and very angry. It turned out that it was impossible to eat there either. There was such a queue for food as if the 1980s were going on. The players seemed to me small bugs: in Luzhniki a huge treadmill, I poorly saw what was happening. I asked my friends why Spartak is such a large and inconvenient stadium. In response, they gave me a lecture that Spartak does not have its own stadium at all, and Luzhniki is a temporary refuge. I asked why it was impossible to choose a smaller stadium. My friend looked at me like an idiot and said: "There are many of us." In the future, so that I do not ask, they always answered me with monologues. I could not understand why I, a medical student, so much unnecessary information. Anyway, why do people yell when some unfamiliar person score a goal. In general, I didn't like it. And then everything turned out with the girl. Through her, I got involved. She really watched football. And not only the matches of Spartak. And her friends watched all this. I myself do not understand how, but I got involved. In general, by 2011 we had already broken up with the girl, and I had football from her. And I am very grateful to her for this. That's just with trips to football I did not get along. As I will not come, so we will lose right away. But, I remember how I almost fought because of Akinfeev and Velliton . Moreover, he knew the opponent well, and we are both quiet people. And here, suddenly, as if something had exploded inside. The pain changes people.

According to the system of views, I was a radical fan, I did not like anything at all. Karpin did not like, everyone who came after him, too. When he found out that Spartak would train Alenichev, he said that I would not go to football anymore, but in a week he violated the promise. True, I think his invitation is a complete misunderstanding. He should not have trained us after the story with Starkov ( in 2005, Spartak was coached by Alexander Starkov; Alenichev, who did not get into the composition of Alenichev, gave a great interview with the criticism of the coaching style. Soon both left the club ). For this, you need to expel from the heart. Well, with Carrera, a similar story. When he was appointed, I said that in the spring we will not have. Cursed Fedun. I wrote posts that the team needs a qualified and experienced coach, and not some random person with a large salary. I will say now that this championship happened contrary to logic. What does not cancel my great joy.

By the way, I watched the match “Zenit” and “Terek”. There was some foreboding. And with every minute, the confidence that we will become champions today, and not in a week, are strong. [The loser of the match] Zenit did not let me down. The sensations are completely incredible. I didn't even know what to do. I watched one, but somehow scream something, standing alone in the middle of the room, it seemed to me madness. In general, I was confused. He called his sister, said that Spartak became a champion. For what? She does not get sick, she doesn’t care. My family, in general, did not share my affection for football. They look at me as a madman. I understand them. At one time, he looked at the fans. I talked with my sister, she congratulated me, but without enthusiasm. And then friends called and said to come to the stadium. In general, I feel some devastation. It is not clear what to expect from football now. What to want? I used to want a championship. And now I don't know.

Recorded by Alexey Durnovo, "Echo of Moscow"