Yeah, actually it's year later... 8th of January 2007
I was in Berlin and had negotiations with Russian football federation president! We wanted to reach an agreement over me taking chare of the national team! I sent my CV few days ago when I was pretty sure that I will not continue there for soon. I was suprised when I recieved an call after Sochaux game. There was a man from Russia watching the game. I felt very happy, because getting into Euro 2008 was the best chance for me to prove myself to the world.
Anyway, we sat down with a Russian football federation president, who's name is Vitali Mutko. Since I could speak some Russian, we talked in that language, but here is the conversation in English:
Vitali: "Hello, Tanel."
Me: "Hello!"
Vitali: "You probably know what I'm hear to discuss with you."
Me: "Yes I know. It is really big honour that you came here instead of me coming into Russia."
Vitali: "Yes, we are really busy and quick with the new manager."
Me: "But I actually doubted that I'd even get considered for a job so big..."
Vitali: "It is just that we heard some good things about you from Estonia and they really reccomended you."
Me: "My latest job wasn't an good one."
Vitali: "Yes, but what you did in Cork was very good and that showed how good manager you are in reality."
Me: "Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate your respect towards me."
Vitali: "I'm rather short here now. Would you be willing the accept the job of Russia NT?"
Me: "What are you offering to me?"
Vitali: "We are offering you an money for every game you play. Around 5000k per game and also a extra-money + expenses for visiting the players clubs. We've got the contract offer all done, but it is in Moscow. "
Me: "But there is one problem. I want to fall out of the club football scene. I've got already an applications made to several teams. Is that a big problem."
Vitali: "Yes, that's some problem, but which country are we talking about?"
Me: "Denmark. Though, I would have some free time there since it is an short league and there are some big breaks there. Like at the moment, no games until March."
Vitali: "This can be solved I think. If you can visit the Russian team players sometimes, then it's okay. The club is your problem and you have to solve this one yourself."
Me: "Yes I know that and I think I can do it."
Vitali: "You basically say that you will sign the contract?"
Me: "Yes.."
Vitali: "Now, I know that it's gonna be very hard, but we need you get into WC. We have had an very bad start and we are 9 points off the 2nd place."
Me: "I think this is not impossible. I will surely give my best."
Vitali: "It is nice to see that you have confidence in yourself. We need that in Russia. This team needs an straight discipline, at the moment they seem to think about other things than NT when they return to Russia."
Me: "Yes, that's no news for me... But when we will sign the contract."
Vitali: "How about 10th of January?"
Me: "That would be nice, I could then set myself in Moscow. But I'm afraid that fans and media don't like that move."
Vitali: "Then prove them wrong."
Then we started to talk about other things in Moscow and he explained me about the players and other members. He also asked me to form my own staff team.
8th of January 2007
After going to Russia with plane (I left Mercedes into some Berlin parking house where it will stay for 5 days or so) I was shown which hotel I will stay in Moscow when I go there with the NT. It was a very luxorious hotel, but I doubt it is good idea actually, because I then have my thoughts on other things, instead of game. But anyway, I said it is okay for me. The media was speculating about some other names, but they had mentioned me in some short news, but nobody believed in it.
9th of January 2007
The media saw me with some federation members and they immediatly got it. Next day, the papers were full of news that "Unknown Estonian will be Russia's next manager!". Everyone knew that press conference was tomorrow for few days, but now they knew who's face they will see there too.
The fans weren't very happy there, but they stayed optimistic after reading what the newspapers wrote about me and Cork. Though, they already managed to sniff out my adventures in Cherbourg.
10th of January 2007
There I was with some players from Moscow's club, standing behind the robe. President Mutko was there to make an little intro and then he called me in with some players, who I managed to talk before. They sounded very positive.
Once I managed to sit down and told them to ask questions, I could not understand anything. I pick one a few questions from press conference.
HOW DO PEOPLE IN ESTONIA THINK ABOUT IT?
"I don't know what they think. I haven't read Estonian newspapers for ages... But I think they are more happy about my career than angry about me taking charge of the rival NT. But I will probably not play againist them anyway, so there should be no big problem."
DO YOU THINK RUSSIA CAN STILL MAKE IT TO THE EURO 2008?
"I believe it. Otherwise I would have not taken the job. This group has a lot of potential and I hope to take it undercontrol and squeeze everything out of it. The gap is big, but we can catch Turkey if we manage to win our games."
YOU WERE DRUNK ONCE IN CHERBOURG TRAINING AND INSULTING THE CHAIRMAN'S DOG. WILL THIS HAPPEN HERE AGAIN?
"No this won't happen. It was an accident and it was a first time I got that drunk. I'm also too busy to eat in next year, so I don't even have time to get drunk. The dog incident was not my foul, that dog should be chained there! After the urine incident, he also managed to bite one of the members in the club."
WHO WILL YOU USE IN NATIONAL TEAM?
"I will use those who are the best. I will also keep my eye on new players. I also try to recall some old players."
There were a lot of pointless questions which I do not intend to post here.
After the press-conference, I thought I did good and convinced some more people that I can lead the Russia to better times.
INFO
NATIONAL POOL:
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Team | Inf | Name | Position | Morale | Form | Con | Apps | Gls | Av Rat | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Igor Akinfeev | GK | Okay | 7-7-8-7-7 | 98% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Vyacheslav Malafeev | GK | Okay | 10-6-6-7-5 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Veniamin Mandrykin | GK | Okay | - | 95% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Ruslan Nigmatullin | GK | Very Good | 6-7-7-7-6 | 91% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Sergey Ignashevich | SW, D RC | Good | 8-7-9-6-9 | 98% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Vasily Berezutskiy | D RC | Okay | 7-8-7-8-6 | 96% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Vadim Yevseev | D RL | Okay | 7-7-6-6-7 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Alexey Berezutskiy | D LC | Good | 8-8-8-6-8 | 98% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Dmitry Sennikov | D LC | Okay | 7-7-8-7-6 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | Ret | Igor Yanovskiy | D L, DM | Okay | 7-7-7-7-7 | 99% | 4 | - | 6.75 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Gennady Nizhegorodov | D C | Okay | 7-9-6-5-8 | 95% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Eugeny Aldonin | DM | Very Good | 6-6-6-7-7 | 80% | 1 | - | 6.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | U21 | | Pavel Klepinin | DM | Poor | 7-6-6-8-5 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Alexeï Smertin | DM | Good | 7-6-8-8-8 | 100% | 4 | - | 7.25 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Vladimir Bystrov | AM R | Okay | 8-8-8-8-7 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Rolan Gusev | AM R | Okay | 6-7-6-6-8 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | Ret | Sergey Semak | AM RLC | Okay | 6-6 | 95% | 0 (1) | - | 6.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Andrey Arshavin | AM RC, F C | Good | 7-7-8-8-8 | 99% | 0 (1) | - | 6.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Anatoly Gerk | AM RC, F C | Okay | 7-6-8-8-7 | 96% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Maxim Buznikin | AM R, ST | Okay | 7-7-7-6-6 | 100% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | Wnt | Marat Izmailov | AM LC | Poor | 8-6-8-7-6 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Andrey Karyaka | AM LC | Good | 8-7-7-8-8 | 72% | 0 (2) | - | 6.00 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Yury Zhirkov | AM L | Good | 7-9-6-6-9 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Dinijar Bilyaletdinov | AM C | Poor | 8-7-6-7-6 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Dmitry Los'kov | AM C | Poor | 7-8-6-6-6 | 98% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Yegor Titov | AM C | Okay | 7-7-8-8-6 | 95% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Vladimir Beschastnykh | ST | Okay | 6-8-6-7-7 | 100% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Dmitry Bulykin | ST | Okay | 7-7-8-6-8 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Alexandr Kerzhakov | ST | Okay | 6-7-6-8-9 | 99% | 2 (1) | 1 | 6.33 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | - | | Vartan Mazalov | ST | Okay | 8-8-6-6-6 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | Ret | Alexandr Panov | ST | Good | 6-6-6 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Sergey Pravosud | ST | Okay | 6-7-6-6-6 | 94% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Main | | Dmitry Sychev | ST | Poor | 7-7-6-7-6 | 97% | - | - | - | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
EURO 2008 QUALIFICATION:
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | | Italy | | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 15 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | | Turkey | | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 13 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | | Ireland | | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 7 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | | FYR Macedonia | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 6 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Russia | | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 4 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Kazakhstan | | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Luxembourg | | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 15 | -10 | 2 | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
Linear Mode
