“We need to go out and show that we have a strong team. And who is the opponent – it doesn’t matter ”- Masalitin

The Russian national football team now needs every game, no matter who will play against us, said the former CSKA striker Valery Masalitin.

Earlier, the Tasnim agency, citing a statement by the President of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Mehdi Taj, announced a meeting between the national teams of Russia and Iran in Tehran on March 22 or 23. According to Match TV, the Russian Football Union (RFU) is waiting for all the necessary documents for this meeting.

We need every game now. You have to play, feel the game. Iran is a participant in the recent World Cup, which gives certain bonuses. We haven’t played in a long time. Let it be Iran today, then there will be someone else. You need to put all your “I” in one place and go out for every match – and who will play against you, the Baltic states, Georgia, Moldova, Iran, Iraq, China, it doesn’t matter. We need to go out and show that we have a strong team,” Masalitin told Gazeta.Ru.

Earlier, the Minister of Sports of Russia Oleg Matytsin held a meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports of Iran Seyyed Hamid Sajjadi Khazave. At the end of the meeting, the parties signed an action plan for the development of cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports for 2023–2024. It provides for holding joint sports and training events in 20 sports.

On February 17, a friendly match between Zenit and Iran’s Sepahan will take place. The beginning is at 15:00 Moscow time. The match will be broadcast live on the federal channels MATCH TV and MATCH PREMIER, websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.