Zenit players Malcolm and Claudinho will strengthen the Russian national team, but another question is how much is needed now, said Russian coach Andrey Gordeev.

Earlier, information appeared in the media that Malcolm and Claudinho were given permission to obtain Russian passports.

– These are stagnant times for football. If two Brazilians will benefit the Russian team, then I have a positive attitude towards the naturalization of the players. It’s probably not bad that foreign players have a desire to play for our country. They will 100% strengthen the national team and correspond to the level of our team. But another question is how much is needed now. On the one hand, this is good for Zenit and you can safely call them Russians, ha ha. I can imagine them in the Russian national team jersey, while Mario Fernandez played for us. If we talk about competition, I think that now they do not block the road for anyone. This is some kind of movement, but I don’t see more here.

Patriotism is an important feeling during national tournaments, but the level of a football player is no less important. Yes, when the national anthem sounds, a completely different story and mood for the game. Let’s see what happens. If they have a sense of patriotism, this will only help them,” Gordeev told Sport24.

Malcom has been playing for Zenit since 2019. The 25-year-old Brazilian has scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 23 games this season.

Claudinho, 26, has made 19 appearances for Zenit this season, scoring three goals and providing eight assists.

The Russian football season will resume on February 22 with FONBET Russian Cup matches. On March 3, the WORLD RPL draw will continue. Watch live broadcasts of RPL matches and the Cup of the country on the Match TV federal channel and the thematic channels of the holding, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.