Former Zenit defender Radek Shirl believes that earlier the competition in the Russian championship was higher and the current results of the St. Petersburg club are proof of this.

Zenit has held the title of champion of Russia for the last 4 seasons. This season, the team of Sergei Semak, after 18 rounds with 45 points, leads the table, ahead of the second-placed Spartak by 8 points.

– What does the Russian championship look like now?

– Personally, it reminds me of the NBA. There is such a term as “dynasty”. This is when one team wins championship after championship, leaving no chance for its competitor. There was a Chicago Bulls dynasty with Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman. A recent Golden State example with Steph Curry. Approximately the same picture is now in the Russian championship.

– Why is this happening? Is it Zenit that has become so strong? Or are its main competitors so weakened?

– I think the answer is obvious. When I played for Zenit, we didn’t have passing games. Maybe we won a couple of games without problems, but everywhere they came out against us and cut. And look what happens in this championship. They win 8:0, 7:0, 5:0, 4:0, four times they won 3:0. It turns out that almost half of the matches of the championship “Zenith” wins with a big, devastating score. Therefore, I find it funny when they say that they are in first place because of refereeing.

– It turns out that the level of the championship has fallen so much?

– When I played for Zenit, Rubin Kazan won two championships. Now this team is not even in the big leagues. I don’t know how it happened, but it’s a fact. At that time, Lokomotiv was a completely different team, fighting for prizes, and now they are fighting for survival. The players who were called up to the Brazilian national team played in CSKA: Wagner Love, Jo, Daniel Carvalho. Are there players of this level in CSKA now? I don’t want people to think that I’m so great and now I’m telling you that in our time the championship was stronger, but now it’s weak. But in fact, then there was more competition, the rivals of Zenit were staffed with strong legionnaires, national team players. Maybe someone has a different opinion and someone is ready to argue with me and prove the opposite.

– Can I ask a provocative question? Which Zenith is stronger: the one that Dick Advocaat had with a victory in the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, or the current team of Sergei Semak, which is going to the fifth championship in a row?

– We beat and passed Bayern, Manchester United, Villarreal, Marseille. I don’t remember that Zenit in the second half of the 1990s went through such teams.

– The fact that Zenit will not be able to play in European competitions, can somehow affect his motivation?

– Maybe some players who want a new challenge in their careers will be affected. But it’s more of a financial issue. If they pay a good salary, then you can live without this Champions League and European cups, – Euro‑Futbol.Ru quotes Shirl.

Watch WORLD RPL matches live on Match TV and MATCH PREMIER TV channels, as well as matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.