Midfielder of Le Havre and the Russian national team Daler Kuzyaev told why he moved to the French club and what he expects from this Ligue1 season.
Three years ago I had already thought a lot about moving to one of the big five leagues. It was no surprise. It took me some time to weigh the pros and cons, to think about whether I should leave my country and which league to go to. It hasn’t been an easy process for me and my family, because I had six fantastic seasons at Zenit and I was on excellent terms with everyone. But we came to the conclusion that it was time to look at something else, and then the opportunity presented itself to sign a contract in France … I really wanted to play in the top flight, and everyone knows the reputation of French football. I chose Le Havre for several reasons. I wanted to play in a big league and Ligue 1 is very competitive. Then the leaders of Le Havre made it clear to me that they very much wanted my visit. I have seen that this is a very well structured club, professional in every respect. And when my father and I talked to the management, we were impressed by the accuracy of their rhetoric, by their knowledge of my game… We immediately decided to join the project.
The Russians know Ligue 1 well and know that it is a very difficult championship from a physical point of view. In fact, I was able to verify this already during the first training here! There are many strong players here and even the younger ones are physically ready. But that’s okay, it’s the perfect school for me and it will help me adjust faster.
The club is back in Ligue 1 after several seasons in the minor leagues, so the first thing we need to do is avoid relegation. We will work very hard for it and if we can finish in the top ten, it will be just fantastic. We have young and experienced players, so I hope it will be the right combination to achieve our goals.
Recall that Kuzyaev moved to Le Havre from Zenit on July 12, 2023. His contract is for two years. As part of Zenit, the midfielder played 183 matches, scored 23 goals, gave 29 assists and received 37 yellow cards. In the current Ligue 1 season, the 30-year-old Russian played 3 matches and scored one goal (which was recognized as the best in the tour).
