Berdyev suggested how Zenit would perform in European competition

Former head coach of Rubin Kazan Kurban Berdyev appreciated the work of Sergei Semak as Zenit coach and said that the St. Petersburg club could perform well in European competition.

Semak took charge of the St. Petersburg club in 2018 and led the team to five consecutive Russian championship titles. In July, Semak updated Zenit’s record for the number of victories as a team coach.

— Why is Semak achieving such success? Not Lucescu with Zenit, not Mancini.

— If anyone thinks that having strong players can guarantee you to become a national, European or world champion, then they are mistaken. Sergei does a lot of work with the coaching staff. Every time he controls the matches with his decisions, which speaks of his experience, which is becoming more and more. Now teams do not participate in European cups, but I think that Zenit would also look very good there.

— Did he have the qualities of a future coach when he was still a player?

– Yes, definitely. It was already visible. But I had a lot of guys like that, like Sharonov,” RB Sport quotes Berdyev as saying.

Russian clubs and national teams have been suspended from participating in tournaments under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA due to the situation in Ukraine.

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