“Kozlov is great, now almost any RPL club would like to see him at home” – Semak

Zenit head coach Sergei Semak said that the team’s ex-midfielder Danilo Kozlov, who played for Baltika, would now like to see almost any RPL club on its roster.

On Sunday, Zenit beat Baltika in the FONBET Russian Cup Superfinal match with a score of 2:1. The meeting took place in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium.

— “Baltika” surprised everyone with a “plus” sign in the spring. They just missed out on points, which was not enough for them to stay in the Premier League. But the team found the game, a good reinforcement arrived. The team is good at fast attacks and created many chances. In terms of the quality of the game, in the first half there was a team that dominated with character, fight and pressure. But in the second half, quality, standards, and quick attacks appeared. It’s a pity, of course, that Baltika is leaving the RPL. Ignashevich did a good job, and the atmosphere itself, the stadium in Kaliningrad, the city itself… It’s a shame. Let’s hope that the team returns to the Premier League as soon as possible.

— How do you like Kozlov’s performance?

– He played very well, well done. When he went to the training camp with us, he made a very strong impression with his play. The next season he had to go to lower leagues, and there he turned a little sour psychologically. When he was given a chance at Baltika, he began to play as brightly as he did at our training camp then. Young players are characterized by such instability: you can play brilliantly for a month or a month and a half, and then a certain decline follows. Danya is great, he scored a lot and did a lot of work. He is maturing and has had a quality period.

– Any thoughts of returning him?

— I don’t know what the situation is regarding the agreements. Now any RPL club would like to see Danya at home. Here you need to understand his position, opportunities for growth, and take all factors together. But I’m very happy for him,” a Match TV correspondent quotes Semak as saying.

In the completed 2023/24 season, Zenit won the Russian Championship, Cup and Super Cup.

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