Zenit’s physical training coach Aris Naglich spoke about what the blue-white-blue newcomer Igor Diveev looks like at the first training sessions, and also shared the plans of the St. Petersburg team for the coming days.

The Zenit training camp in Qatar runs from January 15 to 26.

— What did the team do at the first morning training session during the training camp?

“We need to start with the fact that upon arriving in Qatar last night, we immediately completed some running work, thanks to which we prepared for today’s tests. In addition, we worked in the gym and looked at the condition of the players when they returned from vacation.

– How would you rate it?

— Everyone, except Igor Diveev, has been working with us for a long time and knows what will happen at the training camp. Therefore, we prepared well for them. As for Diveev, he is getting into it well. But we will still assess his condition. It is clear that he is very seriously motivated.

— The team worked in three groups. Were the tasks different for them?

– No. In the first days of training, everyone works the same way. Perhaps the load is a little less for Vyacheslav Karavaev, despite the fact that he also arrived in excellent condition and good shape.

— On Saturday, Zenit will have another mask test, which the team passed for the first time a year ago. Was it useful?

– Yes. We will hold it for the third time. It is very interesting for us, it gives a lot of useful information from the point of view of assessing the players’ form. Based on the results of both tests, we will analyze the information and distribute the players into groups for running and individual work. That is, we will start working according to the usual system,” the Match TV correspondent quotes Naglich as saying,

Zenit will take part in the WINLINE RPL Winter Cup 2026 from February 3 to 10 in Abu Dhabi. Live broadcasts of all matches of the tournament will be available on the Match TV and MATCH PREMIER TV channels.