“During the test I thought: “Maybe I won’t make it at all.” Diveev named the most unusual exercise at the Zenit training camp

Zenit defender Igor Diveev in an interview with Match TV said that it was not easy for him to test wearing masks at one of the first morning training sessions during the winter training camp.

Zenit announced Diveev’s transfer from CSKA on January 11. The 26-year-old football player’s agreement with the St. Petersburg club runs until the end of the 2028/29 season.

— What seemed the most unusual and surprising thing about Zenit at first?

— Mask test during one of the first morning training sessions. I had never experienced anything like this before. It wasn’t easy, I was stressing myself out a little about how everything would go. And during the test itself I thought: “Maybe I won’t make it at all” (smiles). At the same time, the guys already understood what and how to do.

— Was it difficult in the end?

— The first 1500 meters are fine, but then it’s hard. During pauses, the legs became heavy, because of this there was a feeling that the body seemed to stop,” Diveev told Match TV.

Diveev has played for CSKA since 2019. The defender has 203 matches for the army team, 20 goals and five assists. The footballer played 19 matches for the Russian national team and scored one goal.

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.

• “Before coming to Zenit, I didn’t ask anyone anything – it’s more interesting to find out everything yourself.” Interview with Igor Diveev