Zenit footballer Igor Diveev compared St. Petersburg with Paris

Defender of the Zenit football club Igor Diveev said in an interview with Match TV that St. Petersburg reminds him of Paris.

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

— What do you expect from life in St. Petersburg when the team returns from training camp?

— Honestly, I can’t say yet. Although a year and a half ago my wife and I went to see St. Petersburg. We visited the Hermitage and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Beautiful city. I would say that it is somewhat similar to Paris. True, there are some nuances – it can be rainy, short days in winter and autumn. I don’t really like this, but that’s okay. It’s a matter of habit. The main thing is that the dog is not wet,” 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 is in second place in the MIR RPL standings after 18 rounds, gaining 39 points.

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