Rumors about the transfer of Arsen Zakharyan to Chelsea blew up the domestic press. A potential deal for the 19-year-old Dynamo midfielder has already been confirmed by Europe’s top football insiders, but negotiations between the two clubs have unexpectedly dragged on.

The football community, meanwhile, was divided into two camps. And if some perceive the transfer to London as a great achievement for Zakharyan, then others perceive it … as a betrayal, publicly condemning the Russian striker.

Fortunately, there is someone to stand up for Arsene.

“Very strange position”

Roman Teryushkov, a member of the Supervisory Board of Khimki and State Duma deputy, who is known for his controversial statements, decided to go skating on the topic of Zakharyan and Chelsea.

– Is England poaching Zakharyan to show that the best athletes are fleeing the country? Of course, this is what they need. As it was before, it will no longer be. To go and perform in England now is akin to betrayal. We are talking about the sports sovereignty of Russia,” the politician said.

Photo: © FC Dynamo

Teryushkov’s statement caused a strong reaction in the Russian football community. It got to the point that even the coach of Rostov and the Russian national team Valery Karpin had to comment on the remark:

– With Teryushkov and his dubious statements, everything has long been clear. A very strange position. For any adequate person, his words will cause bewilderment. Are all our athletes who are already in other countries also traitors?

If Zakharyan has the opportunity to play in such a solid championship, especially at such a young age, he needs to leave,” the coach said.

The former goalkeeper of the USSR national team and Spartak Anzor Kavazashvili also doubted the arguments of the deputy:

– The traitor is the one who today leaves for another country and will find fault with Russia, curse us all, our system, our coaching methods, specialists and so on. Here is a traitor. These are the people who should be stripped of citizenship. And Arsen will go to earn money and develop. Guys, this is a sports life. Why is Cherchesov not considered a traitor and an enemy? He also works in Europe,” said the ex-footballer.

From the point of view of Karpin and Kavazashvili, the majority of fans agree. In social networks, a flurry of criticism fell upon Teryushkov:

“And then these deputies themselves scream with foam at the mouth that sport should be out of politics,” writes Dortmund1988.

“In Zakharyan’s place, after such hints from the deputy, I would not only be in Chelsea, I would have given slippers to Millwall instantly,” says SarkisDM.

The deputy did not ignore the criticism addressed to him – and continued the correspondence skirmish with Karpin in his Telegram channel:

– Valery Karpin believes that football player Zakharyan needs to leave for the Premier League, because this is a “solid championship.” Statements about the sports sovereignty of Russia and the need to regulate the transfer of members of the national team to other countries seem doubtful to the head coach of the Russian team. It becomes scary for the future of Russia if the national team coach has such a peculiar position, ”Teryushkov answered the coach.

Don’t ruin Zakharyan’s career!

You can argue as much as you like about the impact of politics on professional sports, but if a Russian football player moves to a European grand, all these conversations should fade into the background.

Zakharyan proved with his game that he is able to qualify for performances in the best clubs on the planet. Unfortunately, in order to reach the top level, Russian football players now need to leave their native championship – this was the case even before relations between Russia and England deteriorated. In the conditions of the RPL, Zakharyan will objectively not be able to grow into a world star – in order for his talent to develop further, he must compete with the best.

Arsen Zakharyan / Photo: © NurPhoto / Contributor / NurPhoto / Gettyimages.ru

In addition, having moved abroad, Arsen can just become a kind of Russian ambassador and defend the honor of the country at the club level. Zakharyan will prove that the Russian academy can still produce world-class footballers. Isn’t this a plus for the motherland?

Ruining the career of one of the best players in our country because of politics would be at least strange. This is what Valery Karpin says, considering the transfer of Zakharyan primarily from the point of view of the coach of the national team. The specialist is personally interested in the progress of Arsene – he understands that the player’s move to England will only make the Russian team stronger.