When he came two years ago it was the most important decision made by our FA president [Football Union of Russia chief Vitaly Mutko]. Everyone in Russia is envious he makes so much money and enjoys so much power. But for him it's not as easy to work as it seems. This is a big event for us, the players. He gave us more freedom, he believes in us, he trusts us and that's why we play better. I'm very happy to work with one of the best coaches in the world. To be part of his team is a real pleasure.
Any player, especially at this stage, is a big loss for us, but I hope the players who replace them will do well. I didn't play in the UEFA Cup semi-final against [FC] Bayern [Müchen] and everyone said it was a big loss, but Zenit won 4-0. You can always replace a player. Of course some are better than others, but I don't think we need to cry about it. We need to prepare with the players we have.
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