Veniamin Mandrykin is one of the brightest goalkeepers of the 2000s in the Russian championship. Was the first number of CSKA, played for the Russian national team, became the best goalkeeper in the country. Now Benjamin is 39 years old, in theory he could still calmly dust somewhere in the FNL or PFL. However, ten years ago his life was abruptly changed by a terrible accident: on November 10, 2010 in Bryansk in his Porsche Cayenne Mandrykin crashed into a tree at high speed.
Since then Benjamin has been bedridden. The former goalkeeper is almost completely immobilized – only his hands can hardly move, and his fingers no longer work.
It would seem that such a situation is a shortcut to severe depression. But in fact, Benjamin is holding on perfectly: he recalls that accident without any problems, regrets nothing and enjoys every day. The former goalkeeper told Sport24 about his life, family, CSKA gifts, scolded the Internet and shared his opinion about the scandal with Dziuba’s video.
“I call my days ‘idiot’s dream.’ I do nothing, I lie there, I watch TV “
– How is your day going now?
– No way, I call it the “idiot’s dream.” I do nothing, lie down, eat, watch TV and that’s it. I have no timetable for waking up and waking up. But at the same time, I try to enjoy the whole day.
– Getting out on the street?
– No, I’m not an amateur. I opened the window, there is air, and it’s good. I heard that those who have little mobility want to go outside. But I don’t have that zeal.
– When was the last time you were on the street?
– I don’t remember. A long time ago.
– Wouldn’t you like to be in some park?
– No, I like the house more, everything suits me here.
– Who looks after you?
– Mom, sister and nephew. They are in the next room, so if I need something, I usually call them.
– Do you go to a rehabilitation center?
– In the first three years after the accident I drove, and then it became meaningless. Because after three years nothing is being restored.
– How do you keep your body in good shape?
– Sometimes masseurs come and massage the body. This must be done very carefully, because without movement the skin becomes very delicate, it can be damaged.
– How do you keep track of your weight?
– I do not adhere to any diets. When I wanted to, then I eat. I love a variety of food.
– Do you communicate with any of the players?
– I was congratulated on my birthday (August 30, Veniamin Mandrykin turned 39 years old. – Approx. Sport 24). But they don’t come now. And not only football players, but also other people – all because of the coronavirus. And so we communicate with Rolan Gusev, Denis Popov, Vova Kisenkov and Dima Khomich. We discuss news, remember something interesting.
– Does CSKA help you?
– I don’t need help, but they don’t forget about me: always on my birthday or New Year’s Eve Dmitry Egorov and Roman Babaev (executive and general directors of CSKA. – Approx. Sport 24) congratulate and send gifts. Mostly all sorts of cool souvenirs from the club shop. The last time they gave us a cardboard 3D model of the CSKA stadium, it had to be assembled.
– How did you collect it?
– I didn’t. Children came and gathered together with their nephew and sister.
– How are your sons?
– The senior finishes the 11th grade. He is going to go to university, wants to study science, he likes molecular biology and chemistry. And the youngest is in the seventh grade, is fond of programming.
– Don’t you play football?
– I tried to introduce them as a child, but they did not want to. Are indifferent to football. But they do sports for themselves: in the summer they run five kilometers, pull themselves up, do push-ups, pump the press.
“Dziuba did nothing wrong. We need to find the people who stole the video and punish it. ”
– Do you follow the Russian championship?
– Yes, I do. I look at the results of the matches, I look at the table: CSKA is in first place now.
– On business?
– Sure. The result is always to the point, there are no accidents.
– Did you watch the last match of CSKA against Rostov?
– No, I haven’t. But I heard that we won, and Igor beat off the penalty well.
– Then what was the last match you watched?
– I haven’t watched the matches in full lately, only in fragments. Now there is no particular interest in them, the games seem to be friendly. No spectators, no adrenaline. And the players are not as ready physically as they used to be. Moreover, this situation is not only in our championship, but also in the Europa League and even the Champions League. Some kind of semitone playing.
– Well, I won’t ask about the national teams then.
– Yes, obviously, the players do not have enough energy exchange with the stands. Empty stadiums still affect the game.
– Who is now worthy to be the first number of the Russian national team?
“Guilherme, I think. He played well in the European Championship qualifiers. Guilherme plays well, on a level.
– Fans often scold him for “bloopers”.
– It happens to everyone. There is not a single goalkeeper who would not concede light balls.
– Safonov and Maksimenko are now in order among young goalkeepers. Not bad in the “Ural” Pomazun. Which one would you put first in your personal ranking?
– Safonova. He helps out often. Over time, if no injuries happen, and he maintains this shape, he will become the first number of the national team. The main thing is to be trusted and not cut right away, in case of mistakes. I will put Maksimenko in second place, Pomazun in third.
– What do you watch besides football?
– I like feature films and documentaries: about science and history. I can watch everything about animals. Also interested in films about the universe and the galaxy. I am amazed at the scale of our world, I wonder how everything works.
– What theory of the creation of the world do you adhere to?
“As a believer, I am closer to the fact that our entire universe is not just a connection of chemical elements. There is something higher that all this creates. I mean God.
– Do you believe from birth?
– I’m baptized. From childhood I read the Bible, my mother taught her. The Bible was my reference book. I’ve read it three times in my entire life. Each time I learned something new from her. In it you can find answers to questions that worry you. Therefore, in my opinion, the best books for life are about religion. It is a pity, now reading is inconvenient due to my situation.
– Do you use the Internet?
– I didn’t like the Internet before, and now I don’t like it, I consider it evil. If it was only an information resource, not bad. But there is also a lot of nasty stuff. In addition, it is also available. Life on the Internet is horror. I’ve never had social media, and I’m not going to start one. And some people no longer live in the real world, they are mired on the Internet.
– Have you heard about the scandal with Dziuba?
– Yes. We like to poke famous people. And here the man did nothing wrong to anyone. What are they starting to bale? They write some nonsense – “I saluted with this hand.” Yes, in general, some kind of nonsense. There is nothing criminal there, they just got into personal life. We need to find the people who stole the video and punish them.
– Is it correct that he was removed from the national team?
– At the moment, yes. If he trained with the team, journalists would start asking questions to him and other players, this would affect the national team. But henceforth it is necessary to judge him only by the game and not pay attention to what happened. In the future, this situation should not affect the fate of the player.
“I don’t regret the accident. I just started a new stage in my life “
– How do you live now? What are your dreams?
– I try to make everything good in the family – with children, nephew, sister, mother. I communicate with them, help with deeds and words, give advice, if necessary. But children rarely consult with me, more often they just talk about their affairs. Although I still try to tell them how best to act in this or that situation.
– Are there any things that are inaccessible to you that you miss?
– There are no such. I am positive, I have enough of everything. All perfectly.
– You liked driving. Don’t you miss her?
– I’m not worried about this. Yes, I loved to drive fast, but now I have no desire to get behind the wheel.
– You think so positively. Is it difficult for you?
– I do not make any effort for this. It can be seen that the character is like this.
– Do you know what day tomorrow (we talked with Benjamin on Monday. – Approx. Sport24)?
– Of course, November 10 is an anniversary: ten years of the accident.
– What does this date mean to you?
– I calmly treat her, she does not sit in my head. Of course, I remember that I got into this situation 10 years ago. But there is nothing special about it. A new stage of life has just begun. I rarely remember the accident. What is there to remember? What happened happened. It is customary to call the dates of serious accidents in which they survive, the second birthday. But I don’t think so.
– Do you regret that day?
– Of course not.
—???
– I try not to regret, but only to remember or think about good things. This is life. How can you regret your life? This is my whole life – all its good and bad manifestations.
– What do you want to do in the near future?
– I have no plans. I want the children to finish school and go where they wanted. I will help them in this.
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