Matches, tournaments and internships.
global brand
More than a year has passed since the last match of Russian clubs in European competition. As you know, the new reality has significantly affected the training camps of our teams, for which it has become harder to look for foreign rivals, especially of a comparable level.
Zenit is one of those who try to keep in touch with the outside world even in the current difficult conditions. This is understandable: the St. Petersburg club is not only used to performing regularly on the European arena, but also positioning itself as an international brand. And an international brand must shine outside its country. But what exactly are the Blue-White-Blues doing to stay internationally active? And how are they looking for partners abroad?
“One of the main factors was friendly relations between states,” says Zenit CEO Alexander Medvedev to SE. – But, of course, our club is attentive to the sports component of possible cooperation – we evaluate the rating of teams, the level of the academy, its graduates, and so on. Each such cooperation should benefit both clubs: we want to learn from the experience of the best clubs, as well as share our own.”
Photo Global Look Press
Six-year alliance with Red Star
First of all, Zenit negotiates directly with foreign partners. Official matches with foreign clubs are currently not possible, but friendly matches are not included in the FIFA and UEFA calendar. This idea was quickly realized in the Neva club, and already in July last year, a match between Zenit and Red Star was held in Sochi under the pretentious sign “Battle of Champions”. And in November, the Serbian team flew to St. Petersburg, where they once again played with blue-white-blue. The plans of two clubs with long-standing close ties to hold a match in Belgrade.
Zenit warmed up on the Serbian Grand in front of Spartak. Red Star lost in St. Petersburg
Zenit and Red Star signed a bilateral agreement back in February 2017, so the events of last year only cemented their cooperation. But it is clear that one friend is not enough in this context, so the blue-white-blues have been actively working and are working towards building up ties abroad.
Extensive connections with Sepahan
Even before last year’s events, in April 2021, Zenit signed a similar agreement with the Iranian Sepahan, and two months ago the parties extended it for another two years. “The agreement includes many options, among which is the organization of a friendly match between the women’s main teams,” Medvedev adds. Then, in February of this year, the blue-white-blues played a friendly match away from the leader of the Iranian championship.
But the control game between the main teams was only part of a series of events involving the Russian and Persian clubs. They regularly exchange experiences in all areas of football, even in medicine and training. The ex-forward of Zenit Serdar Azmun is a graduate of the Sepahan school, so the Neva team is actively interacting with the Iranians at the academy level.
Zenit lost to the leader of the Iranian league. Champion of Russia is not ready for spring?
At the end of March, three junior teams of Sepahan came to Russia at once – born in 2005, 2006 and 2007. All of them took part in the Friendship Cup, which has been held in St. Petersburg since 2016. “This year, on the basis of the Center for Advanced Training of Coaches of our club, internships for the coaches of Sepahan and Red Star Stars are planned – holding such events is prescribed in our agreements,” Medvedev notes. – In addition to working with the coaching staff of the teams, the best players from Sepahan and Red Star Stars will be trained in our academy. Talented pupils of blue-white-blue already trained in Serbia in November last year, this year we plan to repeat such a trip of the Zenit team, but already to Isfahan.
Anna Meyer, Photo by FC Zenit
Fenerbahce and Kairat
In 2023, the Blue-White-Blues entered into two more memorandums with foreign clubs. In January – with the Kazakhstan “Kairat”. Zenit has a lot to do with him: Andrey Arshavin, Anatoly Timoshchuk and Nuraly Alip played in Alma-Ata, and Dmitry Sergeev, a pupil of blue-white-blue, moved there last winter. In September 2018, Kairat became the first foreign club to play a friendly match against Zenit at the Gazprom Arena.
Fenerbahce is the newest partner of the Russian champions. In mid-March, in Istanbul, Zenit played a friendly game with one of the strongest teams in Turkey, and at the same time helped raise funds to help victims of earthquakes in the country. A response is being prepared. In late June – early July, a representative international friendly tournament with the participation of Zenit, Fenerbahce, Red Star and another RPL club from the top eight can be organized in St. Petersburg.
Zenit: a draw at the European exit. Sparring with Fenerbahce ended in a draw
With Fener, Zenit also signed a two-year cooperation agreement, which, by the way, covers not only football, but also basketball teams.
On this, of course, the St. Petersburg club is not going to stop. It is likely that already this year Zenit will document cooperation with another foreign club. This is indirectly confirmed by the words of the general director of blue-white-blue: “We have prepared a draft cooperation agreement with one of the clubs in Eastern Europe regarding cooperation in youth, women’s and men’s football, as well as the training and education of coaches. We are currently awaiting feedback.”
Children: matches against Juventus, Schalke and Marseille
Clubs from Western Europe are, to put it mildly, reluctant to make contact with us. It is obvious that even friendly matches with them at the senior level are now impossible. But things are a little different for children and youth.
In early April, an important event took place in terms of the reintegration of Russian clubs into Europe: the Zenit team, born in 2011, played at a large-scale tournament in Turkish Izmir, which included as many as 72 clubs from 20 countries. The guys from the largest European academies also arrived there: Ajax, Chelsea, Bayern, PSG, Porto, Benfica, Athletic.
Zenit in the tournament left the group from the first place, but could not overcome the first round of the playoffs. However, the very participation of the Russian team in a major tournament is important here. In Izmir, Zenit-2011 was opposed by seven representatives of Western Europe at once: the Italian Juventus, the German Schalke, Bayer and Hamburg, the Belgian Westerlo, as well as the French Metz and Marseille. This suggests that at least at the children’s level, there is no place for politics in football.
Evgeny Vasiliev, Photo by FC Zenit
Visits to Brazil and Qatar
Another prominent international youth tournament with the participation of Zenit is scheduled for late May – early June: BRICS Cup will be held in Sao Paulo with the participation of teams born in 2006. There, Zenit will be the only foreign guest, and among its possible rivals are Flamengo and Corinthians.
Zenit-2008 will go to Doha in May for a tournament at the famous Aspire Academy. The composition of the participants here is still unknown, but the Nevsky club has big plans for cooperation with the Qataris, which is emphasized by the general director of Zenit: “Already in April, we are planning to sign an agreement with the Aspire Foundation Zone, where the main blue-white-blue team has been holding its fees.”
Dziuba did not score and refused to shake hands with Semak. Zenit is stronger than Loko
Another competition will be hosted by the blue-white-blues themselves: in August, a traditional tournament in memory of Yuri Morozov will be held in St. Petersburg, where teams born in 2008 from Red Star Stars, Corinthians, Flamengo, Fenerbahce, as well as the Russian national teams are invited , Belarus and China. And in February, at the Zenit Academy in the Dmitry Besov Cup, young men from Kairat, Dynamo Minsk and Red Star have already played.
Alexander Medvedev.
Vyacheslav Evdokimov, Photo by FC Zenit
Cooperation with China
China is a huge territory, but poorly explored by Russian clubs. Zenit sees high potential in cooperation with the Celestial Empire, which is emphasized by the words of Medvedev: “We have been interested in the Chinese direction for a long time, but much was put on hold due to the coronavirus. Then, during the pandemic, it was not possible to start implementing many projects, so we are seriously looking forward to 2023.”
2023 is the year of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports. The website of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation has published a plan of major events in which Zenit, the only one of our football clubs, is involved. According to this document, in 2023, a delegation of blue-white-blues will go to Henan province, where they will conduct “training of Chinese coaches and football players”, as well as “negotiations on cooperation issues.” As a host partner, not only the provincial authorities are listed here, but also the Chinese Football Association.
Russia and China opposed the politicization of sports. But not everyone agrees with this.
“Various events are planned with the Chinese side, including holding friendly matches between the youth teams of China and Gazprom-Academy,” Medvedev notes. – The issue is also being worked out with the government of the city of Beihai (Guangxi province) and representatives of the Beihai Football Federation on the opening of a branch of Gazprom – the Zenith Academy in China. The Chinese Football Association, the Beijing Football Federation and the Tianjin City Football Federation supported the proposal to implement projects for holding friendly matches and training coaches from China on the basis of our Coach Development Center in St. Petersburg.”
Development continues
Where else does Zenit plan to expand? Alexander Medvedev, in response to a question about the priority continent, answers diplomatically: “Due to external factors, Asia and South America have come out on top, but, of course, the European direction remains important. Moreover, despite the situation, many clubs, including those from Europe, still look forward to the participation of our academy teams in their tournaments in the future.”
Simply put, despite external factors, Zenit continues its comprehensive development, and at the same time shows other clubs that it is not necessary to stew in your own juice in isolation. When official matches return to Russia, blue-white-blue will be ready for them.
