Why Dzyuba’s interview causes a feeling of hopelessness

Column by Vladislav Voronin.

Artem Dziuba’s interview with Nobel Arustamyan was probably more interesting than the transfer to Lokomotiv itself.

This is generally a rarity: a big Russian footballer did not mumble learned letters, but said what he thinks and how he wants – with phrases like “I’m not a dick from a mountain” and “I wasn’t allowed to crap one’s pants myself” (about Turkey). It wasn’t even an interview or a filtered conversation with a bottle of Italian water at the foot of a chair. This is a two-hour character self-revelation. Nobel Arustamyan did not press or squeeze answers at all – he seemed to become a mirror and allowed the 4-time Russian champion to speak to himself. And we overheard it and learned a lot of interesting things.

I will not quote the noisiest fragments – about Karpin, Zenit from Rio de Janeiro and so on. You can find out all the most important in our retelling , if you do not want to spend two hours on video.

But there are still underestimated phrases that show how the top scorer in the history of the Russian championships really thinks.

1 . On not moving to Pari NN: “I don’t like it. Here is Nizhny Novgorod – someone offers, we are already discussing, higher people. Then someone from the club gives information the next day: Dzyuba is not interesting to us. It’s not beautiful”.

If someone forgot, let me remind you: at the beginning of January 2023, the CEO Ravil Izmailov publicly refused the 3-time winner of the Russian Cup from Pari NN. It turns out that the general director of the club is “someone”. And the “superior people” are obviously connected with the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region. And it is ugly when the head of the club makes decisions on behalf of the club and speaks on behalf of the club.

This is the purest logic of feudalism.

2 . On not moving to Ural: “Grigory Ivanov is calling me. And I don’t answer the phone. Not because I don’t respect him. I don’t feel comfortable saying “no” to him. Maybe it’s wrong. But I’m uncomfortable. I treat people with respect. Somehow refuse, somehow break … I’m not a girl. The next day he gives an interview: yes, Dziuba is great with us, he will not come to us. I think it’s also ugly.”

And a few minutes later about Sergei Semak in the context of leaving Zenit: “He didn’t want to come up, he’s been avoiding me and Ozdoev lately. Didn’t talk. It was probably uncomfortable for him to tell us in person that … He probably does not decide for himself who will stay and who will not. Sergei Bogdanovich avoids unpleasant conversations.

It turns out that the 4-time winner of the Russian Super Cup is allowed – Semak is not allowed. He can ignore it, he can’t. You can’t talk about him, because it’s ugly – but he can talk.

3 . On criticism from journalists: “And this is how many journalists: “Oh, Artemka, Artemka, Artemochka.” Then bam – such an article about you. Something there: such and such, such and such. Good good! Let me be. But don’t come near me, don’t greet me then. Do you understand my message? Please don’t say hello! Fuck me – your right, I don’t mind. But then don’t come near me, don’t hug me. This is hypocrisy! And when you say to the face of these journalists: “Well, what are you, a clown or something, get out of here!” – they go on some broadcasts, they say: “No, this one is offended there, but he was offended by me.” Understand? I’m not offended – I don’t care.”

Twice the best scorer of the RPL does not understand how the media work at all, but is ready to draw generalizing conclusions and smear the entire industry with mud. Although he himself would not be happy if they talked about him and all the players in this style. He perceives communication as a form of supreme loyalty – there can be no public criticism if you communicate. This is an age-old problem of the media: it is harmful to have friendly or even friendly relations with players, coaches, managers, because proximity gives rise to a sense of duty: not to criticize, smooth over corners, be on the same side. But real work implies the ability to communicate and not be on anyone’s side, no matter how the 3-time winner of the Russian Cup looks at it – because criticism is not equal to betrayal and does not interfere with shaking hands.

I know journalists who talked off-the-record with the twice best assistant of the RPL season – and at whom he was offended when they said or wrote what he did not like. He blocked their numbers or accounts on social networks – and at the same time, as we see from the interview with Nobel, he continued to watch some broadcasts with them. So he’s being disingenuous when he says “I don’t care.” He doesn’t care. Criticism hurts him.

He outwardly forms a masculine image of a rock that is higher than anything in the world. But in fact, he watches everything and takes offense.

4 . When asked if he was depressed when he turned to a psychologist in Turkey: “I can’t stand that word. I don’t understand what “depression” is. I honestly don’t understand. Our parents worked at jobs, they had two or three children, they managed everything – there was simply no time for depression. I do not recognize the word “depression”. This is what someone came up with. Maybe they will tell me now: “No, it’s scientifically proven.” Your depression is due to idleness, because you are nothing … I found an excuse for something … To feel sorry for myself – yes, it was bad for me too. At night you can feel sorry for yourself, you can cry – there is nothing so terrible in this. He cried, sobbed, and in the morning he got up and went.

This is a denial of scientifically proven facts and the international classification of diseases. By the way, tell Josip Ilicic that he simply had nothing to do, that’s why he has such problems with his career: let him not toil with nonsense, but sob – he will get up in the morning and go where he needs to go.

I do not require knowledge of medicine from a football player. But it would be great if the co-owner of the record for goals for the Russian national team would at least stop spouting anti-scientific nonsense so categorically – because he has a large audience, and spreading myths will not benefit anyone. You can just keep silent.

5 . On whether there is a desire to become president of the RFU: “If they give me resources and opportunities, then I would make a rustle. I would do a lot of things. If the task was given… If people would come up and say: “Here, try it.”

If he really wants to change something and make a stir – why is it necessary to wait for people who will come up?

Why should someone give a mandate – shouldn’t it be won and like-minded people should be gathered around?

And what kind of people come up with such tasks and proposals – similar to the “superior” from the story with “Paris NN”?

Apparently, the three-time RPL silver medalist appreciates influential acquaintances very much – and does not believe that something big is achieved by independent efforts.

6 . On whether the feeling of happiness from the 2018 World Cup will return to Russia: “I would like this to be said about us. But it will come. We will come to this. Everyone will know that Russia is the best power.”

He said that in some perspective in Russia, when everything is over, something like the Olympics will take place. And then “everyone will know that Russia is the best power.” Not a country where everyone is happy, not a country where everyone is happy, not a country where everyone wants to come, but a big, ringing POWER – and certainly the best, necessarily in comparison with others, and not for their own.