Commentators of the World Cup in Qatar “on the shelves”: from Genich to Cherdantsev

But look and enjoy. All broadcast on “Match TV”. Previously, the World Championships were shown primarily on the main federal channels – Channel One and Rossiya, and Match was always just in the wings. But now the football situation in the country is not at all, it’s not up to it now, and how can some Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar compare with Solovyov, Kiselev, Skabeeva, the unforgettable superstars of the ether. No, ours are out of competition.

Special studio “Match” – scorched Arabian desert. In the middle there is a table for the hosts, chairs for experts, and there, beyond the horizon, a huge Sphinx, picturesquely, visually reporting the result of each match. The parchment is immediately opened, and on it is the tournament table. And another surprise for gourmet fans: like a genie from a bottle, every time Hasan-Abdurakhman-ibn-Guberniev appears in a turban – our main, best football analyst, how Dima laughs at himself every time, and makes a colorful preview, his forecast for the game.

And here I want to talk about commentators. Once again: this is the most worthy profession for me, but just a fairy tale! Well, of course, I was brought up on the best examples – from Ozerov and Makharadze to Pereturin and Maslachenko. I have immense respect for all the masters of the word without exception, do not even hesitate. Although I know: some comrades, especially former football players, turn off the sound when watching matches on TV – commentators annoy them. Well, it’s not our case. The commentators help me, color the game. And thank them for that.

I would like to report to you about some of them, my current feelings from their reportage. I understand that these names will not say anything to non-zealous fans. “Are you an artist too, right?” “Yes, beginner.” “You start late. And what is your last name? “My last name means nothing to you.” – “Well, tell me, please, huh?” – “Smoktunovsky” (“Moscow does not believe in tears”). Is there a Smoktunovsky among football commentators? I think yes, there is. So, let’s begin.

Konstantin Genich. When he is at the microphone, you immediately know: now you will definitely enjoy it. Right up until the final whistle. Because Genich is a friend, like-minded person, his boyfriend. Understands the context of the time, the kickball game, the history of any issue. He speaks the same language as you – a smart, intelligent, reflective, but also easy-going person. Bravo, Genich!

Georgy Cherdantsev. Here, it seems, who is the glamorous of the glamorous. And he looks so youthful in his sixties, and he looks like the famous Czechoslovak singer Karel Gott. But when he “takes a microphone in his teeth” – this is already a coryphaeus, a man. He masterfully masters the word, like d’Artagnan with a sword, and when he lifts it, in the best sense, masterpieces of commentary art are obtained that are included in history.

Dmitry Shnyakin. This guy, always with a slight irony in his voice, always leaves the impression of a very happy person in family life. Yes, the way it is – Dima has recently had a second daughter. Congratulations! And he just seems to be a good, reliable person in life. And this is already a lot.

Alexander Netsenko. That’s really a connoisseur of “What? Where? When?” He knows everything, he knows everyone, and he is smart to the point of impossibility. And he leads so sublimely, always emphasizing the highest status of football itself as a brilliant, unpredictable game.

Roman Trushechkin. He, along with Shnyakin, is now there, in Qatar, at the site of the “crime”. How accurately Roma chooses every word – a real Slavic philologist. And not a single superfluous expression.

By the way, we have only two commentators on the World Cup. As it turned out, this is enough: those who work remotely in Moscow work at least as well. And what does it mean? The fact that the halo is leaving is a fairy tale of the profession. After all, how good it was: to see the world, and football, and show yourself. Now it is not necessary to go anywhere, and now it is problematic. “The economy must be economical,” as Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev said.

And here are the best, brightest commentators at the moment from the point of view of your TV critic, my “Smoktunov”.

Roman Naguchev. Each of his reports is like the last time, I am not exaggerating at all. And this is not pathos at all, but an event that Roma always emphasizes. Football is always an event, and any, performed by Naguchev, be it the first league of Russia, the German Bundesliga or Brazil – France.

Stanislav Minin. This is “Smoktunovsky” No. 2. How easily, gracefully, tastefully he serves football. Yes, just like Mozart!

There is no Russian team in Qatar, but there is another team – commentators. In my opinion, one of the best in the world. Trust your TV critic.

Goodbye America!

America is no more. I can imagine how delighted our patriotic statesmen were with such a message – this is their cherished dream! Yes, you listen, read to the end! America is no longer at the World Cup in Qatar. Feel the difference.

In the 1/8 finals, the Yankees ingloriously lost to the Netherlands and flew away to their overseas. But before that, a fateful match with Iran was played in the subgroup. Fateful from all points of view: from sports – because only the winner went to the playoffs, and from political – … well, you already know everything.

Before the game, two legends gathered in the studio under the strict guidance of Dmitry Guberniev: Evgeny Lovchev of the distant past and Andrey Arshavin of the recent past. Lovchev – the best football player of the USSR in 1972 (only 50 years have passed!), Played for the world team in Garrinchi’s farewell match, for a moment. Arshavin is Russia’s first player in the 21st century. In addition, both are great experts, Lovchev is very emotional, knowing football to the smallest nuances; Arshavin is an unusually smart, witty, ironic person, from whom there are also no secrets in the best ball game.

And here Lovchev fervently in his sports forecast: “Iran will win! Cheer for Iran!” Well, yes, Yevgeny Serafimovich’s first trip abroad with Spartak Moscow is connected with Tehran, this is not forgotten.

Lovchev is also a Soviet man, of course, and has always wavered along with the party line. And who are the staff? Enemies, of course, this is not even discussed. So, we are rooting for Iran.

“Well, Andrey, for whom?” – Confident in the full support of the Zenit star and the London Arsenal, the veteran Arshavin asked. “And I am rooting for America, I want it to win,” was the answer. There was a pause in the studio. Leading Dima Guber and the famous football player of the 70s fell into a stupor and precipitated. Well, Arshavin, well, a dissident!

And this was a test for lice, because in our history there was nothing. And the disbandment of the great CDK team, on the basis of which the national team gathered, which lost in the decisive match against Titov’s Yugoslavia at the 52nd Olympics in Helsinki. After all, Tito is Stalin’s personal enemy.

And also how the magnificent Nina Eremina commented in the 79th final of the basketball Euro of the USSR – Israel. Israel then was also our enemy (and now almost a friend!), And Eremina managed not to name a single player of the opponents for the whole match, except for the captain, of course, Rabinovich.

And now… Maybe it’s really impossible to root for America, but only for Serbia and Iran? But Arshavin broke through common sense. Youth won. So we are still normal.