Dmitry Bulykin: “The climate of Qatar is not suitable for older players”

– Discussing Holland with Igor Korneev, they agreed that this team is significantly inferior to the one that Russia beat at Euro 2008. What is the reason, if we judge not only by names?

– I can immediately summarize the trends that are typical for both Dutch and Belgian football. They always have a painful change of generations. In the world, one Ronaldo is able to play in five world championships, other teams need to constantly feed their resources. Moreover, the Dutch missed several final tournaments. Today in both teams there are conditional veterans and there are those who step on their heels. But the youth is not yet so played. This is what gives rise to conflicts. The Belgian came out, but I think there are dissatisfied people in the Dutch camp.

– Nevertheless, Van Gaal’s team got out of the group without any trouble, without showing anything supernatural. Do you agree?

– Such a group got caught that only a lazy one from among the teams with a high rating could blunder.

– All three decisive goals for the Dutch team were scored by PSV forward Gakpo. Did you know him before this tournament?

– No, I didn’t know. And while it is premature to issue advances to him. Let him first show himself in the playoffs, at least with the Americans.

– At least! A very good team. If he comes to his senses after a valid ending with Iran, can he be considered a favorite?

– I don’t think so, although the US team is really serious. And if the Dutch don’t give it their all, they might end up here. Here the Danes did not play at the maximum against the Australians, and they are already packing their bags.

– Predictably stands out De Jong from Barcelona. Can you name someone else in the ranks of the “orange”?

– Many are possible, but I will mention my former teammate at Ajax, Daley Blind.

– The Belgians have yet to fight for the playoffs, and oh, how seriously. Will they be able to beat the Croats today?

– Let’s hope that the players will be spurred on by the heated conflict, and the team will show its maximum. All experienced guys should get together. Their time is running out. And this is the last World Cup where they can shine. When, if not now?

– Can you at least guess what the scandal happened in the camp of the “Red Devils” with the participation of De Bruyne, Hazard, Aldaverleid?

– Most likely, someone is dissatisfied with someone’s game. This often happens within teams, but good results smooth everything out. And if they are not there, the search for the extreme ones begins. This is where it all came out.

– Why do the always fast, explosive, agile Belgians look so heavy in Qatar? Are they really so “full” in their superclubs during the first part of the season?

– The climate also makes the task of older players more difficult. Yes, and it is generally unusual to play at this time of year. The body, quite possibly, is no longer the one to quickly adapt. So far there is no game that would please.

– Taking this opportunity, I will ask you to give predictions for other matches on Thursday. In the Belgian group, the Moroccans will have enough for the exit and a draw with the Canadians who have already taken off. Are there any surprises here?

– The Canadians looked very good, but the Moroccans will defend the draw they need.

– In Group “E” matches Spain – Japan and Germany – Costa Rica, I suppose, do not raise any special questions?

– Sensations were already in abundance, so I do not promise. Especially in cases where it seems that the points have already been recorded before the game.

– You also managed to play in Germany. Which of the three “own” teams do you sympathize with?

– I watch all the matches with the participation of friends and comrades. Most of them are in Belgium. We played together with Vertonghen and Aldervelreid at Ajax, and the Dutchman Blind was also there. And he crossed paths with Lukaku at Anderlecht. I correspond with everyone. Then I will definitely write, regardless of the result.

– The World Championship, of which you were an ambassador, has gone down in history. Your present is fighting match-fixing with a proper position in the RFU, is that right? In Russia, you don’t have much trouble, as I understand it. Valery Karpin recently vouched for the purity of our football, and we believe him. But as for the World Cup, evil tongues claim that the sudden surge in performance in individual matches is by no means accidental. Can the tricks of bookmakers really be at this level?

– I will answer not as an RFU officer, but as an outside observer with some football experience. There is always big money in big sports. Football is the number one sport. But FIFA is closely monitoring everything and investigating in detail. So I have no doubts about the purity of this championship.

– There are still persistent rumors that VAR was invented by the powerful of this world, and not football at all. Do you believe in such conspiracy theories?

– I do not believe. And in general, I support VAR with both hands. It removes injustice. After all, entire countries, peoples were deprived of a holiday because of some absurdities. Remember Henry’s handball when Ireland lost the World Cup. I don’t even remember the more ancient “hands of God” of the name of Maradona. And now there is an opportunity to remove a certain burden of responsibility from the judges, to give them the right to make a mistake. And, most importantly, then fix them. After all, before some mistakes could be deliberate. Now it doesn’t make any sense. Another plus is that there is less outright rudeness and simulation. The only thing is that it would be necessary to shorten pauses for watching, as in other sports. Over time, it will work out.

– I can’t help but ask about the Moscow Lokomotiv, which until recently would have been your home. What kind of large-scale rearrangements are taking place there now?

– One leadership did not succeed, they brought the team to the joint zone. A new team has arrived. We will closely monitor its activities.

– You, like many others, promised a great future in the field of football top manager Boris Rotenberg. Does the surname play a key role here?

– I said that a person needs to be given time to transform from a football player into a leader. But a plus for Roman is his gaming past. He, after all, served the club faithfully, bears titles. Well, the surname helps him.

– Well-known agent Dmitry Selyuk said that now decent people and real professionals have come. In place of the thief. Who are these “thieves”, do you know?

– Here I understand it. The Germans and those agents who were with them in conjunction. So much money has been spent that someone has to answer for it.

– How long will the next management last at the helm of the club, exhausted by perturbations, which was so quiet and peaceful when you were there?

– When I was an adviser to the president, he was not peaceful and quiet either. There were constant conflicts, say, between Semin and Herkus. But this is a work environment. And if you take my playing days, then yes, they didn’t make noise outside the football field. Everyone was left there.