Gershkovich, Gazzaev, Shaganov, Petkun told who they root for at the 2022 World Cup

Mikhail Gershkovich, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Domestic Football Coaches, former coach of the Russian national team.

“Of course, I will watch with great pleasure. I am looking forward to this football holiday. I really wanted it to be a real holiday. To avoid any excesses and provocations.

I can’t single out any individual teams for whom I will root. I will cheer for good football. To have as many interesting matches as possible. From which it would be possible to emphasize some innovations, some new methods and techniques. To see some new direction in tactics, in the actions of the players. That’s what I’ll be watching.”

Valery Gazzaev, former coach of the Russian national team, who won the UEFA Cup with CSKA, an authoritative domestic specialist and coach:

“I will definitely watch the World Cup. This is the most interesting international football tournament, which is held every four years. The best teams and stars of world football come to it. Playing with passion, fighting for the honor of their countries. Watch them sing the national anthems before the games start! Such patriotism is inspiring.

We felt how great this holiday is when we held the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Then we felt the euphoria of football, its unifying power during the whole month, while we had a tournament.

Therefore, I will watch this championship with great pleasure. Moreover, many star football players in four years may no longer be at the next competition. This is primarily Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo, Benzema (as it became known, Benzema is already missing the World Cup in Qatar due to an injury received in training with the national team. – “MK”). A constellation of the best players and a constellation of the best teams.

Most of the teams are stronger than ever.

It’s hard to talk about favorites. Probably, first of all it is Brazil. A very strong team. Stable composition and confident attitude.

Another strong team from France. Argentina, together with Messi, is focused on the result. What’s more, this could be Messi’s last chance to add a world title to his many honours. The World Cup is the only thing he lacks.

Serbia has a very good team, demonstrating high-quality, good football. I will also single out the teams of Belgium, Spain and Germany. Also showing high-level football.

So I’m looking forward to interesting matches.”

Valery Barinov, People’s Artist of Russia:

“I will watch the World Cup. I will root for the Serbs. And I consider the French team to be the favorites of this tournament.”

Alexander Shaganov, Soviet and Russian songwriter, author of words to popular pop songs:

“In my opinion, the teams of France, Germany and Belgium are the favorites of the tournament in Qatar. I will partly empathize with Serbia.

I will watch all broadcasts of matches, if possible. Although we were deprived of this tournament, we will return there!

I also think that this World Cup, due to its location, climate features and a somewhat non-football environment for fans (due to the prohibition of alcohol), there will be curious surprises and tragic failures of the favorites.

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However, not everyone is interested in the World Cup in Qatar. For various reasons.

Boris Evseev, writer and vice-president of the Russian PEN Center: “I used to play football in a teenage team at the Lokomotiv stadium in Kherson, where I lived until I was 18. Now I don’t follow this. Football has become too commercial. football players suddenly start playing badly, which means that they have agreed with another team or a referee. I believed that football is an art, and every goal is like a small etching.”

Sergey Lukyanenko, popular science fiction writer

“No, I will not watch this championship. In the absence of the Russian team, he is not interesting to me.”

Will not watch this World Cup and a popular actor Nikolai Averyushkin. “Unfortunately, I am not interested in this event. Especially since we started participating in the Olympics under a neutral flag.”

Vyacheslav Petkun, singer, musician, poet, leader of the Dances Minus group, disagrees with this opinion:

“Starting from a certain time, since 1990, the Russian team, in principle, rarely participated in the world championships. Because it didn’t qualify. In 1998 we did not participate in France, as well as in 2006 in Germany, and in 2010 in South Africa. And in 2014, it would be better not to play at the championship in Brazil. So where did such a habit come from – to watch only those world championships in which our team participates? If there weren’t any lately.

The only championship when we managed to get out of the group in the entire recent history of domestic football was the 2018 home tournament.

As for personal preferences, I have always sympathized with the Brazilian team. It will be the same this time. Although, perhaps, strange as it may seem, I will still sympathize with the Argentina national team. These two teams are antagonists in football, but I will follow both in Qatar.”

See our online broadcast of the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar