Transfers of Zenit to the summer window, club goals for the season 2021/2022

Football

Zenit became the champion of Russia for the third year in a row. In 2019, the team from St. Petersburg took gold three rounds before the finish, in 2020 – four, and in 2021 – two. Sergey Semak, like an impatient young man (the coach is still young at 45!), comes on a date with a trophy ahead of schedule.


7 facts about the champion Zenit that underline its dominance in the RPL
7 facts about the champion Zenit that underline its dominance in the RPL

Zenit has confirmed the status of the strongest RPL team, but what will happen next? Now one of the two main tasks is preparing for the Champions League. Anyone understands that with the game that the champion of Russia demonstrated in the group stage last fall, you will not fight for a way out of the group. First of all, Semak himself understands this, you can rest assured. So far, the only thing to console oneself is that Zenit defeated the Champions League participant Lokomotiv – 6: 1, which neither Bayern, nor Atletico, nor Red Bull Salzburg could do. Moreover, he defeated him at a time when the railroad workers were in their best shape for the entire season. In general, Semak twice won against Marko Nikolic, who proved his high coaching level (in the RPL and the Russian Super Cup), with one draw.

To progress in the Champions League, Zenit must first of all retain the leading players and strengthen three or four positions. In the summer of 2021, the contracts for Andrei Lunev, Mikhail Kerzhakov, Yuri Zhirkov, Andrei Mostovoy and Dmitry Chistyakov rented from Rostov ended. Today the St. Petersburg club announced the extension of the agreement with Mostov for three years. The attacking midfielder has had a very respectable season in the RPL with six goals and two assists. Unfortunately, Mostovoy got a little lost in European competitions, but it was hardly worth expecting much from the Champions League debut against the background of the team’s overall unsuccessful performance.

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Lunev and Kerzhakov, according to the information available to the Championship, will remain at Zenit. In winter, the St. Petersburg club considered candidates for other goalkeepers, because at that time they did not agree with Andrei, however, in the end, the parties went to meet each other halfway. No matter how criticized Luneva, he is still one of the strongest goalkeepers in the RPL.

The principal decision to buy out Chistyakov was also made. Semak liked the game of the Zenit pupil, so now you just need to close the deal, the conditions that were prescribed when renting. Earlier it was reported that St. Petersburg residents must pay “Rostov” for a central defender from 3.5 to 4 million euros.

But the legend of Russian football Zhirkov is likely to leave Zenit. Although, contrary to the information that has appeared, this issue has not yet been finally resolved – the situation may change at the last moment.

Naturally, at the age of 37, it is not easy for Yuri to keep the level that will be required in the Champions League. This season, he took part in only 16 RPL and Champions League matches (eight at the base), gave two assists. If Zhirkov leaves, then the defender of the Russian youth team will probably get more time next season Danil Krugovoy

In the offseason, the loaned Emanuel Mammana will return from Sochi. The limit on legionnaires actually leaves no chance for the Argentinean at Zenit. Mammana’s contract is valid until the summer of 2022, so it can be rented out again, or it can be sold (in Argentina, they wrote about the desire of River Plate to return the defender).


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Zenit was one of the first to enter the Champions League group stage. Who else is there
Zenit was one of the first to enter the Champions League group stage. Who else is there

As for the acquisitions, Zenit wants to strengthen the entire central axis: the positions of the defender, midfielder and striker. It is explainable. On the defensive, for example, there are only three experienced center-backs – Deyan Lovren, Yaroslav Rakitsky and Chistyakov… It’s not enough to play in three tournaments. In attack, Artyom Dziuba and Serdar Azmun simply do not have a direct replacement in position. Ahead it was necessary to release Mostovoy and the full-time midfielder Alexander Erokhin or the young RPL debutant Stanislav Krapukhin from the Zenit farm club. Former forward Sebastian Driussi was needed as a flanking midfielder. The Argentinean didn’t like playing, as he himself put it, in a “shitty position”, but Seba subordinated himself to the interests of the team. Now Zenit is going to finally find a newcomer to replace the left midfielder (perhaps this is the main goal in the summer transfer window), and the future of Driussi in the team is in question. With a good offer, he will be released.

The new sports director of the club will take care of the search for newcomers together with the coach. According to the available information, they will still become Andrey Arshavin… The ex-Zenit player will complete the entire Russian selection and will have a weighty say in the assessment of foreigners.

The choice in favor of Arshavin is conditioned not only by his contribution to the history of the blue-white-blue, but also by the fruits of his work as director of the department for the development of youth football at Zenit. According to our sources, after the appointment of Arshavin, the work at the Zenit Academy was rebuilt and the level of selection increased. Andrei Sergeevich prefers to work “in the field”: he is inside the process, makes specific proposals and corrections. Now the contact is perfectly established between Arshavin and all the coaches of the teams of the club system – Semak, Vladislav Radimov (he heads Zenit-2) and Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit youth team). Obviously, Semak’s understanding with Arshavin will be much better than it was with the former sports director Javier Ribalta.

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The fruits of Arshavin’s activities are reflected in the results. On Saturday, Zenit youths can register the championship in the UFL-2. In 23 matches, this team won 22 wins and scored 100 goals – amazing statistics! Zenit teams in the UFL-1 and the youth championship of Russia also fight for gold in their tournaments. Andrei Sergeevich himself would like to see more of the club’s pupils in the main “Zenith”, and, apparently, next season, after 18-year-old Daniil Shamkin, Danila Khotulev and Kirill Kravtsov, other young players will debut for the first team.

In the meantime, Arshavin, along with the entire management of the club, are expected at the match between the women’s team Zenit and CSKA. The women’s team, like the men’s team, is fighting for first place with Lokomotiv and the red and blue. This game will also take place on Saturday, May 8, on the field of the blue-white-blue academy.


Zenit prepared for the golden match like a champion. Respect to the coaching staff of Semak
Zenit prepared for the golden match like a champion. Respect to the coaching staff of Semak

Increasing the number of own pupils is the second of the key tasks of the club. For St. Petersburg, remembering Zenit-1984 and Zenit Arshavin-Kerzhakov, this is just as important as three consecutive championships.

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