In the interview with Handballfast Lyudmila Bodniyeva summed up the season in which, being the head of the national team of Russia, she debuted as the head coach at club level and won gold for CSKA Moscow at once!
— The team started training from Monday. Are you already thinking about the upcoming season? Haven’t you forgotten the previous one yet?
— Of course, we are already thinking about the preparation for the new season. It starts less than in two months — we will play for the Super Cup on August 30 and it’s not far to the championship of Russia. Indeed, we’ve already started introductory training. It’s great that everyone returned from vacation in good shape.
We are leaving for two weeks for Kislovodsk on July 14. There will be a training session dedicated to general physical training: we will take balls, but not for handball. And we’ll start training on our base in Novogorsk from August 1. My colleague Dmitriyev let slip that there is an agreement on our visit to Volgograd where we will probably hold two matches.
— But as time passes, does the taste of victory in the championship taste different now? More soberly?
— Actually, there was no strong euphoria even then. In fact, it felt more like a sense of satisfaction and relief…
— Another outstanding pivot and current head coach Dmitriy Torgovanov, who won the men’s Super League, recently told me the same!
— Do you mean that he didn’t celebrate gold medals with the team after the match? Me neither. Yes, girls, probably, went to celebrate and that’s fine, and I returned home not too late and went to bed.
— You couldn’t sleep till 5am either, could you?
— No, I fell asleep well, feeling accomplished (smiling). Although, I was very worried before, I must admit!
— You won the championship of Russia as a player, later as a consultant, as a second coach and now as a head coach. Can you compare it?
— On the one hand, gold is gold. On the other — feelings are different. Still, these medals are with a sense of great responsibility. I saw how everyone from players to office workers worked hard to win this championship. And we really wanted to please our fans.
— And on which position do you personally feel more comfortable?
— I wouldn’t pose a question this way. Everything is fine at a certain time. Let’s say, there is a coincidence of circumstances, certain life twists: today you are needed in one capacity, tomorrow — in another… So, it develops in such a way and you have to be ready for that and that’s all.
— Let’s wind the timeline back before the moment you’d been offered to become a head coach of CSKA. What did it seem to be the most difficult at that time?
— I wouldn’t say there was something really difficult. Again, it’s work, there are tasks to be solved. Indeed, there was such a difficult moment, it happened that the team didn’t reach the Final Four of the Cup of Russia. But I told girls immediately that were was nothing critical in it, sport consists of losses and victories. And the main goal is the gold medal of the Russian championship.
I can even assume that this loss helped us to a certain extent. The players were strongly determined to the championship. And in general they certainly delighted with the fact that there weren’t any difficulties with motivation. It’s pleasant to work in a team that is maximally focused on result.
— I recently watched your interview with Natalia Chigirinova to Roman Vagin and Anton Nikitin, where you admitted that you don’t hesitate to blame or to praise handball players. Who was more praised and who was more scolded?
— I don’t want to specify publicly, the main thing is that they themselves know and understand everything. But in general, I would say that I believe there’s no need to scold this generation. On the contrary, going back to what I said earlier, girls make you admire them all the time and pleasantly surprise. In other words, compared to very young us, they are more conscious, more correct. They pay enough attention to nutrition, recovery, preparation for workouts —what we didn’t do. However, I won’t hesitate and will say that they never dreamt of our workload. We trained more!
— In Russia? Or abroad as well? In Slovenia, where you had been playing for a long time, if we are speaking about you?
— Yes, everywhere, here and in Slovenia, too. Time dictates its rules, you can’t argue with it. Probably, the trend is likely to continue, three matches per week will be held soon, we will play more than practice. Though, everything is unpredictable, who knows how things will turn out?
— Having headed CSKA, you worked without assistant. There was a coaching staff, of course: Anna Sedoykina assisted with goalkeepers, Elena Efimova helped with general physical training, but there was no second coach. And Natalia Derepasko came to this position now, is it, presumably, an ideal decision?
— The question about assistant arose in the club immediately. It was put on hold at that moment, considering various options. Regarding Natalia, I will say completely honestly that even taking into consideration our friendship, I didn’t have a thought to call her from Rostov. Yet, she worked in the camp of the main competitor. And as soon as Rostov-Don parted with Natalia, the club contacted her with an offer of cooperation.
— We will return to the issue about the players-newcomers a bit later and can we talk about the losses first? Dyachenko, Ilyina, Shamanovskaya...
— Unfortunately, Ksyusha Dyachenko did’t play so much because of a protracted recovery process. Vika Shamanovskaya? There was a great tandem of diverse pivots in CSKA. But she decided to play in another championship. I wish her good luck and anyway I stay in touch with her as a player of the national team.
Concerning Katya Ilyina, CSKA hasn’t held a single season without her in history yet. Katya is a vast experience, composure and mastery, of course. Its difficult to replace her! But she made a decision to end her career and we should treat it with respect.
The centre back Yulia Krupennikova joins us. She will definitely get her chance and I hope she will take advantage of it.
— Since we’ve moved on to acquisitions, please, say a couple of words about the pivot Irina Shinkaruk.
— Irina is an experienced player, who has already proved herself in the Super League. The leader of the national team of Belarus. We count on her as on the central defender of our team.
— Sofya Vasilyeva, a well-known left wing from the national team of Russia, also came to CSKA...
— By the way, I would like to emphasize right now, that I never talked to any player personally about the transfer. Because as s head coach of the national team, I would never allow myself to do it. The interests should be clearly separated.
Of course, I can ask someone about transfers between times. But namely to ask, not advising anything. Unless they ask.
Characterizing Vasilyeva as a player, Sofa has primarily an enormous capacity for work and excellent physical data. And also good defensive skills.
— And if we are already talking about right wingers, did the transfer of Diana Kazikhsanova for a couple of months at the end of the season make sense? Has an option to keep her been considered?
— No-no, it was a concrete agreement with Kuban, because Lera Sobkalo was heavily loaded the entire season in the absence of Albina Murzaliyeva. And Eva Zakharenko is undoubtedly a promising player, but she clearly lacked playoffs experience at that moment.Thus, we hope for Eva in future and await the return of Albina. That is why it would be incorrect to consider the option to keep Kazikhanova. But we are very grateful both to Kuban that it came up to us and to Diana — she is a very diligent and talented handball player, it was pleasant to work with her!
— By the way, how is it going with the young mother Murzaliyeva?
— She started individual training even before the training session and looks pretty good, in my view. But we are not going to take her to Kislovodsk, of course, after all the baby is still very small (smiling). Thus, Albina will miss the beginning of the season, and we will count on her throughout the season.
— I cannot help asking about the pivot Valentina Tomilina. Sorry for talking again about the national team, but she did well there! But Valentina didn’t manage to prove herself after the transfer to CSKA (however, with other coaches). You brought her back from loan now. But isn’t that much to have three pivots?
— It’s very good to have three pivots! Especially, if you recall the past season, when Nastya Illarionova had to go through recovery and get back in shape. Obviously, it was hard for single Vika Shamanovskaya. So, we will definitely give Valya a chance to prove herself. But I won’t comment on why she didn’t make her way to the squad last year. Just because it’s necessary to know what were the requirements for her and how did she meet expectations.
— You recalled that Illarionova played less than before due to the recovery process. And what about Karina Sabirova? She also didn’t spend much time on the court, or am I wrong?
— Yes, you are absolutely correct. Firstly, Karina is a person with great potential and, secondly, with a great desire to play. But it just so happened in the final games... No, I can’t say that Sabirova wasn’t ready. But she really didn’t receive much time. Why? The main thing is that she knows it herself, believe me, we have a dialogue. Well, in a few words, let’s just say, she slowed down in some components in the spring. Besides, Natasha Chigirinova and Katya Ilyina were both in good shape. And it’s unreal to divide time equally by three. Thus, it was a coincidence of circumstances to some extent.
Meanwhile, Karina remains one of the main players of CSKA, of course. And we have very high hopes for her.
— At the end of the conversation I forgot to ask you, how is the vacation? Was there any?
— Well, how does one without a break? For example, I managed to attend the Final Four of the Champions League in Budapest…
— So, you are talking about work again!
— On the one hand, indeed, it’s a part of it, but it’s always a treasure to watch the top matches. Then I managed to restart, I went to the seaside. And I always tell girls that it’s important to get enough rest and take some time off the work. And we have serious work ahead of us in the upcoming season.
Photo: HC CSKA press
