The Polish national team new manager Czesław Michniewicz arrived in Turkey, where he attended the friendly game between Dynamo and RFS (1:1). The coach, who knows Russian perfectly, told Dynamo media service about the meeting with Sebastian Szymanski, his friendship with Stanislav Cherchesov and the upcoming 2022 World Cup play-off match against Russia.
— Tell us, why you are here at Dynamo training camp.
— I came to meet Sebastian Szymanski, with whom we worked at Poland U-21. We already talked to him yesterday — he really wants to play. I also talked to Dynamo head coach and the club’s management. In addition, I wanted to watch the Russian national team candidates in action.
— Sebastian has already been called up to the Polish national team, but he got little playing time. Will you change his situation for the better?
— We worked with him for three years in the U-21 team. He played for Poland at U-21 European Championship in Italy, where we performed well. Seba is a good football player. I've known him for a long time. Perhaps he will play at Dynamo Stadium against the Russian national team.
— What are his best qualities?
— Seba is great with the ball. He's both a good footballer and a person. He has a lot of strength and energy. He can play two matches in a row if necessary.
— What do you think about Russian football players who may be called up to the national team?
— Fomin is a good and smart player. I really like such refined footballers. You can see that the Riga side looked fresher, while Dynamo players were under loads. That’s why they were facing some difficulties. Szymanski made a couple of wrong passes, but then he began playing better.
— Are you glad that one of the Russian national team leaders Fedor Smolov will not play against Poland?
— Yes, perhaps Dzyuba will play. I know about his problems with Valery Karpin, so it is not clear whether he will be called up to the team. Smolov is a good football player, I know him well. In Poland we worked together with my friend Stanislav Cherchesov, with whom we maintain contact. Two days ago, he called me and invited to Budapest.
— What can you say about Dynamo young footballers who can also play against Poland?
— When I coached Poland U-21 team, we played twice against the Russians under the stewardship of Mikhail Galaktionov. So I know your young football players well – for example, Grulev, Lesovoy, Makarov. I remember Safonov, Diveyev, Chalov, Oblyakov and Rasskazov, when they performed for the U-21 team. In general, I know Russian football.