Sandro Schwarz: «Ufa play tight in defense that is difficult to break through»

— Sandro, what are your expectations of the upcoming match?

— Last Sunday we attended the match of Ufa against CSKA. This is a serious side that are good and tight in defense. They play a completely different football under the guidance of a new coach. In addition, the match will be held on an artificial pitch. We are convinced that Ufa will do their best playing there.

— What is the main difference between an artificial pitch and a natural one?

— Today and tomorrow we will train on the artificial pitch to better prepare for the match. However, the pass speed and the ball feeling are different on both types of pitches. It is easier to show your skills on the artificial one, because the pitch is flat. That’s why we are waiting for a fast and skilled game.

— What can you say about Vyacheslav Grulyov, Nikola Moro and Daniil Lesovoy’s conditions?

— Grulyov will miss the Saturday's match. Moro passed the entire week-long training cycle, and we will count on him. Lesovoy trains individually. We have two more days to make a decision.

— Last season, Ufa replaced the coach after the match against Dynamo, and everything changed in the team's play. Can you mention their strong points?

— Compared to the last season, Ufa formation did not change — they use three centre-backs and two full-backs. Their defense is quite hard to break through. Ufa often use crosses from wings in an attempt to find two strikers breaking into the penalty box. We noticed it having analyzed the match against CSKA and the friendlies of the team. We need to play tight and compactly in our penalty box and not let them make crosses from wings.

— Dynamo earned a comfortable win in Rostov. But can you mention the aspects that are still worth working on?

— There are no perfect matches. For sure, we could have played better somewhere. We analyzed this match, made conclusions, but I am satisfied with the score and the quality of the team's play in the first match of the season. We defended very well and were organized. We created a lot of chances in the second half, we played especially well in transitions, and we were focused on this when analyzing the match.

— Ordets and Balbuena entered the starting line-up in the match against Rostov. Can you say that they became the first choice?

— It was a difficult decision for us, because we also have Yevgenyev and Pliyev in the squad, who work perfectly in training. Competition is very important. We have a complete defensive line, and we are very happy. Ordets and Balbuena established themselves very well in the match against Rostov. Everyone needs to show his best skills in the training process and thus achieves a spot in the starting line-up.

— Are you still waiting for newcomers in the attacking line?

— First of all, I work with those players who are in my disposal. My players showed their best skills in the first round match. They also perform well in training sessions. We are in close contact with Zeljko Buvac about possible transfers. The work is underway.

— What are your expectations of Anton Terekhov and Grigory Morozov?

— We had a straight talk with Terekhov, Morozov and Karapuzov about their perspective in the team before the start of the summer training camps.

— Karapuzov immediately was named the best player of the Krylia Sovetov — Akhmat match.

— I think that he will continue to progress. He made a brilliant assist. I wish him to continue the same way.

— What can you say about Saba Sazonov’s chances to find his place in the first team?

— Saba is a young player with high potential. He needs to work on the decision-making in the ball possession, effectiveness in tackles and tactical skills.

— Did you like the first round of the Russian Premier League in general? How many matches did you manage to watch?

— The league started with high-level matches. All matches were fairly equal. Even if there was a clear favorite, he had to prove his class on the pitch. We watched the matches of Spartak, Lokomotiv, Zenit, and on Sunday we attended the CSKA — Ufa fixture. We got impressions about our closest opponents.

— Do you follow the Olympics? Were you surprised by the elimination of the German Olympic football team?

— I like to watch not only football, but also other sports. This event attracts everyone's attention. I am not very surprised by the performance of the German Olympic football team. The squad was not optimal, so this is understandable.

— Do you follow the performance of Russian athletes who compete under a neutral flag at this Olympics?

— Yes, we watch the performance of the Russians at the training ground and are always happy when they win medals. As for the flag and the anthem, this issue is more related to politics.