"Concentration was there for all 40 minutes": Popovic and Khodorich on the victory over Metallurg
Zenit-2 head coach Oliver Popovic commented on the home victory over Metallurg (99:71) in the match of the 14th round of the regular season of the FONBET Super League.
— Yes, the guys did well today, especially on defense. The concentration was there for all 40 minutes, which is why there was such a score difference. Metallurg is a good, experienced team. It's not easy to play against them. But today we succeeded. We showed what we wanted today, and it resulted in a large gap. Congratulations to the guys; they did great today.
— Artem Khodorich had one of his best matches in the Super League, Dmitry Rodionov and Ivan Kasyanov are also getting more time on the court and showing good performance in recent games. What can you say about their progress during the season?
— Khodorich started this year worse than last year. We have a little argument about that. But today he played well, brilliantly. I can't say that only Khodorich played excellently; the others also played very well. Rodionov didn't get enough chances last year — this year he is getting them. Listen, I have 12-13 players, they are the best in the world for me, so I need to use each one according to the situation. It depends on the opponent who plays and in what positions. They may or may not be able to hold up. And that affects how many minutes they get, not just because of the offense. So yes, I think Kasyanov and Rodionov can still progress, just like everyone else.
I also want to congratulate everyone on the upcoming New Year. Thank you very much to the fans. I hope they will continue to support us in the next year, 2026.
Blue-White-Sky Blues captain Artem Khodorich shared his impressions of the confident victory at the end of the year. In the match against the Magnitogorsk team, the player set a new career high in the FONBET Super League, scoring 25 points.
— Artem, is it nice to end the calendar year with such a confident victory?
— Yes, of course, it’s nice. We talked about this with the coach and the team, wanting to end the year on a high note. I wanted to also secure the first game against CBK and go into the break with two victories. But it turned out as it did. Today was a good victory.
— You set a career high in the Super League today. What can you say about your performance?
— The last few games have not gone well. To put it bluntly, I didn’t even step on the court. I wanted to create some kind of New Year's miracle for myself. Thanks to my teammates, thanks to the coach for the trust. In principle, I won’t say anything special about it.
— There are a few days of rest ahead, and then preparation for the Russian Cup. What are your expectations for the quarterfinals?
— We’ll rest a little, just a bit, and then we’ll continue to work. I want to advance further in the tournament. It will be tough, but we need to try harder and work more.
