Alexander Shcherbenev: "Looking forward to games for the national team"

Zenit guard Alexander Shcherbenev shared his thoughts on the results of the 2025/26 season, highlighted the importance of support from home fans, and spoke about his mindset ahead of joining the Russian national team camp.

— Alexander, if you sum up the season, what key moments would you highlight both for the team and for yourself personally?

— I think the main thing is that, despite the circumstances — there were many coaching changes and player rotations — we remained united as one. We fought in every match, did everything we could, and, with the support of our fans, tried to achieve the maximum. Unfortunately, this year our maximum was not satisfactory. But I think we will draw the right conclusions and come back stronger next year.

— In your opinion, what prevented the team from realizing its full potential?

— There are many factors, but it seems we didn’t find the right "keys", the right mechanisms to be stronger in certain aspects. Unfortunately, it happens that you don’t achieve the goals you set at the beginning of the season. But I think this will be a good lesson for all of us and a motivation to work even harder.

— There was a friendly atmosphere at the season closing. What would you like to say to the fans after the season?

— I really want to thank them, because it’s always easy to support those who are champions or constantly winning. But in moments like this, when the team finished fourth and didn’t reach its goals, we still see so many fans, so many positive messages, and support from people who genuinely care about the club. It means a lot to us, and we understand that there are people we are working for, striving for, and trying to win for and bring championships to. I’m sure next season there will be even more of us together. Those who were with us today will stay with us, and together we will celebrate victory.

— You are about to join the national team camp and play international friendlies. What are your expectations?

— I’m really looking forward to it, because this time the games will be very interesting. We’ll get to travel to Europe and play against the Turkish national team, which will be preparing in a strong lineup for qualification. So it will be interesting to test ourselves and the team in this context and understand where we stand on the international stage.

— And finally, perhaps the most pleasant question: how do you plan to rest after the camp?

— With my wife and family, I might go to Turkey. I’ll rest a bit, maybe up to two weeks, and then start preparing for the new season.