German Muschinskiy: "I need to become a leader, not a wingman"

The blue-white’s youth team defender German Muschinskiy shared how much his role has changed after the team became younger and how the training process is going during the off-season. In the last season of the VTB United Youth League, the player won the championship with Zenit U21, averaging 7.1 points in 17 minutes of playing time. Before the start of the season, Herman admits that defending a title is always harder than winning it.

— How did you spend your summer? Were you able to follow an individual training program in the off-season? Where and with whom did you train?

— I spent this summer almost like the previous one. I dedicated the first month after the end of the season to rest, and in the second month, I began individual training with the U19 team’s physical and conditioning coach, Anton Filatov. And I continued to train right up to the start of the training camp.

— You managed to become champions last season. What mindset and emotions do you have as you approach the upcoming season?

— This is a champion attitude. But defending a title is always harder than winning it. So, it certainly won’t be easy, and there’s a lot of work ahead.

— The coaching staff of Zenit U21 has been updated, with Roman Knyazev becoming the head coach. Are there significant changes in the training process? How has the atmosphere changed during training?

— The training process has just started, and it is currently more of an engaging work, so it’s too early to talk about significant changes. But the atmosphere during training is always positive and productive. Overall, we tried to maintain the same atmosphere last year.

— The youth team’s roster has changed significantly, with the team leaders having "graduated." Do you feel that your role in the team has changed? What are the prevailing moods within the team now?

— The feeling that my role in the team has changed is present because last year there were older guys who were given the main roles. Now, this responsibility is also shifting to me, and I need to become a leader, not a wingman. As I’ve already said, the mood within the team is only positive, and everyone is set on working and preparing for the season.

— What goals are you setting for yourself in the upcoming season?

— In the upcoming season, I’ve set a goal for myself to become the leading player of the team and to be someone the team can rely on in critical moments. I will try to lead the team forward.