Egor Evstafiev: "I want to show myself and take hold at the professional level"

In the 2024/25 season, forward Egor Evstafiev proved himself at the highest level, becoming the champion of the Children’s Youth Basketball League (recognized as the MVP of the Final Eight) and the winner of the VTB United Youth League. In the upcoming campaign, the player will debut for Zenit-2 in the Super League. In an interview with the club’s press service, Egor shared his expectations for this new stage in his career and talked about his individual preparation program in the off-season.

— 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 had a good summer, quite productive and fruitful. I managed to work and relax. In June, I was called up to the Russia U20 national team, where I attended a training camp and played several friendly matches. In July, I went to Perm, where I trained in a basketball camp.

— In the upcoming season, you will be playing in the Super League, where some of your opponents will be experienced players. Despite the fact that you could still play in the VTB Youth League, how do you feel about this?

— Of course, I feel only positive emotions. Naturally, it was expected that our opponents would include experienced players. But I am glad, new experiences are always interesting. It’s a challenge for me, and I really want to show myself and take hold at the professional level. 

— Last year in Zenit youth team, you were the captain and played a very important role on the bench. What role will you play in the new season? Are you nervous about playing often with players who are older than you?

— We’ll see about the role in the future, we’ve just started the pre-season training camp and are currently adapting. Preparation has just begun, and nothing is clear yet. The fact that the opponents are older doesn’t scare me. So there’s no nervousness, just the desire to train and play basketball.

— There have been significant changes in the coaching staff of the Academy, and the training camp has already begun. What are your impressions of working with the new coach? How is the interaction with the coaching staff?

— My impressions of the coaching staff are only positive. There’s no misunderstanding, and the atmosphere in training is great. How things will develop over time, we’ll see.

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

— I don’t like to set specific goals for myself. As I mentioned earlier, I will strive to give my all, do everything to help the team win as many games as possible and achieve success.