Anzor Kavazashvili: “Natural talent of Caucasian boys”

Interview by Daria Melikhova. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

Anzor Kavazashvili, Soviet goalkeeper from Batumi, played in Tbilisi Dynamo in the 1950s, in Zenit, in Moscow Torpedo and Spartak in the 1960s. At the moment he is the head of the all-Russian Football Federation. He told Vestnik Kavkaza about the new law on fans and the situation with football in the Caucasus.

-    Please tell us about the essence of the law on fans. What are its key points?

-    Its essence is that the duties of all sides are determined: who does what. This is very important. We are always happy when we get some perfect law. But we are sad because the law is not being followed to the full extent. At first they adopt a law and then they adopt substatutory acts. I would like to address the RFU and the Ministry of Sport: when they develop a law and present it to the corresponding bodies for adoption, they have to consider all the tiny details which concern us today. And we are concerned about the behaviour of some individuals at sporting events, especially at football stadiums. This is very important for us. We should not only punish some fans legally, but also educate them. Of course, we are not able to educate such a huge amount of people. We should involve the administrations of football clubs in the process. We should consider questions on cooperation with them. The heads of the All-Russian Union of Fans should work hard.

All these questions compose a package which will enable us to prepare for the World Cup 2018 in Russia. And this is a difficult problem. Today our state is all about the Olympic Games in Sochi, and all the forces and legislative bodies are involved in it. The FSB and the Interior Ministry are involved to prevent any incidents from any side – from the sea, from the mountains, and so on. This is an important aspect.

Russia is an irritant to many world leaders, because Russia is developing, Russia is a country which is proud of having its own positive moments. The question concerns everybody very much, ill-wishers. And we have to take responsive, protective measures. And now we not only take protective measures, but also attack to prevent irregularities which could occur ahead of the Olympics in Sochi and the World Cup in 2018. The problem is complicated. But I think it’s going to be alright.

-    What do you think about the situation with football and sport in the Caucasus?

-    The Caucasus shows good football today. At last the natural talents of Caucasian boys are being used. You know that Caucasian boys grow up faster. They are very emotional, coordinated, flexible. And in childhood many boys become talented football players at children's sporting schools. But unfortunately they don’t have prospects. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in our football many clubs play poorly or don’t play at all. I mean work collectives, the Second League and the football level in the Second League; the First League, the First Division. To get into the Premier League, in a top team, players have to travel an awful path. When they are 16, and they are good and talented, they suddenly disappear because they have nowhere to go. There are no championships anymore.

The fact that foreign players are invited to Russian clubs is either good or bad. It is bad for our guys, Russian guys who have no opportunity to play. And it is good for the football image of clubs; the quality of playing of our clubs is growing. Probably they are not as high as in Europe, especially the great clubs. But it will be achieved in the future. We should involve our children – especially from the Caucasus, who grow like roses there – they should be taken care of, educated, invited to clubs.