Children will definitely like it – Arshavin on phygital football, his conversation with Putin, and Russian equivalent of FIFA game

Phygital sports will surely be popular with children, according to the former captain of the Russian national football team Andrey Arshavin.

The football player said that the organisers of Games of the Future in Kazan have brilliantly brought a bold idea to life. The bronze medalist of the 2008 European Championship also spoke about his conversation with Vladimir Putin at the opening ceremony, speculated on what the Russian counterpart to the FIFA video game series could be like, and said that Zenit team is the main favorite in the fight for the Russian Premier League championship.

— Was the autograph signing session here at the Games of the Future the longest one you’ve ever participated in?

— I wouldn’t call it the longest in my life. It was pretty standard.

— Wasn’t it a bit shocking to see the long line of people waiting for you?

— Honestly, I was surprised. I don’t even know how kids still know or remember me, and why they want things like a picture together or an autograph. This is my fifth time in Kazan, and every time they organize such events, there is a crowd.

— Even Alina Zagitova didn’t get as many people waiting for her autograph.

— Well, maybe she just appears less on TV so fewer people recognize her. (laughs)

— So, what do you think of the Games of the Future in general?

— You know, If I hadn’t come here, and you asked me about phygital sports, I would have asked, “What the heck is that?” I really liked the hockey semifinal, where Liga Pro Team beat Ak Bars in a shootout. I would say it’s the best thing that happened here after the Opening Ceremony. I also loved the performance at the Football for Friendship tournament. It was a bit unexpected that the show was twice as long as the final match itself, but in any case, the overall organization was very good. I think such disciplines have a future, although I don’t really see how one can make things like Counter-Strike or Dota 2 a phygital sport.

— What games do you like?

— Used to like various soccer manager games. You probably don’t even know those names. And speaking of simulators, the last one I played was NHL-96. I didn’t play the FIFA simulator much. No one did in FC Zenit, to be honest. Back in those days, guys didn’t play. They drank.

— Why did you ask Vladimir Putin after the Opening Ceremony about creating a domestic version of the FIFA simulator?

— I heard that there is this problem that needs some help with. And the president said that he will try to help. Is there any progress? I don’t think it’s something that can be done overnight.

— Apart from the soccer simulator, what other Russian versions of simulators do you think it would be good to have?

— It would be great to have them for all kinds of sports. For example, to have the KHL version instead of the NHL one so that boys could play for their own teams. Ice hockey is a lot more popular than soccer in Kazan.

— How do you envision our response to FIFA? Will it involve Media Football League?

— That’s a great idea actually! Why not? If it remains in demand, it will be great. I think kids these days know bloggers better than soccer players. A player on the cover? I think it should be whoever is most popular at the time of release. Right now, Alexander Golovin would be a perfect candidate. Not me, I’m too old now.

— Do you know your top FIFA rating?

— No. People keep asking me this question. I even tried to find out myself. I think it was 87 or just a bit over 90.

— What was harder, playing for Arsenal or addressing the president?

— I played for the Gunners for four years, and spoke to Putin for only four minutes. Of course, playing for Arsenal was harder.

— You sat next to Kamila Valiyeva. Did you exchange a few words?

— Before the show started, we were all in the same room together, just talking, nothing special. Yes, I know about her four-year suspension. Honestly, I feel really bad for Kamila. I mean, what can I say?

— Did you get to talk to any other world leaders?

— There was only one world leader there, and I talked to him. As for my impressions of the conversation with Putin, it was good.

— You are well-known for your criticism of media football. What do you think about digital football?

— There’s no one to criticize here yet. There are lots of very young kids, and they are definitely interested. I think the younger generation likes the idea. Yesterday I watched the Football for Friendship qualifying matches and, to be honest, I was impressed with how involved they were, all these boys, jumping to their feet, worrying, anxious, disappointed when their team lost in the simulator. I think it’s good for the kids. As for the media football, they are trying to take on the football proper, which is a silly idea from the start. They just have to have their own niche and stay there.

— It has been confirmed that you will take part in the new season of the Media Hockey League. Why not football?

— First of all, playing football is physically too challenging for me now. All my muscles ache after every game. Another reason is that I am still expected to produce results, even in friendly games. In hockey, however, the attitude is a lot more relaxed, and everything is fun. You just go out on the ice and have fun. If you score a goal, great. If you don’t, that’s fine too.

— The Russian Premier League season is to kick off soon. Do you think FC Zenit will do well?

— I think it’ll be ok, we’ll just have to see how things turn out. In my opinion, Zenit is still on track to win the championship, although Krasnodar’s team is putting up a good fight and even trying to take a lead. We’ll see how it works out. The key would be to make a good start on March 2 playing against Spartak. After that, everything will be fine.

— The Russian national team has warmup games to play against Serbia and Paraguay ahead of the season. What’s your assessment of the opponents?

— These are very good opponents. It’s great that our team will have two really powerful opponents. I can only say well done to the Russian Football Union for this.

— When do you think Russia will return to international football competitions?

— It’s hard to say. In principle, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has clearly addressed the issue and the preconditions to be met. For now, the situation remains unpredictable.