Zenits Former President Tufrin: I Feel Sorry for Sobolev — His Desire to Score Is Holding Him Back

The former president of Zenit, Leonid Tufrin, shared his thoughts on the forward Alexander Sobolev’s disappointing performances for the St. Petersburg club.

“Certainly, the criticism regarding having 10 foreign players on the field against Rubin is unwarranted. The team did not violate any regulations. Alip is not considered a foreign player, and Santos has a Russian passport—everything is in order. Semak handled this situation appropriately. Who could we have fielded from the Russian players? Sobolev was placed upfront, but he didn’t perform well, and eventually, Semak substituted him. Who else could we choose?

Sobolev bears a significant amount of pressure, and he needs to relax. I feel sorry for him. It’s clear that both he and the team are affected by this situation, but his tension and eagerness to score are hindering him. In moments of such competition, every detail matters, and that’s what was missing for Alexander,” Tufrin expressed in an interview with Championship correspondent Vladislav Kruglov.