In an interview with KFF League, Ulytau and Kazakhstan national team goalkeeper Dmitry Nepogodov spoke about his transfer to the Zhezkazgan club, assessed the start of the season, shared memories of the most exciting matches in the national team and plans for a coaching career.
– Dmitry, tell us how your transfer to Ulytau happened. How did the offer come and what was the decisive factor for you?
– Everything happened quite quickly. Ulytau representatives contacted us, told us about the project, the club's goals, and, of course, the presence of Nikolai Viktorovich Rodionov and Talgat Maruanovich Baysufinov played an important role. We know each other well from the national team, I know their approach and philosophy. That's why I accepted this invitation
– After 20 rounds, Ulytau is in 12th place in the tournament table. Are you satisfied with the current state of the team and what are your goals for the rest of the season?
- Of course, you can't be satisfied. We could and should have scored more points. But at the same time, you need to understand that this is the club's first season in the Premier League, the team is being built literally from scratch. The goal is to maintain registration, and at the same time form a combat-ready team that will be able to solve more serious problems in the future.
- You played in different championships. In your opinion, has the level of the KPL changed since your return?
- I think that the level has dropped a little due to the emergence of new financial limits on foreign players, but at the same time I think this is temporary. I hope that thanks to the new rules, Kazakhstani youth will have more playing time and the guys will progress faster
- In your career, there was experience playing in Ukraine during military operations. What is it like to go out on the field in such a difficult time?
- A very difficult feeling. You seem to be doing what you love, but off the field there is a tragedy. This leaves an imprint on everything. In such moments, you especially understand how important peace is. But football is also a way to distract people, to give them hope and emotions. We tried to do our job, no matter what. Of course, there were different situations, not all teams can play at their stadiums due to the proximity of hostilities, and many matches are interrupted due to air raids, but despite all the problems, the championship is held.
- It is important for a goalkeeper to always be in good shape. What is a priority for you - physical or psychological preparation?
- Both components are important. Without physical readiness, you will not be able to perform basic tasks. But psychology is what distinguishes a good goalkeeper from a great one. Calmness, concentration, the ability to control yourself even in a stressful situation - this is the key to stability.
- You have 13 matches for the Kazakhstan national team. Which game do you consider the most memorable and why?
- Probably the match against Scotland. We won 3:0 at home then, and it was a real team victory. The atmosphere, dedication, emotions - everything came together. For me, this is one of the highlights of the national team. I would also highlight the away game against Georgia, it was my debut, although we lost 2-1, such games remain in my memory for life.
– What three qualities, in your opinion, should every novice goalkeeper develop in order to succeed?
– The first is hard work. Without work, there is no progress. The second is concentration. You can be idle for 89 minutes, and then save the team in the 90th. And the third is self-confidence. Everyone makes mistakes, it is important to be able to recover quickly.
– When you finish your playing career, do you see yourself in football, for example, as a coach?
– I think about it. Football is my whole life. Perhaps, I will start with working with goalkeepers, and then we'll see. In principle, I have already completed training and received a B-UEFA diploma to work as a coach and a B-UEFA diploma to work as a goalkeeper coach. I am also currently undergoing training on the international platform "PASS" on the course "Scouting and Analytics", so I am slowly preparing to change my football role, and when this will happen I have not yet decided for myself.
- You were called up to the national team under Talgat Baysufinov, who is now the head of "Ulytau". How do you rate your joint work and communication?
- Talgat Maruanovich is a person who honestly and devotedly works for Kazakhstani football. He has real football charisma, knows all the intricacies of Kazakhstani football and knows how to build relationships with players, listens to the team. I am sure that his experience is very important for the development of "Ulytau" and football in general in the Zhezkazgan region.
SOURCE: kffleague.kz
