Betim, Brazil, October 28, 2015 - Despite having defeated home team Sada Cruzeiro in front of more than 4’500 loud fans in Betim, Zenit Kazan coach Vladimir Alekno still believes his side can do better, and for sure they have to thinking on what comes next in the competition.
William Arjona, Sada Cruzeiro captain: “It was a tough game, but we knew about this in advance. We could have done a bit better on some aspects to put them under pressure - we had some good counterattack chances but couldn’t seize them. They received well and hence they had it easier on the attack, and at this level that’s just deadly for you. On a general basis, I think we did OK against a very good team, and now we must look forward.”
Nikolay Apalikov, Zenit Kazan captain: “Of course, we’re happy for winning this match. During the game we made several errors and that’s something we must correct, but we are aware this was our first official game of the season. On the next games we will aim to increase our level and play better volleyball.”
Marcelo Méndez, Sada Cruzeiro coach: “I want to congratulate the Russian team for the great game they played. They showed a very high volleyball level. For us, it was a valuable experience and this game will certainly be useful for us for the upcoming matches.”
Vladimir Alekno, Zenit Kazan coach: “We’re glad for the victory, but our performance and the result are not so pleasing for me. We will try to do our best to play better. I always try to pay attention mainly to the way my team plays, but you can tell by watching Sada Cruzeiro that they have good team spirit.”