Spring of Elbasan “Locomotive” was released in the playoff Europa League – RIA Novosti

© AFP 2015 / GENT SHKULLAKU

Elbasan (Albania), December 11 – P Sport, Alexander Rogulev. Moscow “Locomotive” won a landslide victory over the “Skenderbeu” from Korca with the score 3: 0 and reached the playoffs football Europa League from the first place in Group B. The correspondent of “R-Sport” was witness the first ever match the Russian team, which was held on the territory of Albania.

Training without balls

declared fit in Tirana.

“A friend, you fly to us for a vacation? ” – Unexpectedly at a decent English he asks me the passenger in the adjacent seat. I was a little hesitated to answer, because I could not imagine people flying flight Istanbul – Tirana in December for the rest, but still explained the purpose of the trip. “Oh, that’s cool – my neighbor was a little disappointed. – Football – it’s good. But if you need any drugs, call me, I have the best of everything”.

Most of colleagues in the sports edition jealous when I went to a business trip to the match, “Locomotive” in Albania. I myself was happy: Well, really, when there will be a reason to be in this dark corner of Europe, but still not in the capital and in the provincial Elbasan, about which in Russian read anything impossible.

But what was closer to the trip, the more the question arises of how this Albania exist. Railway services in the country, in fact, no bus routes in the internet to know is unrealistic. And the question of transport – it’s just one problem among many. And when my cheerful neighbor on the plane gave the phrase: “Remember, my friend, we, Albanians, are very bad people, watch for pockets,” I lost heart completely.

Even the “Locomotive” was not without turmoil. The receiving party was not able to arrange pre-match events in Elbasan, I had to endure all in Tirana. The highlight of the history of steel balls … – more precisely, their absence from the training of railway workers on Wednesday. They did not manage to bring to the stadium on time, so the first half of the class had to be carried out without goals.

The horse and gypsy

About Albania very hard to tell. There is so much is mixed cultures that distinguish one thing is impossible. To make it clear: in this country is still popular vendetta. Families are at war, or as long as all the men of both clans agree, or when, in fact, there will be men. However, in the second case as head of the family can take the woman and the feud continued.

About the provincial Elbasan is also possible that a single sketch. The first thing you see Russian journalists in the city – “parked” horse from a local bank branch. She just stood between the cars. As long as we are ready to shoot, it was interesting: from somewhere appeared a gypsy with a rope, lures and a horse, apparently wanted her to withdraw. Prevent journalists when the woman saw directed at her phones and tablets, embarrassed and ran away. In general, a typical Elbasan.

In football Albania progresses much faster. As you know, this year the team selected for the first time in the European Championship. And the best team in the country the past five years for the first time appears in the group stage of the European Cup. In general, a real football boom. Even in the national championship for the first time in five years there was intrigue forced to fight on two fronts, “Skenderbeu” inferior to the capital “Partizani” two points.

It was interesting to see with their own eyes how Albania will worry about its own. Naturally, it was the first match of the national club in the country. In the Cup Winners Cup season 1979/80 Moscow “Dynamo” incident on the Albanian “Vlaznev.” But because of bad relations between the USSR and Albania, the club refused to meet, and the “white-blue” without a fight went to the second round of the tournament.

“We can do without provocations”

The main group visiting fans “Locomotive” was brought over after ten minutes and led the team to the podium. “Right – ad. On the whole story with the local Serbs on the drum. So let’s do without provocations,” – held a meeting the operational leader of the group, without noticing journalists. In Moscow, we recall, the fans had fun notably: there was enough insults dedicated acute relations Albania and Serbia.

It is logical that everyone was waiting for some kind of answer. The receiving party just in case reinforced security measures, doubling the number of stewards and police officers compared to conventional games Europa League. Prior to the game teams of Albania and Serbia, of course, it does not hold, but 400 people – too bad. How are we surprised when the cashier at the stadium only shown on the screen free places: the stadium was almost empty.

Fans of “Skenderbeu” filled two central sector. Two opposite gave a VIP-guests and casual onlookers. Throw 50-70 people, “Locomotive”, and 400 police officers. That’s all. Even in the matches of the regular season CHL Podolsk, when they play “Hero” and, figuratively speaking, “Ugra” in Khanty-Mansiysk, the audience comes more.

Cold football

Igor Cherevchenko formed defender of Taras Mikhalik and Nemanja Pejčinović, and in midfield released Dmitry Tarasov and Alexander Kolomeitseva. Other special items not caused intrigue. What is remarkable, “Locomotive” came to the match with one striker, the Albanians – with two. It immediately became clear that football sverhatakuyuschego by railwaymen in the evening is not worth waiting.

football himself in Elbasan was generally low. “Locomotive” is not particularly eager to advance, giving the opponent the initiative. But at the end of 13 minutes, it Muscovites had to open an account: home team’s keeper somehow miraculously reflected the impact Niasse blank. However, in the next counterattack “Locomotive” scored. Alan Kasaev found at the entrance to the box Tarasova, and he did not miss, scoring his first goal in European competition.

What was closer to the break, the slower moving players from both teams. The feeling that “Locomotive” is more likely to freeze in the field (after sunset in Elbasan sharply colder) than to miss a goal. Given the almost empty stadium and dying Fan Zone hosts the picture is some very sad. Then came the break, and all went under the bleachers – to warm up.

The second half was different only in that the teams swapped gates. “Locomotive” played with a cool head, knowing that one goal is enough to complete the task. However, this was enough to defeat: Niasse yet implemented one of placer moments and Alexander Samedov put an end to a pretty good fall-winter campaign of “red-green”.

“There is satisfaction in the first half of the season. Thankful Guys, this is – to their credit, their work at the training camp, – summed up the first half of the season Cherevchenko. – satisfied and the coaching staff, and the children themselves “.

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