“I did not think you had so many questions”: what awaits Kuzmin from the new position at “Rubin”?

Artiga said goodbye to “Rubin," the queue to lead the team passed to Oleg Kuzmin

The Spanish fiesta of Frank Artiga at “Rubin” came to an end on the past weekend. Unfortunately, he did not manage to show a celebration of football in the capital of Tatarstan at all. More precisely, there was a flash under Artiga's leadership at “Rubin," but quite short-lived, in the first month of spring of the past 2025/26 championship.

“Rubin's” game against “Krylia Sovetov” turned out to be a complete catastrophe. The result is indicative — a logical 0:2 in favor of the Samara team. After the match with “Spartak” (0:4) in Moscow, Frank Artiga gave himself two matches to correct the situation — with “Krylia” and “Fakel.” However in the match with the Samara team such an idea-lessness emanated from “Rubin” that the club's management did not delay. And immediately upon the end of the meeting with “Krylia” it presented Oleg Kuzmin as the new acting head coach.

Even during the time of Rashid Rakhimov's work at “Rubin," Oleg Kuzmin had to lead the team on the touchline while the head coach was once serving a disqualification for unsportsmanlike conduct. The then 45-year-old coach coped with the experience new to him quite well and at least did not spoil the picture. And at the press conference upon the completion of one of the matches Kuzmin cautiously indicated that in the future he would not mind working as a full-fledged head coach.

“I did not even think that you had so many questions for me”

Today's press conference of Oleg Kuzmin resembled more an introductory meeting with journalists. The specialist did not throw around loud words or statements and did not even try to shock. And it was felt that for now it is hard for Oleg Kuzmin to get used to the high attention of the press.

— I did not even think that you had so many questions for me, Kuzmin said with a little weariness, although the duration of the press conference barely exceeded 30 minutes. How not to recall here the two— or even three-hour press conferences of Leonid Slutsky and Rashid Rakhimov at “Rubin.” These people were great masters and lovers of talking with journalists.

However, Kuzmin indicated today that he is ready for pressure from the press. He was taught this at the coaching school. Moreover, he himself understands perfectly how important it is to be able to communicate correctly with journalists in modern realities. As a player, Kuzmin gave a counted number of interviews. In the role of coach he will have to do this on a regular basis.

“My principles: organization, discipline”

Oleg Kuzmin is aware of how difficult a position in the table “Rubin” found itself in by the 13th round of the RPL. Since the start of the championship the Kazan team has gained only 12 points, obtaining just two victories back in the summer period. “Rubin” has plenty of playing and personnel problems. The Kazan team greatly lacks creative footballers, which is why the team shows very low scoring. 12 goals in 12 matches — less in this period was scored only by “Fakel.”

By the way, with the Voronezh team “Rubin” has its nearest game in the RPL. Oleg Kuzmin did not reveal the secrets of how the Kazan club will play in the upcoming meeting. On the whole the coach spoke rather restrainedly about his own vision of the football style of “Rubin," only indicating that he plans to take the best little by little from those specialists with whom he previously had to work together.

— All coaches are different; one does not want to copy someone. I worked with many of our specialists who achieved much. From each I took a little. Communication with the team, discipline. My principles: organization, discipline. Any coach wants to attack, but there are different matches. One must be able to do everything: attack positionally and defend, noted Oleg Kuzmin.

“The management said this: 'Fix the situation'"

The calendar right up to the winter break does not promise easy matches for “Rubin” in the RPL. Yes, on the coming weekend the Kazan team will fight with the outsider of the championship. But then will follow “Lokomotiv," “Zenit," “Rodina," “Akron” and “Krasnodar.” Let us not forget also about the final games of “Rubin” in the Russian Cup. The debut of Oleg Kuzmin in the post of acting head coach of the Kazan team will fall on the cup game with “Spartak” at the “Lukoil Arena.” The match for the 45-year-old specialist will be symbolic. After all, Oleg Kuzmin is a graduate of “Spartak.”

The tasks from the management the new head coach of “Rubin” stipulated succinctly, laconically, without water and unnecessary words.

— Now the result is important. We think about the nearest match. The management said this: “Fix the situation," said Kuzmin.

Through the few words of Oleg Kuzmin one can in principle understand the thread of his dialogue with the management on the past weekend. Everything is in the hands of the specialist — if he proves himself, then in the spring he will receive the position of head coach. Kuzmin has plenty of illustrative examples before his eyes — the same Dmitry Igdisamov from CSKA.