"Rubin" President: "We would like to play in the Champions League, to represent Kazan outside of Russia"

Mayor of Kazan, President of the football club "Rubin" Ilsur Metshin gave interview to TASS, in which he spoke of the changes that have affected the budget of the Kazan club, plans to develop a culture of football fans and shared his thoughts on the renewal and development of the composition of the players.

Budget of Kazan football club "Rubin" for the current season was shortened due to the poor performances of the team in the last championship, it is € 50 million. "Current season we started with a budget of € 50 million, - Ilsur Metshin said. - We have seriously reduced our costs. The reason of this is the place that we took in the standings. Our shareholders and sponsors are closely watching this and acquisitions".

Possible increase in the budget will depend on the economic situation in the country. "The fiscal year is just begun. Everything will depend on oil prices and on the ruble, so now, God forbid, to maintain positions in the economy will be good to our businesses, the economy in the country and the world steadily worked. Our sponsors are leading companies, including the world", - he said.

Ilsur Metshin also said that "Rubin" puts local tasks to the team, however, the main is the place among the best clubs in 2020.

"We cannot imagine our republic without the "Rubin". This is our calling card. There are tasks for six months, there is a task to finish the season on a high place and show good football. And there are tasks until 2020. In short, we should be in the top of the Russian Premier League; we have to fight for the gold. We would like to play in the Champions League, to represent Kazan outside of Russia,"- Ilsur Metshin shared his vision of the development of the club.

"Kazan Arena", which opened in 2013, must take a special place in the development of the club, according to its President. "We want to grow these fans who would love football. Who would love its tradition and philosophy. This should be a spectacle, and not a hooligan show. To be able to bring children, wife, girlfriend at football. I support the idea to "Kazan Arena" became the fashionable place", - Ilsur Metshin said.

Also, he said, "Rubin" cannot begin to meet the requirements of Financial Fair play of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) immediately, because the problems were saved by years: "They cannot be solved at once, they were saved over the years. Another thing is that we have a great desire to meet the requirements, but it is impossible to organize at one day ".

In addition, in an interview Ilsur Metshin gave an assessment of some players of "Rubin", arguing, inter alia, the possible continuation of the work of Gekdeniz Karadeniz at the club after the completion of his playing career. Club President also said that "Rubin" wants to see team striker Sardar Azmoun who has expressed a desire to leave for rent in "Rostov" at pre-season: "Until the summer Azmun will be rented in the" Rostov ". But we would like to see this player in "Rubin", - Metshin commented on the situation.

"We have no problem with a limit. There are good Russians in our team, starting with the goalkeepers. Sergey Ryzhikov, Oleg Kuzmin, Vitaly Ustinov, Elmir Nabiullin, Denis Tkachuk, Maxim Kanunnikov, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Magomed Ozdoev, Igor Portnyagin and others. We have a whole bench of strong Russian players. There were not strong free Russians, which we could draw for money. That is, today there is a very serious shortage of strong Russian players,"- he said.