Is there still a point in introducing Slava Bykov? The legendary Russian-Swiss hockey player, former flagship attacker for Fribourg-Gottéron swiss team, six times world champion with the USSR and then with Russia, and current coach of CSKA Moscow and of the Russia national team – the world title-holder – agreed to share with Business Mir his feelings about the latest sporting performances of his country of origin and to tell us about his personal projects.
What are your impressions after the excellent performance of Russia during the Euro 2008 tournament? The Russian team went through the tournament quite smoothly. Nobody expected such a result. In Russia, the whole population backed the national team. I think we can be proud of what has been achieved.
Lately, Russian clubs have made a name for themselves in team sports: Soccer (semi-final of the Euro and Zenith won Uefa Cup), Hockey (world champions), basketball (CSKA Moscow, Euroleague), volleyball (Dynamo Kazan, champions’ league), handball (women, European championships 2007). How do you explain such a success? These results owe nothing to chance. They are the direct consequence of the policy initiated by Vladimir Putin’s administration. Since he took power a little more than eight years ago, much attention and resources have been allocated to sports in general, and important investments have been made. Today, we are reaping the fruits of this beneficial policy.
According to you, is this a long-term trend? As President Medvedev has promised to continue Putin’s policy, we can expect the trend to be confirmed. On the other hand, the whole population supports its players.
This was seen this year with the Euro and with the victory of our national team at the hockey world championships. These victories are important for the people to further identify with the teams that represent them, and so that our athletes are further encouraged to excel.
Is there a typically Russian game style? This is hard to say. In soccer, you could say that lately, notably with the arrival of coach Guus Hiddink, it has acquired a more European style. More generally - we can see it in particular with hockey – the various sports have benefited from the experiences gained abroad and brought into practice in Russia.
But isn’t there a big difference in the approach to sports compared to the Soviet era? I am not particularly fond of this kind of parallel, but we could say that compared to the Soviet era, our approach to sports is more open and more internationally oriented. Our training methods are also more contemporary. Personally, in my work, I put this principle into practice: «a 100% democracy under the dictatorship of professionalism». I also attach much importance to the respect of individuals. For me, it is a key element.
Should we also expect big international successes from Russia in individual disciplines (e.g. tennis, fencing, boxing, etc)? I think there are no exclusively individual sports. Behind every victory, behind every athlete, there is a team of dedicated professionals, without which nothing would have been possible. Now it is true that in Russia, traditionally, some sports are more popular than others, as in every region of the globe. But the leaders of our country are striving to develop all kinds of sports, not only the most popular. Thus it is not impossible that in the medium term, we will see great successes in other disciplines, including - why not? - «individual» disciplines.
How are you preparing for the future of the Russian national hockey team? Our team has only one duty: get excellent results. Whether it gets them or not is of course another matter. But we will do everything we can for this to be the case.
And our victory at the world championships must serve to develop the interest for this sport in Russia. Right now in Russia a new league is being set up (editor’s note: the continental league, operational as from September 2008), which should considerably raise the level of hockey in general. This is a fact that will fundamentally change the face of Russian and global hockey, and which will have to be watched attentively.
Have you ever regretted having come and remained with Fribourg-Gottéron? No, it was a good choice and I’ve never regretted it.
But in hindsight, wouldn’t you have preferred to go to Canada for example? No, I have never dreamed of going to Canada. I had the opportunity to play against them and for me, that was enough. Besides, the conditions offered by my contract at the time were no less favourable than those I would have had in Canada. It has to be said that, at the time, the financial aspect wasn’t as important as it is today.
Under the current conditions,would you stay in Russia if you were 20 years old today? It’s very hard for me to answer because today’s Russia has changed a lot compared to the Russia I knew at the time. If I were 20 years old today, I might have a completely different mentality. But for me, the most important thing as a professional athlete has always been to be able to play the best hockey possible. In Russia, the level of the game and the financial conditions have considerably improved in recent years, but the NHL is still a level higher. And even if great Russian players can still find the NHL attractive, the new Russian league intends to raise the level of the game, not only in Russia but also in Europe.
So much so that its creation has aroused some fears among the leaders of the NHL… The NHL represents a very big business, and its leaders should understand that a business – whatever it is – cannot develop in a situation of monopoly, without competition.
Otherwise, you risk exhausting all the resources at your disposal. With the creation of this new Russian league, we will ultimately have results that are even more interesting for hockey. And I am sure that the leaders of the NHL understand this and will welcome this new league enthusiastically.
And how do you see your professional future? Do you think you will one day train a Swiss team? You know, this profession depends on numerous factors beyond our control, such as family health, etc. For the time being, I have signed for two years with CSKA Moscow, and also for two years with the national hockey team. After that, we’ll see what life has in store for me. But if I had the opportunity to work in Switzerland, I probably wouldn’t refuse it. Provided, of course, that the interest is mutual.
You have both Swiss and Russian nationalities. What do you think Russia can give to Switzerland and vice-versa? This dual nationality is a great advantage. But it brings with it a dual responsibility: when I am in Russia, I don’t forget that I also represent Switzerland, and I strive to behave accordingly. More specifically, I think that Russia has a lot to contribute to Switzerland, and vice versa. Neutral Switzerland pursues a very positive international policy and develops many cooperation projects, notably in Russia.
Russia also strives to play a mediating role in its international relations. For my part, being binational, I try to work towards bringing those two countries closer, at my own level. In today’s world, it is essential to establish a dialogue between the different components of the international community, and I am proud to make my own modest contribution.
Don’t you have the feeling that your stay in Switzerland has changed you? I don’t think I have fundamentally changed. Deep inside, I’m still the same. Thanks to my profession, I have the opportunity to travel a lot, and this is a clear advantage, but deep inside, I’m still committed to the same principle: « my home is where my family is».
Since 2004, you have been coaching CSKA Moscow, and since 2006, the Russian national hockey team. You thus have had an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Russian reality. What is your current view of today’s Russia? Ever since I have played abroad, I have gone back to Russia every year to recharge my batteries. And I can only confirm the progress made there in recent years. Today, living there is finally attractive. Today’s Russia is a country that is moving forward, regaining its strength, with a new generation of leaders who are pursuing an appropriate policy. But this rising Russia isn’t aggressive or threatening. I don’t think the world should be afraid of Russia. I think the stronger Russia is, the better it will be for Europe. In any case, that’s my opinion.
