What do we know about the general director of CSKA? Very little. The young, energetic manager of one of the most successful Russian clubs rarely gives lengthy interviews. However, this corresponds to the general image of the army: they are mostly laconic. With the hope of finding out as much as possible about Roman Babaev, I went to the CSKA office. Alas, we had to wait a little: the general director’s office for some time became a place of pilgrimage for almost all the club’s employees: the off-season, a lot of issues requiring immediate resolution. When Roman Yuryevich was finally freed, he told everything about himself naturally and honestly. It became clear how versatile and enthusiastic he is.
So, meet the general director of CSKA, Roman Babaev, a graduate of the Law Faculty of Moscow State University, a romantic and a big fan of extreme sports.
Armed with a phone
S: Roman Yuryevich, tell me honestly: will we be able to talk at all? As I see, your phone is cut off every minute.
Yes, I even sleep with my phone. This is my second wife, one might say. But I'm used to it and I can't say that it's very annoying. Another thing is that they often call because of all sorts of nonsense. We have to separate the wheat from the chaff.
S: So I got into this busy schedule. There is an interest in learning more about you, talking about the successes of the club...
Well, success is a relative concept: we didn’t become Russian champions last year. But the team looked really decent throughout the championship and fought for first place until the last rounds. Not everything worked out for us, unfortunately - there was a period of unacceptable mistakes, due to which we were unable to overtake Zenit. Nevertheless, I think that in the second round CSKA showed an interesting game, bright and entertaining. This is the kind of football fans like. I know that even many fans of our direct competitors recognize CSKA as the number one team precisely from the standpoint of entertainment. So there are pleasant memories from last year. But we need to move on, to titles.
S: Let's set priorities. What comes to mind first?
Of course, participation in the quarterfinals of the Champions League is the first time our club has reached this stage. Successful performance in the Europa League. Well, I repeat, the second round of the Russian Championship, during which we regularly saw a real team on the field - a team in every sense of this extensive concept. It became clear that CSKA is not just a recruitment of high-quality football players. This is a single whole, this is a fist, this is a perfectly balanced machine that is capable of thinking, developing and restructuring. CSKA showed both attacking football and rational football, if the need arose; CSKA has developed a pattern of play, which is especially pleasing given the large number of newcomers - usually it takes much more time to build up. And if we remember that Leonid Slutsky worked with the team for essentially the first season, we can firmly say: CSKA showed a good result in 2010.
S: Who do you see as your main competitor in the championship race in the coming season?
You know, Russia is such a country that any predictions practically lose their meaning. This applies to all types of activities, and even more so to sports. Do you see what sad news is coming from Amkar and Saturn? Who could have thought about this back in the fall? In general, it is difficult to predict. But I'll try. If we take the 2010 season as a basis - of course, Zenit, Spartak and, probably, Rubin. Although none of those who set high goals for themselves can be written off - for example, Lokomotiv and Dynamo. But at a distance, it was Zenit and Rubin that looked the most stable and competitive. Partly - Spartak.
Don't go to jobs.ru
S: What rating do you think the head coach deserves?
I think that the entire coaching staff of CSKA, headed by Leonid Slutsky, did a good job. At the time of making the decision on the coach, it was clear, of course, that he would need some time to adapt: it is no secret that Leonid Viktorovich has quite serious experience, but he has not worked in top teams. And in them, with all due respect, slightly different mechanisms operate, the players behave a little differently, the management sets different tasks. All this was a novelty for Slutsky, and he honestly admitted this more than once. But time passed, and everything fell into place. I think that the coach did his job well.
S: After Valery Gazzaev left the team, CSKA did not immediately get into “its wave”. At the same time, Slutsky was invited to work during a period of life that was not the easiest for army men. How, why, for what reasons did the club settle on this particular candidate?
Honestly, I don’t even want to remember the period when Valery Georgievich left CSKA. It was just New Year's Eve. You wouldn’t wish on your enemy what we experienced then. We were not ready for such a turn of events - to find ourselves without a head coach. The options that were available in the nearest reserve, unfortunately, did not come together for various reasons, and we galloped across Europe. We tried everything we could. Unless you visited the job.ru website. In general, in essence, we chose from what was available. And at that time there was communication with the Brazilian specialist Zico, who spent a wonderful season with Fenerbahce: the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the Turkish champion title... But in Russia, Zico, unfortunately, did not work out. Then the Spanish coach Juande Ramos was invited: we carried out negotiations very quickly and were able to attract a great specialist to the work, as they say, without noise and dust. Ramos is a very strong coach and a very decent person, but in Russia not everyone is able to realize themselves and find themselves. That's not news.
S: A special country, why not...
Yes, Russia requires a special approach. The problem of the language barrier, of course, is present, a completely exclusive mentality, climatic conditions - everything together. It was unreasonable to demand quick success from Ramos, and we were aware of this. Therefore, in the end, a strategic decision was made for the future. Yes, Leonid Slutsky is a young specialist who has no experience working in top teams, but his professional level is beyond doubt. With him, perhaps sacrificing the immediate result, CSKA will achieve success in the future - we were thinking along similar lines. Fortunately, everything went even according to a more optimistic scenario: almost immediately a phenomenal result, in my opinion, was given - participation in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. I think the choice justified itself. And I really hope that with Leonid Slutsky, CSKA will have very serious success.
S: It’s curious: when two serious foreign coaches in a row didn’t take root, was there any desire to bring Gazzaev back? Or was it unrealistic?
There is nothing unreal in life. But when you do something, you need to clearly understand why you are doing it. Golden pages in the history of the army club are associated with Valery Georgievich. No one will argue that he was and remains the strongest Russian coach - this is not even discussed. But it is very difficult to enter the same river twice. And three times - even more so. Gazzaev has already left the team once. Then he returned, and returned enchantingly, winning the UEFA Cup. For the third time, it would probably be very difficult for all of us to repeat this path. Therefore, we practically did not consider this option.
State clubs are doomed
S: Last year, experts unanimously gave CSKA an A for selection. Congratulations to you...
Thank you. I am often asked what is CSKA's secret. The answer is simple: in attitude. Evgeniy Giner has repeatedly said that clubs focused on government subsidies are, unfortunately, doomed. In this matter, the president of CSKA turned out to be a visionary, this can be seen in the example of the same Amkar and Saturn. Budget money is a road to nowhere. And the point is not that someone is accusing someone of wasting people’s money. It’s just that Russian football in its purest form is not a business at all, so no one sets any financial tasks for the management of the so-called “state” clubs. They put on sports ones. But it is clear that six or seven teams, no more, can fight for the first three places in the Russian Championship, and the rest are simply following the path of absorbing budget funds. The money has been allocated, it needs to be spent, but how is the tenth question. The attitude towards private capital is completely different. This is ours, not someone else's. This is daily control, daily accounting. That’s the whole secret of success: we try to be extremely attentive to any transaction, and even to a transfer one – doubly and triple. At one time, we defined a strategy that will soon be ten years old. Its name is a bet on young, unpromoted, talented players. Such as Carvalho, Wagner, Zhirkov, Krasic, Jo, Doumbia, Tosic. When we found them, perhaps they were familiar to a narrow circle of specialists, but their names meant nothing to the fans. We followed them with all our eyes, taking into account not only the sports component, but also character, mentality, marital status, and so on. And, of course, we made mistakes too. For example, Maazu is an excellent player, but, unfortunately, we did not take into account certain traits of his character, which did not allow the guy to fully develop in Russia.
S: Could you be more specific: how exactly does the process of finding a suitable player take place?
Yes, I already said, there is no secret here. Only work. I can add that both the president and shareholders of the club are personally involved in transfer issues, and on a daily basis. It’s not like a certain breeder, the so-called Vasya Petrov, who is looking for the right people from morning to evening, brings us a profile and everyone immediately says: “Okay, let’s try to take it.” There is a certain system of work that we try to do responsibly. The club has a database of players aged 14 years and older. As a rule, CSKA does not consider candidacies of football players over 23–24 years old - with rare exceptions. All football players are divided into categories A, B and C - according to talent, sports results, and so on. Breeders regularly update this database, and if necessary, we consult the list and enter into negotiations. They, of course, are not always simple and successful, because the market is tight. For example, several clubs from Russia were interested in Doumbia at once. And they offered the guy much more favorable conditions.
S: Why did Doumbia end up in CSKA?
I had to look for additional arguments... So, I will continue. When the need arises to acquire a particular player, as, for example, in a situation where we knew that Krasic would leave, we look at who appears on our list in the desired position. In the case of Krasic, one of the alternative options was Tosic. We weighed all the pros and cons, including the fact that Serbs adapt to Russia, perhaps better than other foreigners, and made a collective decision. And then came the technical work - calls, trips, negotiations. At the same time, CSKA prefers to negotiate directly with clubs, avoiding all these football-related comrades.
S: By name of the agents?
Yes. Although agent differs from agent, of course. But, in my experience, most of them appear only at the moment when a player moves from team to team, which, of course, promises certain profits. And for the rest of the period, when a football player needs help, agents disappear somewhere.
S: Are you planning to strengthen yourself for the upcoming long season?
The team, according to objective professional assessments, is currently quite well staffed. If no one leaves CSKA, there is absolutely no need to acquire new players: competition for a place in the squad is very high, not all people get sufficient playing practice and, of course, remain dissatisfied with this circumstance. Our football players are very ambitious people, most of them play for the national teams of their countries, and they are far from the last in the football world. So if we acquire new players, it will most likely be young people. For the future.
S: You said that someone might leave the team. Who exactly?
This is just a necessary caveat. This circumstance must always be kept in mind. This is football, this is life. CSKA is not a club that tries to make a profit on a player at the first opportunity. Many football players who come to CSKA noticeably increase in value after some time. If we talk about the latest acquisitions - almost ten times, like Sekou, for example, whom we spotted, one might say, out of the blue. And if we receive offers from top clubs that are worthy of both the players themselves and the CSKA brand, we will definitely consider them. Of course, it’s impossible not to let people go to Juventus or Chelsea, but the priority is still to preserve the team in the form in which it is now.
Few people are not afraid of Giner
S: At RFPL meetings, two people are always present from the army club - you and Evgeniy Giner. Why?
This is precisely the question of responsibility and concern. It is very important to improve the work of the club in all directions, and the Premier League today is authorized to develop the commercial component and promote the brand of Russian football. Therefore, the presence of two club representatives at meetings is a matter of principle. As they say, one head is good, but two are better. Naturally, all serious decisions in CSKA are made at the level of the club president, who is directly involved in all processes without exception. But since I also need to keep abreast of events and I am part of a number of Premier League working groups, my presence at RFPL meetings is justified and appropriate.
S: How long have you known Evgeniy Giner?
Since 2001.
S: Who did he become for you during this time? A friend, an older comrade? Or does he remain the direct boss?
Firstly, of course, Evgeny Lennorovich is my leader and teacher. Over these ten years I have learned a lot from him. And not only me: almost all the people who come across him in life speak extremely positively about this person. I think it’s not for nothing that he is annually nominated for the title of best sports manager in Russia. Absolutely rightfully so.
S: What did you personally learn from Giner?
First of all, because the word “impossible” is not in his vocabulary. There are plenty of examples when I was sure that a particular project was unrealistic, but then I was convinced of the opposite: if you try really hard, everything will work out. As Evgeniy Lennorovich says, a person who wants to do something will find ten ways to achieve it, and someone who doesn’t want to will find a thousand ways why it cannot be done. May God grant everyone such a teacher. The success of CSKA is largely the success of the club president.
S: So, now nothing is impossible for you either?
It's just that, you know, many times the impossible actually turned out to be possible. As an example, I can recall the trial when CSKA players were accused of doping. Everyone around unanimously insisted that no one would stand on ceremony with us, and the guys would receive at least a year of disqualification, although we knew that we were not guilty of anything. The club was literally on its feet at that time, we did a lot of work, and in the end justice prevailed. But it was possible to send two or three letters to the appropriate authorities and leave it at that... So here at CSKA, we often go against the grain, trying to achieve results. Not always, however, everything depends on us, as, for example, it happened in the fall on the football field, when in three matches we could not score a penalty. Just some kind of accident, a fantastic result with a minus sign...
S: Apparently, Giner also infected you with your ability to work?
Yes, I have already learned to do without sleep when necessary. In transfer matters, sometimes every hour counts.
S: Are you probably afraid of your boss?
You know, I think that in Russia – and not only in Russia – there are not many people who would not be afraid of Giner. Not because he is scary and harsh. He's just a man who always says what he thinks. Maybe harshly, but always honestly and, as a rule, to the point. And, of course, many people don’t like this. No, I cannot say that I am afraid of Evgeniy Lennorovich, but his authority is, of course, a very tangible value.
All friends come from childhood
S: Do you have real friends in the football world?
No, because friends, in my opinion, are a special category. I have friends. For example, I have a very good relationship with Igor Akinfeev. I can say that few people know him from a purely human point of view. Igor is not only a wonderful football player, but also a rare person. May God grant everyone who has achieved such success to remain themselves, as Igor was able to do. But I can’t say that I have real friends in football.
S: It’s difficult to build close relationships with the people you work with...
Yes, probably. My friends are mainly from school and university days.
S: Apparently, the position doesn’t allow you to particularly relax.
Yes, sure. To work properly, you have to make certain sacrifices. But I keep in touch with my friends.
S: What about other club managers? They probably understand you better than anyone else...
The relationship is exclusively friendly. We communicate regularly with Maxim Mitrofanov from Zenit, with Evgeny Smolentsev, who recently moved from Spartak to Zhemchuzhina.
S: What about the players?
As I already said, good relations with Akinfeev. Also with Rakhimich, with Shemberas, with the Berezutsky brothers. Nowadays it is very fashionable to be friends with football players, especially when they achieve success. Just yesterday no one knew them, but today the guys suddenly become surrounded by well-wishers. This is not my case. I am not a fan of using the opportunities that my position provides to befriend celebrities in public.
Came to CSKA in troubled times
S: You’ve probably been rooting for CSKA since childhood?
I won't lie, I wasn't sick. Yes, I was worried about basketball CSKA, but in football, to be honest, there were no priorities. Since childhood, my favorite team has been Barcelona. It still is today. But now, of course, CSKA is in first place, and Barca has moved to second.
S: When you were a child, whose posters hung over your bed?
Draws. I've never had any idols. And above the bed hung family photographs.
S: Did you play football yourself?
Yes, I played – both at school and for the law school team at Moscow State University, which was considered far from the strongest at the university. Football has been very close to me since childhood, so I think I’m terribly lucky that my work is connected with it.
S: Is it an accident that you found yourself in demand in this particular area? Or did you consciously go for this?
Life, of course, is an amazing thing. Everything was like in a movie. When I was in my fourth year, the opportunity to work at CSKA arose quite by chance. I did not consider it seriously; my task was to graduate from university and, if possible, provide myself with additional income. It was 1999 - real troubled times. And everything that had to do with CSKA looked completely sad. I, as a simple man in the street, drew information exclusively from the press. And I learned that CSKA was somehow connected with the financing of Chechen militants, with the clothing market... Of course, the club had a reputation. But I was offered a job as a legal consultant, and I thought: why not? Then the management of the club changed; in 2001, Evgeniy Giner came to CSKA. By that time I was already planning to quit, because nothing good was happening then. There were enthusiasts who tried to somehow establish legal order in football. But that was a time of absolute legislative vacuum; no one had any idea about any rules governing professional sports. There was only an empty “Law on Physical Culture and Sports”, which did not answer a single question. Those times cannot be called anything other than troubled – not only for football, but for the entire country, which was just trying to get up from its knees. Even the presence of a lawyer on the staff of the organization seemed nonsense. I remember calling a Moscow club and asking to connect me with a lawyer, and the answer was: “Where are you calling? This is a football club!
S: Giner convinced you to stay, then?
When I, as they say, had already sharpened my skis in the criminal defense profession - to be honest, I was very interested in this area of jurisprudence - and was about to write an application, just a couple of words were enough for Evgeniy Lennorovich to get me fired up again. I agreed to stay and, as you might guess, I don’t regret anything today. And it's not just about career growth. We created a new CSKA, we, one might say, made history, but it’s difficult to convey how interesting all this is. Every day is a new challenge. I am very proud and very happy that I was in the right place at the right time.
Extreme is not enough
S: During the holidays, the general director of a large football club apparently cannot rest like mere mortals?
No Unfortunately. Or maybe fortunately. On holidays, I try to spend free time with my family - this is, in essence, a real holiday. Of course, I want to go somewhere to warm countries, but it’s not possible yet.
S: In general, can you consider yourself a fan of active recreation?
When possible - yes, of course. I really like windsurfing, for example. When I go somewhere, I always choose places where I can practice my hobby. I don’t know how to just lie on the beach and sunbathe.
S: Russia recently emerged from the New Year’s half-oblivion. What can you wish to the fans of CSKA - and all other clubs - in the coming year, the Year of the Rabbit?
In the year of the Rabbit? Multiply! The demographic situation needs to be improved! But seriously, the most important thing, in my opinion, is peace and well-being in the family. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of aggression around lately. People have simply forgotten how to appreciate what they have. We have stopped enjoying simple blessings, excuse the banality - the opportunity to look and see, to enjoy the sun, sky, sea. You need to understand how important it is and how fragile it is, how easily it can all be lost. Of course, I would like there to be more harmony, warmth and love. Well, for CSKA fans personally, please be with us. And more victories! It’s our 100th anniversary, so, of course, CSKA will try to please the people.
S: What would you wish for yourself personally if you forget about work? Let's say, collect a collection of butterflies or make a ship in a bottle...
You know, I once jumped with a parachute, I was 19 years old then. Since then I have been dreaming of repeating this feat, but somehow it doesn’t work out. Sometimes I don’t have enough time, sometimes some phobias arise, I won’t hide it. So, if we talk about desires not related to work, I want extreme sports, thrills, a feeling of complete freedom. I would like to have more time to get a new buzz from life.
S: Are there really not enough thrills at work?
Still enough! Adrenaline sometimes gets so high! But this is completely different, the nature of these sensations is different. And they themselves are different.
S: Have you had such a passion for extreme sports since childhood?
Yes, since childhood. Of course, I caused a lot of headaches for my parents and school teachers.
S: Come on, come on?
No, this is a topic for another discussion. Let's do it another time, okay?
S: Last question: when will CSKA win the Champions League?
This is for the predictors, not for me. I won't make predictions. CSKA has long ago taught everyone that they only talk about things that have happened. I can only say that we really want this and are working in the given direction. Participation in the quarterfinals of the League is a good confirmation of this, isn’t it? We lost to the eventual winner, and, in my opinion, Inter, in the state in which they played against us, was practically invincible.
|God loves a trinity
Throughout the history of CSKA, three foreign coaches have worked in the army club. The first was the Portuguese Arthur Jorge, who had experience in Porto, Benfica and PSG. With CSKA, Jorge only managed to win the Russian Super Cup. True, in a match with a fundamental opponent. The bright victory over Spartak (3:1) will certainly be remembered by the team's fans.
In the summer of 2004, the Portuguese was replaced by the returning Valery Gazzaev, and less than a year later CSKA achieved the most significant success in its history. When he left at the end of 2008, Valery Georgievich left the fans perplexed: who would get the “team in gold wrapper”. The baton was picked up by the Brazilian Zico, but “white Pele” was not destined to finish until the end of the season. The club's management decided to enter the Champions League with Juande Ramos, but the Spaniard's stay at the head of the team turned out to be short-lived. Leonid Slutsky did not have time to correct CSKA's tournament position in the championship, but he brought the army team to the quarterfinals of the main European club tournament.
|CSKA: the 2011/12 season is open!
The first season of the “autumn-spring” system and also the longest championship in Russia, which will stretch for a year and a half, will start very soon. Preparations for it have already begun. The other day, the capital's army team went to the first pre-season training camp in Campoamor, Spain, where they plan to play two test matches - on January 26 and 27.
The army team will hold its second training camp in Turkey. The team will travel to Belek on January 31, where they will stay until February 9 and play four test games (February 2, 4, 6 and 9).
Already on February 17, the army team will have their first appearance in European competition this year – a match in the Europa League playoffs. The team will go to visit the Greek club PAOK. The championship in the Russian Premier League starts on March 12. But who the army team will have to play in the first round is still unknown, because the future of their opponent in the opening round (Perm Amkar) is still in question.
|You can’t understand with your mind
Players and coaches who never settled down in Russia and CSKA in particular sometimes talk about their impressions of our country, where staying in which becomes a real test for many.
For example, former army team head coach Zico traditionally complained about the Russian winter in one of his interviews: “I think that the main problem for a South American is the cold. I have been to different countries, and everywhere it was periodically cool, but Russia is a special issue. Here I first understood what real cold is and what it is like, real snow, when the desire to leave the house completely disappears.”
But one of the main complaints of all legionnaires is still racism. “I didn’t expect that what happened to the CSKA striker Maazu would happen here,” Zico shared his impressions of the experiences of a black football player who had repeatedly heard insults from Russian fans.
Ouvo Moussa Maazu himself also spoke out in the press more than once about how difficult it was for him to survive in Russia. True, the striker from Niger was also upset by the “heaviness of life”: the language barrier and unusual food compared to African food prevented the talented striker from developing to his full potential. “Moscow was a living hell, both in terms of language and food,” Maazu complained in an interview with foreign media.
Please do not use without permission from the editor. Quoting is permitted with obligatory reference to the weekly journal.
General Director of the Moscow football club CSKA Roman Babaev, in an interview with Armenian News – NEWS.am correspondent Vera Martirosyan, spoke about his Armenian roots, why CSKA did not acquire Henrikh Mkhitaryan at one time and what steps the club is taking now to increase the attendance of its new stadium .
Recently, an article appeared on one of the Russian sports websites about the most influential Armenians in Russian football. It turned out that there are a lot of Armenians in Russian football. It’s no secret that you also have Armenian roots. Where is your family from?
My parents are Armenians. We are from Baku. I lived in Armenia. I went to school named after. Pushkin. I know Armenian, but due to lack of practice, now I speak it with difficulty, although I understand it perfectly.
When was the last time you were in Armenia?
In 2000. I plan to visit next year. I miss you very much. I know Yerevan very well. He lived in Byurakan for a long time. As a teenager I climbed all over Mount Aragats. When I lived in Armenia, there was a very difficult period there - cold, dark years. But despite this, I still have very warm memories. As well as from Nagorno-Karabakh. I visited Stepanakert and Shushi as a child. We had relatives living there.
CSKA President Evgeny Lennorovich Giner also has Armenian roots, right?
Yes, he does not hide the fact that Armenian blood flows in his veins. Happens often in Armenia. He has a lot of close Armenian friends.
How did it happen that there are so many Armenians in Russian football?
Well, not only in football. Historically, Armenians have shown themselves in various fields. This is inherent in the people - family, education and work are a priority for any Armenian family. We had a difficult financial situation in the family - mom is a doctor, dad is an engineer. But they did everything to ensure that I received a good education. I graduated from the Faculty of Law of Moscow State University with honors. Armenian parents try to give their children a good education.
Do you follow Armenian football?
I keep an eye on it, but lately there haven’t been many reasons for joy. At the club level, teams have no success in Eurocups, and the national team is not happy yet. This may be due to the difficult economic situation. But I communicate with colleagues from Armenian clubs and, of course, I worry, mainly about the national team.
How did you get into football?
As a 4th year student I tried to find a job. Through a friend, an opportunity arose to work at the CSKA football club as a legal adviser. Then, under the previous management, the club was going through hard times. To be honest, I thought I wouldn’t last long here. With the knowledge and ambitions that MSU provides, I wanted more. But he endured it, and then, as they say, he got involved. And it seemed to me that practicing sports law was very interesting. At that time, there was no such thing as sports law. There was some kind of vacuum; no one understood how to conclude transfer and employment contracts. In 2001, when Evgeniy Lennorovich Giner joined the club, it immediately became clear that the club had new big goals. He invited me to stay. And I don’t regret staying at all.
Can you say that you are good at football or is your role to be a good manager?
I'm more of a manager. Although, when you work in football for more than 20 years, you begin to understand it to one degree or another. I do not participate in the breeding work of the club, just as a breeder. I don't consider myself educated enough to evaluate football players. We completely trust the breeders. My task, if a candidate has already been selected, is to negotiate as efficiently as possible, conclude a contract, and provide for the player’s life.
Where do general directors of football clubs study and most often, representatives of what professions become general directors in football clubs?
There are many educational programs that provide the opportunity to learn critical skills in a short time. And the most important thing is to make the most efficient use of the resources that the club has at its disposal. I don’t see much difference between the general director of a commercial structure and a football club. Of course, you need to understand football, but essentially you need to make the most efficient use of the resources that the club has at its disposal in order to achieve maximum results, both sporting and economic.
It's no secret that CSKA is one of the few private clubs in Russia. Therefore, we are trying to build our business model in a European manner. How much we earn, how much we spend. It is desirable to earn more, but due to objective economic reasons it is not always possible. Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward worked for a consulting company for a long time. The club took notice of him and invited him. The largest percentage are lawyers and commercial directors who become CEOs. Sometimes they are former football players, but more often they become sports directors.
How do you deal with criticism? I often read criticism addressed to you, especially your statements about attendance at CSKA matches?
I react very calmly. Criticism is sometimes very useful. We cannot assume that everything is fine just because we are the most titled club in Russia. Despite tough competition, over the past five years we have become champions three times and silver medal winners twice. For the last five years we have been playing in the group stage of the Champions League. It's good when criticism is constructive, but this is not always the case. I'm trying to get acquainted with all the materials that are dedicated to our club. In terms of attendance at matches, we have taken some very serious measures over the past few months, and the results have not been long in coming. Of course, it is not very correct to cite the match with Manchester United as an example. On the other hand, last year we played against teams like Tottenham and Monaco, but the stadium was not completely full. Yes, Manchester United is a higher-status team, but this also applies less to the work of our services, speeding up inspection procedures, pricing policy, and communication with fans. Even in the Russian championship there is already dynamics. Despite the fact that it is already autumn and cold, people come to the stadium.
Didn't all this happen before?
It was, but our stadium is new. He recently turned one year old. For this kind of objects, this is an insignificant period. This is a unique stadium. A business center is integrated into it. We adopted this idea from Stamford Bridge in London. We also raised the level of service to fans - we increased the number of security checkpoints, which allowed us to reduce queues, and improved the quality of catering. Very serious measures are being taken to ensure maximum safety for fans. Separately, we should mention our fans, with whom we regularly communicate and are in close contact. There have been no recent crimes.
In addition, despite economic problems, we have reduced ticket prices, even for Champions League matches. And I repeat - we already have results. Not yet the one I would like to have in the end. But an attendance of 16,000 per match is not the limit, but not very bad either. We will try to reach a level of about 20,000.
Is the position of CEO the limit of your ambitions or will you strive for more?
I'm quite pleased with everything. I am very grateful to the club’s shareholders, my colleagues, our team, whose success makes it possible to regularly achieve sporting and economic results. I don’t have any ambitions like becoming the Minister of Sports.
What can you say about CSKA’s last match in the Champions League against Manchester United? The fans of your club looked decent until the end, although the team lost with a big score.
It was a great celebration of football. Especially considering that two legendary clubs, Liverpool and Manchester, were in Moscow at the same time. The result was disappointing, but in fairness it must be said that Manchester United is a very strong team and it would be difficult for any Russian club to play against them. I was pleased with the atmosphere of the stadium. The fans supported their team as best they could. Thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, there were many Armenians at the stadium.
How do you assess CSKA's chances in the group?
Taking into account the current situation, our main rival will be Basel. This does not mean that we underestimate Benfica, but when the Portuguese team has no points, and we have the same points with Basel, then the fight in the group for second place will be with Basel.
They say that at one time CSKA was interested in Mkhitaryan. How serious was the club's interest then?
We were really interested in him. He performed successfully in Ukraine, at the same time Movsisyan played well in Spartak. Mkhitaryan already announced himself very clearly. When he was offered to us, he was already playing at Shakhtar. And we conduct our transfer policy very carefully. And we do not raise transfer amounts above a certain maximum. Unfortunately, at that time, his transition was no longer possible.
Vera Martirosyan
In this article we will talk about one of the most successful general directors of the entire world of football and the CSKA club in particular - Roman Babaev. His contribution to domestic football is invaluable. He was able to prove to the whole world that Russian football players are worth a lot. In the article you will be able to trace his entire long and thorny path: from the beginning, when he was an unknown university student, to the end, when he became a significant person in the world of football.
Roman Babaev. Biography
The novel was born on February 13, 1978 in the city of Chelyabinsk, USSR. Currently, he is a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Soon he moves to Moscow and enters the University. Lomonosov to the Faculty of Law. Roman Babaev graduates from the institute with a distinction. He began building his career at FC CSKA back in 1999, being at that time still a legal consultant. He is also an expert in the field of sports law.
Roman Babaev has been the General Director of CSKA since March 2007. He was appointed to this position by the board of shareholders. He has also been a holder of the Order of the Badge of Honor since 2006.
The path to FC CSKA
Currently, Roman Babaev is one of the leading young football managers in Russia. But it all started when, back in 1999, a 4th year student at Moscow State University had the opportunity to work at the CSKA football club as a legal consultant.
In the late 90s, as many remember, there were very troubled times, which also affected the CSKA football club. It would seem that this is a road to nowhere, because there was no hope even that the club’s infrastructure would develop. During this period, Roman Babaev decides to no longer have anything to do with this club and wants to leave it as soon as possible.
New investors joining the club
But in 2001, new investors came to the club, led by Evgeniy Giner. They sought to do absolutely everything for the club and to ensure law and order in football. At this time, a legislative vacuum arose in the club (there were no norms that determine the status of professional sports); the staff of football clubs did not even have lawyers. But after Giner arrived, everyone realized that his team is a union of people with huge ambitions who will be able to move to a new stage in the development of the football club.
From the first days, Roman Babaev and Evgeniy Giner began to bring this goal to life.
One of the main tasks was to build a vertical of power in the club and recruit professionals to the main positions:
- commercial director;
- financial director;
- director of information policy of the club;
- head of the selection department.
Roman Babaev himself headed the legal management department for six years. And only in 2007, by decision of the board of shareholders, Roman was appointed general director of the football club.
Under the leadership of Roman Babaev, they built a very efficient and effective management system, which is still in use today.
What FC CSKA achieved under the leadership of Roman Babaev
On February 21, 2001, it became known that the club had changed its owner - Evgeniy Giner (Russian businessman) became him. And the club attracted new investors; They were people from the Ministry of Defense and a company from England, Blue Castle Enterprises Limited. This marked the beginning of the revival of the legendary club, which in the future became one of the leading clubs in Russian football.
Between 2001 and 2015, the CSKA football team won the Russian Championship five times. They won silver medals five times and bronze medals twice. FC CSKA won the Super Cup six times, and was a quarter-finalist in the Champions League twice.
2005 was a landmark year for the club, as it won its first trophy - the UEFA Cup (European Cup). Of course, we can say with confidence that the club’s victories are the result of the efforts of not just one person, but of everyone who had a hand in it - the coaching staff and the president. And, of course, Roman Babaev also did a lot to make CSKA a successful club.
What is the secret of the club's success?
The main secret of FC CSKA's success is attitude. Most clubs that rely on public money very often achieve nothing. This is clearly evident from the example of the Saturn club. As practice shows, the existence of a team with public money is a waste of taxpayers' money. Post-Soviet and Russian football in this form cannot be a business, because solving financial issues is not entrusted to team leaders - they are faced only with sporting tasks. This means there is no financial gain. Because of this, such clubs receive only budget funds.
But with private financing, things are different. Because in this process it is necessary to control the expenditure of funds on a daily basis, based on this, Roman Babaev and Evgeniy Giner created their own strategy, which has been successfully used for more than 10 years.
Strategy
The club bets on players who have not yet been promoted, not on popular and young footballers, but on talented players.
Yes, inviting such participants is always risky. But this must be done wisely. It is necessary to take into account the character, marital status, mentality and, of course, the prospect and ambitions of the player.
A small list of young football players who gained fame in FC CSKA during the reign of Babaev and Giner:
- Ahmed Moussa - participant of the World Championship in 2014.
- Milos Krasic - participant of the Olympics in 2004.
- Vagner Love - America's Cup participant in 2007.
- Chidi Odia - participant of the African Cup of Nations in 2006.
Investors under Babayev
In order for a football club to become successful in our time, it needs to attract the attention and funds of investors. Because in the modern world, without this, it is impossible for a club to become popular.
Roman Babaev and Evgeny Giner understood this very well, and therefore they actively began to attract investors for FC CSKA. One of the first sponsors of the team was the Conti company. Afterwards, the Sibneft company invested money in the club, the total investment amounted to about $55 million. Today, the Russian Networks company is considered the investor of the football club.
The amount of the contract is $130 million.
A successful team must have its own modern stadium, which was perfectly clear to both Evgeny Giner and Roman Babaev.
In 2007, when Babaev became the general director of the CSKA football club, construction began on a modern elite football stadium that would meet all UEFA requirements. On the territory allocated for construction, it is planned to build a children's and youth sports school, a business center and, of course, a museum of FC CSKA.
Roman Babaev. Nationality and personal life
It is known that Roman is not married. His nationality is unknown. Some say that he is Armenian by nationality, some say that he is Jewish, like Evgeniy Giner. There is no reliable information on this matter. Despite all this, I would like to say that this is a man who did everything possible and impossible to push one of the average clubs to the Russian championships, and help him become the favorite of his fans, the fortieth football team in the UEFA ranking, whose annual budget is about ninety million dollars.
With the arrival of Roman Yuryevich Babaev, the CSKA football club achieved truly great success, for which both the players and numerous fans are grateful to the general director.
CSKA General Director talks about the club's summer transfer campaign.
WE DID NOT PLAN TO SELL VITINHA– CSKA’s Twitter lists all the club’s summer acquisitions and says: “It was legendary.” Did everything really work out?
– I think the guys are just being creative (smiles). Legendary is, of course, too much. I would refrain from making any loud assessments for now. Time will show. Yes, we have done a lot of work. But, as they say, chickens are counted in the fall. We hope we didn't make a mistake with the newcomers.
– There can’t be two opinions about exit transfers?
- Yes, this is a success. Record transfer of Golovin to Monaco. Vitinho also left for Flamengo for a very large sum, which is not typical for Brazilian clubs. True, the departure came as a surprise to us, since we did not plan to sell it.
- Is that so?
- Yes. The football player’s desire to return to his homeland played a decisive role here. He really wanted this. There were no hints that Vitinho would leave CSKA. But in this situation, we met him halfway and, in principle, received good financial compensation.
- Let's talk about the newcomers.
– We will draw conclusions later. But the acquisition of Abel Hernandez is already paying off. Of course, he is a very strong footballer who plays with great desire and dedication. I want to believe that he will continue in the same spirit. Vlasic, in my opinion, is an interesting player.
In general, we continued our strategy of finding young, talented guys. The youngest team in the Premier League and, as unusual as it sounds, CSKA is not very experienced. Although, of course, there are also old-timers - Igor Akinfeev, Alan Dzagoev, Mario Fernandez, Zhora Shchennikov, Kirill Nababkin, Vitya Vasin, who went through thick and thin.
But there are many players who are just starting their journey in big football. I am confident that Viktor Mikhailovich (Goncharenko) and our core team will be able to achieve results with the newcomers. Perhaps not right away - there will be downturns, but we need to be patient. You need to understand that these are university graduates who are just beginning their career growth.
NISHIMURA – THE MAXIMUM BUDGET OPTION
– If “Ufa” had beaten “Rangers” in the Europa League, CSKA would hardly have signed Oblyakov?
- Maybe yes. If Ufa had made it to the group stage, I think they would have made every effort to maintain the squad. The negotiations turned out to be difficult and long. In principle, understanding was reached quickly. But there were several conditions, including the team’s performance in European competition. I think the Bashkir club made a very worthy debut in Europe and brought a lot of points to Russia’s treasury. Well done, it wasn't enough to beat the Scots. Now we hope that Vanya will reach another level in CSKA. He is now one of the most talented young Russian players, at this age he has a serious legacy of matches in the Premier League.
– There is an opinion that in the future Oblyakov will replace Dzagoev.
- I wouldn't say that. In my opinion, they play differently, they are not very similar footballers in terms of their qualities. We still believe in Alan. Now he is recovering, I hope that the treatment will bear fruit. Therefore, we did not consider Oblyakov’s transfer in this context. Moreover, we also have Kostya Kuchaev, who is also not playing yet. Ivan, as I said, is a talented, promising midfielder with a Russian passport, which is also important, since many foreigners came to us.
– How did the option with the Japanese Nishimura come about?
– This is a bit of an unexpected transfer even for me. We watched one football player, but ended up paying attention to him. A very budget option. Maximum budget! I can’t voice the numbers. An interesting football player with qualities. There is a risk with adaptation, but the player himself was eager to come to us. We already had successful experience working with a Japanese player.
– Do you consider cooperation with Honda successful?
- Definitely. Honda has brought us a lot of benefits. There can't even be two opinions here. After the acquisition of Nishimura, serious interest from Japan immediately arose in us. So maybe this transition will help us from a marketing point of view as well. How will Nismura fare in football terms? Let's see. We don’t expect miracles – not only from him, but also from other newcomers. Young people need time. But, it seems to me, we managed to close the necessary positions. We even acquired a little more players compared to those who left.
CSKA SPENT ON NINE PLAYERS AS ONE
– Why was it not possible to reach an agreement on Szymanski? Did Legia ask for too much in your opinion?
– I would not like to talk in detail about failed transactions. We had very little time. Here financial conditions came to the fore. We signed nine players, and essentially paid for them as one player. So take your budget into account. It’s no secret, we always try to spend our funds carefully, comply with financial fair play and some kind of reasonableness when transferring a newcomer.
– If you believe the information that appeared in the press on CSKA transfers, then in the summer you spent about 10 million euros on newcomers. Is this true?
- Yes, approximately the same amount. But we must not forget that several football players came to us for free. This includes the loan of Vlasic, Becao, and Hernandez. Yes, the amount that appears in the media is approximately true. But I hope we didn’t make a mistake in terms of both the number of players and the quality.
– Have you thought about returning Doumbia and Vagner Love to CSKA this summer?
- Of course, we all miss them. We want to believe that a miracle is possible again and again. But here you must first of all be guided not by emotions, but by reason. First of all, no one is getting any younger. And secondly, since we have chosen the path of building a young team, it would probably not be entirely correct to look for answers in the past. Although, I will not hide, such thoughts visited us, but I have already named the reasons that stopped us from taking this step.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH AKINFEEV LASTED THREE MINUTES
– How quickly did you manage to agree with Akinfeev on a new contract?
– It is very important that the contract with our captain was extended. It is difficult to overestimate Igor's contribution to CSKA's successes. And the negotiations lasted only three minutes.
- Wow.
- Yes. Probably the fastest negotiations (smiles). We all know about Timur and his team. So here we have Igor and his team. And, of course, Viktor Mikhailovich, with his experience and desire to work with young people, I am sure, will be able to build a new, interesting team. But as I have noticed more than once - patience, patience and more patience.
- Last question. Is there a possibility that in the Champions League CSKA will host Real Madrid not at the VEB Arena, but at Luzhniki?
– We are looking into this issue. Unfortunately, there are a number of regulatory restrictions. In a group, one match cannot be played at one stadium and the other two at another. This idea came to us quite a long time ago, even before the draw. Now it has become even more relevant. But I can’t say anything concrete yet.
Vitaly Airapetov
Today, February 13, Roman Babaev celebrates his birthday. The General Director of PFC CSKA, a teacher at the Faculty of Management in Team Sports at the RMA Business School, turns 41 years old.
An on-site lesson organized for students of the “Management in Team Sports” faculty took place at the VEB Arena. It began with an introductory tour of the stadium and continued with a master class by the general director of PFC CSKA Roman Babaev. He told students of the RMA business school about various aspects of the operational activities of a football club, including organizing the work of the Academy, operating the stadium, interaction with partners and sponsors, the formation of subscription and ticket programs, measures to increase the audience of fans, making decisions on transfer issues, and answered questions numerous questions from the audience. Today we bring to your attention a photo report of the last lesson.
On Tuesday, June 26, at the VEB-Arena stadium (3rd Peschanaya Street, property 2 "a") there will be an on-site lesson organized for students of groups "S-43", "S-44" and "S-45" » Faculty of “Management in team sports”. A lecture on the topic “Operational Activities of a Professional Football Club” will be given by the General Director of PFC CSKA Roman Babaev. The lecture will be preceded by a stadium tour. Gathering of class participants at 17.30 at the CSKA fan shop. In preparation, we recommend that you read the report on one of the previous classes conducted by Roman Babaev for students of the RMA business school.