Russia: We could not play that good for 90 min – coach Cherchesov after loss to Belgium

W/S Belgium national football team head coach Roberto Martinez arrives to press conference, Saint-Petersburg
SOT, Roberto Martinez, Belgium national football team head coach: "What is true is that this team is a team. I think that in the international level it's very difficult to find players who are so committed to the national team, that they put their careers on the side when they come together and you can see it. The synchronization is something that... As a coach you always get a little bit frustrated because you cannot have the repetition. There are many games that could allow us to be tactically perfect, but what we have as group of players that they really want to be a team and they want to grow together."
M/S Press conference
SOT, Roberto Martinez, Belgium national football team head coach: "We are a little bit jealous if I'm honest, we do, because we would love to have a stadium like this in Brussels. I think this generation, our generation in Belgium a stadium as good or a little bit less [good] than the one you have in Saint-Petersburg. So, if we have to... If we cannot play at home, we hope that you can host us and you can treat us the way you always did."
M/S Martinez leaves press conference
W/S Russian national football team head coach Stanislav Cherchesov leaves press conference
M/S Press conference
SOT, Stanislav Cherchesov, Russian national football team head coach (Russian): "They [Belgium team] are really good at fast attacks, we knew that. On the other hand, we did not want to stand still on the defensive end. At first, we had to win 2-0 in order to be able to take the top place. Second, we really wanted to play open football against such a [great] team to understand how good we are against such a team."
M/S Press conference
SOT Stanislav Cherchesov, Russian national football team head coach (Russian): "At first it's a physical fit. At the World Cup we are much stronger and prepared better because we were at the training camp. I am just curious how fit we are playing today. I believe again we did not reach the necessary level just because we are not ready to play that good during all 90 minutes [of the clash]."
W/S Press conference
M/S Cherchesov leaves
W/S Krestovsky stadium, Saint-Petersburg
M/S Stadium
SOT, Aleksander, Russian team fan (Russian): “I am 52. I was born in 1967 in the Soviet Union. I have gone through everything, but I was through such a shame for the first time. When I left it was 3:0 not in our favor.”
M/S Stadium’s roof
W/S Fans
SOT, Ivan, Russian team fan (Russian): “We were doing our best against the strong rival. We should let our young players play, give them a chance to feel the game.”
M/S Fans with scarf
SOT, Denis, Russian team fan (Russian): “Those [Russian] key players who did not take part in this clash, should have been in here in the first place. The only excuse would have been broken legs or arms. This was a really important clash.”
W/S Fans with Vyazma town flag
SCRIPT
Russian national football team coach Stanislav Cherchesov commented on his team’s 4:1 defeat in Belgium clash, at the Saint-Petersburg’s Krestovsky stadium, Saturday.
Cherchesov praised the winners saying that his team “did not reach the necessary level” to beat Belgium and was not “ready to play that good during all 90 minutes [of the clash].”
He also explained why his players were not really good in defending its own goal posts. “We did not want to stand still on the defensive end,” he said, adding that his side really wanted to enjoy “open football” against such a strong team as Belgium.
Cherchesov’s counterpart Roberto Martinez, in turn, highlighted that Belgium team was that good because all the players were committed to the team and managed to “put their careers on the side” while wearing the national football team uniform.
After the win Belgium secured the top spot in Euro 2020’s Group 1.