Former Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin commented on the Russian national team's friendly matches in November for "Sport-Express".
“There is still some benefit from the Russian national team's friendly matches, even if the opponents are not the strongest,” Semin told “Sport-Express.” — “Firstly, we earn points in the FIFA ranking, which is quite important now that we are suspended. Secondly, Valery Karpin is determined to achieve the goals set for these matches, to develop talented players from the Russian league, and to ensure that everyone understands each other on the field. Also, it’s nice for the fans to watch the Russian national team play. The match against Brunei in Krasnodar was well organized, and the game against Syria in Volgograd was very bright. Everything went at the highest level, we performed the Russian national anthem, and nearly full stadiums were gathered.”
Semin also noted that the efforts of the Russian Football Union (RFU) are not in vain.
“It’s encouraging that the RFU continues to negotiate and arrange such matches. They are trying to find a better opponent. Their efforts are not wasted; the Russian national team has played many matches against various opponents from many countries since 2022. Not every national team in other sports has had such matches,” he added.
This year, the Russian national team has played five matches, winning all of them with a total score of 34:0.