Arina Taranchenko: "It immediately became clear that a strong team was going to Dynamo"

— How many years have you been playing football?

— 4 years, since the age of 11. It seems to have come late, but in fact I've been playing it all my life. In short, I was born and lived in St. Petersburg for up to 7 years. And my twin brother was engaged in football at the Zenit Academy, and since there was no women's team there at that time, I went straight from kindergarten to all my brother's training sessions, played with him and the guys in the yard at the same time, was always a team player. When I was 7 years old, the family moved to Moscow, and already here Dad gave us both to the Strogino club, where there was a women's team.

— Did you have options in other sports?

— Just from the age of 7 to 11, I was engaged in athletics – long and high jumps. One of the coaches was the famous Evgeny Zagorulko. But school classes were transferred to the second shift, and I had to finish athletics. If it wasn't for that, it's not a fact that I would have ended up in football.

— You have a sports family. Not without the influence of parents?

— Well, mom is definitely not an athlete, she has never been fond of sports (smiles). But Dad always loved sports – he was engaged in basketball and skiing, grew up in them to a candidate for master of sports, but ended up with them at the age of 18 because of a hernia in his back. Parents have known each other since childhood: We were born in the same small town - Luka, Leningrad region, and went to the same school there. Well, at that time we didn't get along very well (smiles). Mom was an excellent student, engaged in dancing, dad, on the contrary, is an athlete, the soul of the company. And my uncle on my mother's side was a hockey goalkeeper – he played in the Moscow national team, was called up to the national team, but because of the serious injuries he received after the accident, he had to end his sports career.

— How is your brother's football career going?

— Let me clarify that my older brother, Prokhor, is two minutes older than me (smiles). He studied at Zenit, Strogino, spent a year at Lokomotiv, then returned to St. Petersburg again, but six months ago he finished playing football, unfortunately. It just became uninteresting, now he has education in the first place.

— How did it happen that you became a goalkeeper?

— Yes, as it happened from the very beginning in the yard, I played as a goalkeeper. The boys always said, "Oh, girl, go to the gate, we don't need you in the field." Although I played in the field, and when I found myself in Strogino, I generally played as a striker, was the captain of the team born in 2004, although I myself was born in 2006. But it so happened that the goalkeeper was injured, I had grown up by that time, got rid of excess weight (laughs). I was offered to play goalkeeper, I thought, why not – and I liked it! After a while, I found myself watching in the 2006 team in Chertanovo. There were already two goalkeepers there, but somehow I immediately felt that I was no worse than them. And so it turned out - I almost immediately became the main goalkeeper in the team.

— Can I say that you deliberately chose this position?

— Yes, of course. It was quite a conscious choice.

— But you still haven't lost your attacking skills – you can score a penalty.

— Yes, I even scored in a penalty shootout game, already being a goalkeeper. We were playing with Tsaritsyno, the score was already big, and the girls gave me a birthday present, giving me a shot from the point. I didn't miss (smiles). And even now in training I'm constantly taking penalties with the girls.

— You both score and beat penalties. As a goalkeeper, tell me – to deflect a shot from 11 meters, do you have to guess or wait until the last and watch where the ball will fly?

"I'm always guessing. As our goalkeeping coach Vitaly Sergeevich Shadrin says, it is impossible to react to a shot unless the ball flies into you or the kicker has struck too weakly.

— Who is it easier for during the execution of the penalty - the attacker to score or the goalkeeper to take a shot?

— It's easier for the goalkeeper psychologically – there is no big responsibility hanging over him that he must definitely take a shot. And according to statistics, it is clear that only 15-20 percent of penalty kicks are taken. The main thing is to be confident in yourself, to try to bring down the opponent's mood – she spread her arms, closed the gate, the batter is already nervous.

— You worked with goalkeeper coach Vitaly Shadrin at Chertanovo, now at Dynamo. Tell us about his approach to working with goalkeepers?

— Vitaly Sergeyevich never focuses on the main goalkeeper. For him, everyone in the goalkeeper brigade is equivalent. All goalkeepers get equal time, equal load, and every mistake is sorted out. He always understands your psychological state, he will never shout or somehow wind up before the game. And, of course, it gives a huge amount of knowledge on game theory. At the goalkeeper theoretical classes, everything is sorted out to the smallest detail: here it did not reach a centimeter, here the leg is incorrectly deployed, it will not miss anything, it will explain everything. In training, everything is still planned down to the smallest detail – today we work out the inputs from the gate, tomorrow the fist game. Our training sessions are so carefully planned that we develop both the physical and technical base at the same time.

— How do you like his humor?

— It's goalkeeper humor, it's very specific (laughs). Not everyone will understand him, but he is very truthful. It's cool when there's such an atmosphere in the team!

— Then let's talk about the team. What is the relationship between goalkeepers in our team?

— I know Nastya Shervyanina from Chertanovo. I really like that she is always so calm, and her left leg is just perfect for our training, two sides work at once. She likes to charge, of course (smiles). But that's right – no one will feel sorry for you in the game. I was not closely acquainted with Ksyusha Antonova before Dynamo, we crossed paths only at tournaments. She has added a lot in the two months that she has been in the team, the changes are visible.

— Goalkeepers are generally like a separate caste. Do you have such a thing?

— Well, if only on the field, when the four of us train separately from the team. There is no such thing that we go in life separately from all other girls.

— You're only 15. There are girls in the team who are 21 and already have experience playing in the Super League and the national team. Does this age difference affect communication?

— No, it's not a problem for me personally. I trained in the Housing and Communal services "Chertanovo", where the captain was a 27-year-old football player and played a few more girls older than me. Nothing, I got used to it, the difference was not felt at all. In general, it's even more interesting to communicate with older people – they already have life experience and gaming, they've seen a lot in their lives (smiles). It's the same at my school, by the way. It is more interesting to communicate with older people than with peers. If we talk not only about sports.

— As a goalkeeper in a game or in training, can you yell at one of the older girls for unsuccessful actions on the field?

— I can tell you something, but I can't even imagine how I will yell at Kristina Komissarova, for example (smiles). I can tell you loudly, yes, but I never break down into a scream, much less a mate. Because I understand that the girls there are already running in the pulse. If you shout at them, they won't understand anything at all. It is important to prompt, orient.

— You played with the boys in the same team. How does it feel for a girl, especially a goalkeeper, to play with guys?

— But I don't see the difference and I don't understand why it needs to be separated somehow – there are athletes and judges on the field. There are a lot of girls who play with guys, I'm not unique in this regard. But to be honest, I like it better with girls who can make serious competition.

— You became the first football player to sign a contract with Dynamo. How did you get the invitation?

— Before the start of the October training camp in the Russian U-17 team to prepare for the second round of Euro 2023, where I was called, Vitaly Shadrin called my dad, told me about Dynamo's offer, I immediately found out about it. And at that moment I was without a contract, I was training with Chertanovo and the club had an interest in me, but some kind of indefinite.

I was given 3-4 days to think, but I accepted the invitation almost immediately on emotion. First of all, it is Dynamo. Secondly, it's working with Vitaly Sergeyevich, which is a huge plus for me at once.

— What did the parents say?

- "Choose for yourself, this is your life." At that moment, Chertanovo began to stir, which learned about the offer from Dynamo. But I admit, the choice was obvious.

— Does the fact that you are the first Dynamo football player somehow put pressure on you?

— At first I was kind of worried about it, but now I don't even think about it. I play, I do what I love.

— What attracted you the most in the Dynamo Housing and Communal Services project, besides working with Vitaly Shadrin?

— It's always nice to be a part of something that is just emerging, to try yourself in something new, and not to come to everything ready. Another argument that I heard in a conversation with head coach Sergey Nikolaevich Lavrentiev and Vitaly Sergeyevich is the names of the players who will be in the team. It became clear that our team would be strong, with serious tasks. And football will be interesting, not "hit and run".

— You got the first number. Does it matter a lot to you?

— A huge honor for me. I didn't choose the number, they gave it to me. Maybe because I'm the first football player in the history of the club, and even a goalkeeper? (laughs). If I had the opportunity to choose, I think I would also take No. 1. Although I have never played at number one before, for some reason I always liked number 12. Happy for me was!

— In October you made your debut for the junior national team of Russia U-17. And immediately against England. Worried a lot?

— The most exciting thing was listening to the anthem before the meeting.

— Did you play the Russian anthem before the match with England?

"Yeah." But in Poland they didn't turn it on, and we sang it with the whole team without music. Before England, I was wildly worried. You hear the name of the opponent – England – and you don't even need to tune in anymore. As if I've been going to this all my life! I found out that I would go to the game at the start in advance. I was preparing, tuning up, and when the starting whistle sounded, all thoughts left, only the game remained.

— How do you usually tune in to games?

— On the pregame day, I try to spend emotions as little as possible, be as concentrated as possible, and before going to bed I think over all the situations and moments how I will act in the game. Sometimes it gets to the point where I imagine in what form I will come out, who will be the captain, what will be the formation of the teams before the start of the match. Right down to the smallest detail (laughs). I wake up in the morning with a good mood, but I try not to think about the game on the day of the match. It's better to distract yourself, take a walk.

— Is it better not to touch you before the game starts?

— No, you can come over and talk. On the day of the game, you can also joke with the girls to relieve tension. The main thing is not to overdo it with humor.

— How do you feel about missed goals?

— Oh, it's always a problem for me... The goal conceded in the national team from Belgium, I remembered for a week. I understand that any missed ball is primarily a goalkeeper's mistake, albeit in a series of mistakes by players from other positions. I have a painful attitude, I can review moments several times after the game, and not only those where I missed. I immediately analyze how I should have played, what position to take, why I didn't take out the ball well. And it's not just in games, I'm always trying to figure out why the goal happened in training. It's hard, of course, when you blame yourself for every mistake, but that's the way I'm built.

— What do you choose – a 4-3 victory for your team or a 0-0 draw?

— Victory, of course (smiles). We are playing for the team, the result is the most important thing. Although I'll concede 52 goals, I won't come out in the next game, but we'll win – yes, please (laughs).

— Have you already understood for yourself the difference between youth and adult football?

— First of all, it is a professional attitude to yourself. When you're a kid, you can afford to eat fast food before training, drink soda. And now you're thinking what you need to eat to have strength and energy, and even to do without problems with excess weight! The mood for games is different, more serious loads, especially in the gym, the requirements for yourself are different in principle. The task is to survive as long as possible and make your sporting life easier in terms of endurance.

— It's funny to hear the phrase "as long as possible to survive" from a 15-year-old person.

— Yes, well, it's like with a car – if you fill it with bad gasoline, it won't drive for a long time. You always have to think about it, even at the age of 15 (smiles). You sign a contract, become a professional, be responsible for yourself and the team.

— Do I understand correctly that you are not one of those players who sleep in theoretical classes?

— I don't remember that (laughs). No, the goalkeeper must know the theory in all positions in order to control the course of the game, to prompt. It's interesting, especially to watch video cuts, to understand where we did not work, where I didn't prompt in time.

— You are originally from St. Petersburg, but you have been living in Moscow since you were 7 years old. Do you consider yourself already a Muscovite or still a St. Petersburg girl?

— Of course, I'm already a Muscovite. I can list all the metro stations, I spend so much time in it (laughs). But if we compare Moscow and St. Petersburg as cities, then I will choose St. Petersburg. I grew up there, went to kindergarten, got acquainted with football, all my relatives live there – grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, uncles.

— That is, do you often go there?

— That's just not. If I go to St. Petersburg once or twice a year, it's already good. In summer during the holidays and in winter for the New Year. All the rest of the time – games, training, training camps.

— Is there a favorite place in St. Petersburg?

— I hope the coaches won't read it (laughs). But this is pyshechnaya on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. If I come to St. Petersburg, I definitely go there. Crumpets are my weakness. I don't understand how you can refuse this! (He smiles.) Well, then I run it all on the treadmill.

— Are there any districts in St. Petersburg similar to Chertanovo where you have spent part of your life?

— Honestly, I didn't travel around St. Petersburg that much as a child. There is such a district in St. Petersburg – Devyatkino – it's gloomy there, of course, but now there are a lot of new buildings there, so everything looks lively. But Chertanovo is a specific area. And historical – there is no more area like it.

— Where do you study?

— In the 9th grade of a regular school. It used to be a language gymnasium, but now it has become a school. I remember how from 5th to 7th grade we had 2 hours of English every day.

— So you will be ready to play in a foreign club if you are invited?

— Yes, there shouldn't be any problems with that. I think it came from my parents. Mom understands, but doesn't speak, and dad knows English very well, because he needs it for work.

— Does his work have anything to do with international relations?

- He is the director of a chocolate factory. That's what you need for an athlete (laughs).

—Really?"

— This does not greatly affect the amount of chocolate in our house. Once every three months, Dad brings sweet gifts, but by the time I get home from training, my brothers will have eaten everything (smiles).

— Is English your favorite subject at school?

— This year it will be necessary to take the OGE – I chose English and geography. But in fact, the two favorite subjects now are literature and algebra. Despite English and literature, I am not a humanitarian at all, I like technical sciences more.

— How do you manage to combine school and football?

— Well, you have to miss something at school because of fees or games, but I'm not a stupid girl, I realized in the 5th grade that if you create a reputation for yourself as a good student, then this reputation will work for you and it will be easier to negotiate with teachers (smiles). Now my good relationships help me a lot, but I don't give up my studies either. Although it is clear that football is now a priority.

— You were a guest of Dynamo TV before the match with Spartak. How do you like this experience?

— Considering how difficult it is for me to communicate with people on camera, I really liked it. Well, yes, I failed the quiz on the history of the Dynamo and Spartak derby (smiles). It was very exciting, I don't know the history of the confrontation between the two clubs very well, Sergei Nikolaevich's contribution was also not too weighty (laughs). Therefore, I definitely do not plan to connect my life with this sphere.

— Who in world football is an example of goalkeeping for you?

— If we talk about goalkeepers in women's football, there are not so many first-class keepers, since they have never been dealt with as closely as field ones.  If we talk about examples for me, it's Ally Roebuck from Manchester City. She is 22 years old, she is called up to the England national team. Tall, thin, she has a great future.

Of course, Diana Ponomareva from Chertanovo. We played with her for two years, she is such a talented person! Height – 181 cm, strong legs, and she plays well with both legs, a hardworking football player. I think that soon she will go to play in Europe, and I believe that she will succeed there.

Of the male goalkeepers, I single out Mikhail Kerzhakov for myself. Despite the fact that he is a pupil of Zenit, many still underestimate him. Yes, he is not very stable, but I am very impressed with his game on the exits. I just don't have enough of this yet, so here I'm taking an example for myself.

— And who do you like from foreign goalkeepers?

— I'm following Jan Sommer from Switzerland and Kevin Trapp from Eintracht Frankfurt. Sommer is not tall at all for a goalkeeper, but he is so bouncy! I just got high from his game at Euro 2020. And Trapp is a fanatic of training and an incredible professional!

— Shunin or Leshchuk?

— I will not single out anyone. They are both professionals, excellent goalkeepers, Dynamo students. To say that someone is worse or better would be wrong. Especially for me as a goalkeeper. I can say one thing – probably Leshchuk was unlucky that he ended up under Shunin. If Anton hadn't been on the team, Igor would have played.

— How do you feel about goalkeeping competition?

— Honestly, it's very difficult for me to be the second goalkeeper. I feel inferior when I'm left out. Coming out at the start is a fundamentally important moment for me. I understand that the result of the team is more important, but in general this topic is painful for me.