Aleksandr Golovin: "As if I had been here for a long time"

We have the feeling that after a few complicated months, you have become a real player of AS Monaco.

It’s true, it’s much better, I play better with my teammates. The adaptation took a long time but now I feel as if I have been here for a long time. It’s pretty good now.

Is it difficult for Russian players to succeed anywhere other than Russia?

Playing in Russia and Europe is different, they are two different leagues, different levels. Of course it’s a big risk for a Russian player to go to Europe. But if you have a dream to play in Europe, I think you have to go. It is true that it is very difficult, it requires a lot of time to adapt. Learning the language is not so easy.

Have you thought about leaving this winter?

No, I only think of AS Monaco and working here.

What is your favorite position?

I feel good in several positions, whether left, right or No. 10. The position does not matter to me, the most important is what I can bring to the team and be on the field.

Have you made friends on the team?

Most of the players in the team speak English so for now we are communicating in English. But I’m learning French, I’m starting to understand. Of course I already have friends in the group. We sometimes go out to eat together at night. Everything is going well.

What is it like to be in a club whose President is Russian. Is there extra pressure?

No, on the contrary, I think it’s a real plus. The President is really behind the club, it shows. It took him to make difficult decisions because we were in a complicated situation. We were in the red zone. It appears that these decisions were the right ones. And you see, the results. The coach is back. A very good player, Gelson Martins, has been loaned here. So for me personally, it makes me happy that the President is Russian.

Have you had the opportunity to meet him?

Yes, we met a few times, we talked about my adaptation, my position on the ground, etc.

Is it the physical dimension that is the hardest in the adaptation?

In reality, the level is higher in all compartments of the game compared to the Russian championship. The physical too. There is less time for decision making when you have the ball. There you understand that it is imperative to work and progress.

There have been criticisms in Russia about your performance. Did it bother you?

I do not pay attention to criticism. Neither to compliments elsewhere. I continue to work as I have to do.

Do you take French lessons?

I have already taken about 25 lessons of an hour and a half. I try to spend a lot of time there. Little by little, I begin to understand. It is still difficult to speak but the most important is to understand the coach and my teammates.

Can you tell us about your injury in Montpellier?

I felt it was something serious because the pain was as strong as the one I felt at the beginning of the season when I got hurt. I thought it was the same but I was lucky because it was not so bad. At the end of three days, I could start again normally.

How do you get along on the pitch with Fabregas?

As with everyone, I have good relationships. He is a very strong player, I learn a lot from him. He has a very good career, he shares his experience and it’s very nice to be able to play with such a player.

Is this the most complicated season of your career?

Yes we can say it was complicated, it never happened to me. I always played in the same team, with the same coach. Today it’s better, the team is focused on the game and we try not to think about what happened.

Do you have goal goals or assists?

Not really. I think more about the team than my statistics. It is true that I would like to be more decisive but the most important thing is that the team wins. The rest comes after.

Could you take more chances on the field?

This is my first season. The first part was difficult but I hope to do more by the end of the season and even better next season.

Are you used to life here?

It’s much better, I got used to it. What is good is that we are here in very good conditions to train in winter unlike Russia where you have to leave to train. The weather and the state of the ground allow to stay here to train all year.