Salomon Rondon: My goal is to make the team a champion

— Good to see you! Did you miss Russia?
— Of course, I did, it has been a long time since I played in Russia for my former teams. So, I am very happy to be back here again.

— You played in England, in China. Could you imagine coming back to our country?
— No. But on the other hand, you should never close the doors. They should always be open. So now I am happy that I could return to Russia.

— How were the negotiations going?
— I waited patiently for the clubs to agree. The transfer window is open a little longer in Russia than in Europe. So, I have the opportunity to sit in front of you now.

— Why did you decide to come back?
— Well, I came back because I had the opportunity. This is first and foremost. And secondly, the whole world has been affected by this situation with the coronavirus pandemic, and China most of all, the championship there is still frozen. I wanted to play and continue my football career, so I gladly accepted the offer from PFC CSKA. I moved to China for the good of my family, my children, but now it is time to go back.

— How did your wife take the news that you are going to Russia again?
— She was very happy. She really likes Russia in fact, likes to live here. We had a wonderful experience of staying here, in every sense of the word. As soon as she heard that we were going back to Russia soon, she said that she really missed the snow and would love to come back.

— Do you know that the weather in Moscow on the day of our interview is -15°C?
— Yes, and no doubt I am ready for it. I have already faced snow and low temperatures when I played in Russia. I know how to play in such weather conditions. In fact, the cold climate is an integral part of the Russian championship. There is no getting around it. But this climate is the same for both opponents. Therefore, it cannot be considered as an advantage for any one team. The weather issue is not a serious problem for me, since I have a certain immunity and habit to it.

— Do you already associate yourself with PFC CSKA? And are you aware of the situation in the table?
— No doubt, I do. I have already come, I am a member of our team. There are a lot of contenders to win in the Russian league, and the result of the championship can be decided in any of the rounds. The situation is as follows: Zenit leads the standings, we are in second place, Spartak is in third. We have ten rounds left to become champions of Russia.

— Is there a match against PFC CSKA from the time when you played for Rubin and Zenit that you remember? And against whom of the players was it hardest to play?
— Yes, I remember playing for Rubin when we won 1-0. It was very hard. Ignashevich and Berezutskiy brothers played against us, excellent defenders. They made a lot of problems for the attackers. They did not allow opponent's players to do anything. I have very fond memories of the Russian championship. I am happy to be back to help PFC CSKA achieve results and become the best.

— Did Berezutskiy brothers remind you of those times?
— Of course, we all remember our wonderful confrontations. After all, I played against Brothers in the short time that I played in the Premier League. I also want to note that when we played against PFC CSKA, we played against the leading team, which is fighting for the highest awards, which is organized and plays very well. Therefore, those matches, of course, were full of intensity and tension. I want to repeat once again, I am very happy to join Army Men and play for them.

— Do you remember your last match against PFC CSKA?
— No, honestly, I do not remember. I certainly was at Zenit at the time. And it is worth mentioning the confrontation for leadership between the two grands. Zenit historically fights for the championship with PFC CSKA. I do not remember specific episodes, but I remember that there was always this confrontation. And I want to draw a parallel for the future. I hope that PFC CSKA will become the champion with me.

— There was also a friendly match for Newcastle in Pinatar…
— Indeed, we played in Spain in San Pedro del Pinatar. I scored a goal in that match. I hope that these two goals that I scored against PFC CSKA in my entire life will be the last, and now there will be goals for Army Men team.

— What do you know about the current team?
— I can say that PFC CSKA has changed a lot since my last game. Ignashevich and Berezutskiy brothers left. Igor Akinfeev and Mario Fernandes remained from that team. I also remember Doumbia, who left Russia as well. New players have come, the line-up has become younger. But this is great – it means that the club is developing a long-term project, bringing new, promising players.

— Will you celebrate goals against your former teams?
— We will decide that on the pitch when there is a chance. But I can say that any goal against any team is very important for me. The most important thing for me right now is to gain good condition and start scoring as soon as possible. And then we will figure out how to celebrate.

— Does Salomon, who left Russia six years ago, differ from the current one?
— No doubt he does: this Salomon is six years older. And everything else is the same: the same ambition, the same hunger for goals, the same insane desire to play and defend the interests of his team. Give his best in every episode, score and celebrate goals, bring victory to his current team.

— You have quite a bright career — England, China. What are your plans for PFC CSKA?
— I love football very much and I am not going to finish. Yes, I am 31 years old, but my current agreement is until May. Then we will sit down at the negotiating table and discuss what we should do. Of course, everything will depend on how we perform. Therefore, the goal now is to achieve that the team becomes the champion. I will do everything I can, give my best, and we will watch.

One thing is obvious: I want to continue playing football. This is my passion, my life. I do not want to leave, I want to continue on this path.