Vadim Karpov: Tattoo "Love" on my neck? No, it is not in honor of Vagner

«I HAVE NEVER PLAYED RIGHT-BACK BEFORE THESE TRAINING CAMP»

— Vadim, how did you manage to recover so quickly for the match?
— After I could not continue training, I put some ice and did physiotherapy. I woke up in the morning and felt better. So I was ready to play. I realized yesterday that nothing serious had happened, but I still want to thank our doctors and rehabilitation specialists.

— Was there a feeling that this time motivation of Murcia was higher? No one likes to lose 0-5…
— We have known this team already, they have also learned about us. I think their attitude was the same. This team is playing, the opponent did not close tightly.

— Where would Murcia be in our leagues? They are in Segunda B, the third division in Spain.
— I think they could play in the FNL.

— What do you think about training matches?
— They are going well for us like training camp in general. We are getting in shape, I myself feel that I have improved in something. Sparring is easy both about the score and the game. The opponents are not really strong, they show open football. Therefore, we have free zones, strikers can run one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

— You played right-back at these training camp, even if not today. How do you like this experience?
— It was a bit hard (smiles). There is more work to do - open up forward, go back and all at full speed.

— You told me in an interview a year ago, in the same place in a hotel room, that you changed a lot of roles in youth football: you were a goalkeeper, a striker, and a midfielder. But you did not say a word about the right-back…
— I have never played in this position. I played left-back for a year or a year and a half, even before moving to PFC CSKA. I played as a goalkeeper for two months, I tried everything. And I played right only now, at this training camp.

— I have heard an expert opinion here that you perform even better in this role than in the center of defense. Maybe this is your calling?
— No, it is not (smiles).

«BEREZUTSKIY BROTHERS' ADVICE ARE ALMOST ALWAYS THE SAME»

— So far you are in the top three in competitions "plus-minus" at the training camp, and at some point, you were in the lead at all. Do you follow your indicators?
— I do not even know how they count. But I want to win.

— Is it because Viktor Mikhailovich announced a reward for the winners?
— No, just for myself. The prize is also an extra motivation, but this is not the main thing.

— How do you like running activities? Someone is even happy with them, like Siga, and someone almost dies on the field…
— I am fine with it. Of course, running is hard, I am usually in the middle, I am not in a hurry. You need to get it in time, and not outrun everyone. No one give up, everyone run in time.

— You admitted that the development of your career was ahead of your expectations in the same interview in February 2020. How would you assess the past year from this point of view?
— Everything is going well, but I would like to grow up (smiles).

— In terms of football or life?
— In terms of football. To gain more experience. I hope that Vasiliy Vladimirovich and Aleksey Vladimirovich will help my professional development, teach me what I do not know. I will listen to them.

— Do the Brothers' advice and their interpretation of the game's details differ?
— Vasiliy Vladimirovich works longer with the first team, I communicated more with him in total. But advice from both of them are almost always the same now.

«I LIKE RAMOS AND THIAGO SILVA OUT OF CENTRAL DEFENDERS»

— You live in the same room with Nikita Kotin at this training camp, you always go together, if you can be seen separately, then only on the field. How did you become friends?
— We have known each other since we were fifteen, we played together for the U-17 team, — Nikita answers for Vadim from the next room.
— We have been friends since we were seventeen, and we used to be competitors, — Karpov smiles. — We also played against each other for the youth teams.
— It was in Samara, we finished 1-1 — Kotin continues. — I went out one-on-one, he kicked me in the legs, then got a yellow.
— It was not me, — Vadim laughs. — Actually, we fought with him for a place in the team since the age of fifteen. Now we help each other, support each other. There is competition, but we want to start to come out in starting line-up together.

— How do you rest here from trainings?
— We are playing PUBG (online multiplayer game. — Ed.), because "contra" (Counter Strike) with such a terrible Internet does not work. Played Football Manager once.

— Did you find yourself there?
— No (laughs). I have last year's version, I guess that we are not there yet. We played for English clubs. My favorite teams in the Premier League are Liverpool and Manchester United.

— Igor Diveev said in a recent interview that he would like to play together with van Dijk. If you have a choice, with whom of the famous defenders would you come out onto the field?
— With Igor Diveev (laughs).

— Bravo.
— I would say with Ramos and with Thiago Silva. Only with them now. Ramos jumps high, he has scored so many crucial goals. Silva is tenacious, I like his spirit. I remember how he fought in the Champions League.

«YOU NEED TO PLAY HERE ALL YOUR LIFE TO GET THE CSKA TATOO»

— Tell me about your tattoos.
— The one on my arm is not finished yet. There is a phrase on the chest, the meaning of which is close to me: "Be true to someone who is true to you».

— And did you get tattoo «Love» in honor of your girlfriend?
— No (smiles mysteriously).

— In honor of Vagner Love? Igor Akinfeev said once that Karpov did not know either Vagner or Carvalho — and so you studied the history and were so amazed with the game of our Brazilian that you got a tattoo...
— (Laughs) Also no. It turned out spontaneously, I like the word love. And it is not really true, I knew Vagner. But I really have not heard about Carvalho at that time.

— Do you want any more tattoos?
— I think yes.

— How about CSKA emblem on your chest?
— It is too early for me. You have to play here all your life, like Akinfeev, to get this tattoo. If the road does not turn anywhere, I will think about it.

— And if it turns, where would you rather go? In the championship with Ramos or with Thiago Silva and van Dijk?
— I would like to play in England one day. I do not like German football, it is very energy intensive. English too, but it is interesting there. You need more technical skills in Spain. Maybe France. But to talk about all this seriously, I need to work hard and achieve success with PFC CSKA.

Roman Lyakhovenko