Baltica lost to Lokomotiv 0-1 in the 29th round of the Russian Premier League, mathematically ruling them out of medal contention.
Head coach Andrei Talalaev delivered a powerful press conference that went far beyond the match result, touching on a wide range of topics.
Speaking about the game, Talalaev said, “As the old Jewish joke goes: what’s the point? 0-1, we go home without a result, congratulations to Lokomotiv. I think they won’t let go of the bronze now. A team fighting for results and medals must play exactly like Lokomotiv did—with variety.”
He explained that Baltica tried playing with two strikers, deliberately leaving space, but Lokomotiv exploited it in the first 10-12 minutes and scored. “We had prepared our three central midfielders all week, knowing that Zelimkhan Bakayev and Alexander Rudenko would dribble and usually pass backward. We needed a second-tempo pickup. But one of our captains, Andrei Mendel, lost his man, and they scored from that zone.”
Regarding Kevin Andrade’s red card, Talalaev was critical: “When people talk about a ‘luggage mood’—that’s probably it. The player has been getting weaker with each match over the last two months. Mentally, he’s no longer with us. In my opinion, a career transition shouldn’t end like this. After a good spell, you should play a bright match. Like the game against Krasnodar where he battled John Cordoba. He needed a couple more such games; then we’d have coped better even without our leaders Brian Gil and Maxim Borisko.”
Despite the loss, Talalaev noted positives: “Lokomotiv played correctly, but we hit the post in the first half, had a penalty in the second, and dominated set pieces at the end when we brought on tall players and simplified the game with long balls. If Ilya Petrov had scored the penalty, we’d have drawn and been happier. If the set-piece taker misses a penalty, what can I demand from 21-year-old Ivan Belikov or the older Bivei (Mingiyan Biveev) who also wanted to take it?”
Reflecting on the season, Talalaev admitted disappointment but saw promise: “From a results perspective this year, we’re upset—seven games without a win. But in terms of how the team will look next year, the match left a positive impression. Everyone expects us to collapse, but we’ll keep playing.”
He analyzed individual performances: “Football is a litmus test. Problems emerge when things get tough. When everything was fine, everyone was fine. When responsibility was needed, Maxim Petrov’s first four touches were four turnovers. They say there’s a problem with ex-players—I think there is. He wanted to play better because he’s a Lokomotiv youth product, but it didn’t work out. The other Petrov played better but missed the penalty.”
On the penalty taker decision, Talalaev said, “Of course I influenced it. I went and influenced: ‘Go on, you take it!’ We have everything scheduled: who takes, who calls, who runs where. When it’s not followed, there are complaints.”
When asked about the lack of pressing, Talalaev responded, “Thank you for the praise. It’s nice even when a dog wags its tail. But we understand we didn’t finish the championship properly. The club management and I would have liked to do it differently—we discussed it.”
He explained the tactical choice: “We didn’t plan to press. Lokomotiv had a new defender, Yegor Pogostnov. We wanted him to have more ball possession, meet him on our half, and launch quick attacks because Tenton Yenne and Derik Lasorda are…”
