In September, the 28-year-old Russian Anton Miranchuk will transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow to Valais. Sion boss Christian Constantin talks to blue Sport about the special negotiations and explains why the signing cannot be compared to that of Mario Balotelli.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Sion have signed Russian international Anton Miranchuk shortly before the end of the transfer window.
- Sion boss Christian Constantin explains to blue Sport why, unlike other clubs, they did not shy away from signing a Russian player.
- CC also explains why the transfer of Miranchuk cannot be compared to that of Mario Balotelli.
- Miranchuk was not yet convincing on his debut last week, and he knows that himself. He is not yet at 100 percent and still needs to get to know his teammates better. But his first impressions are very good.
On February 24, 2022, Russia began its large-scale war of aggression against the whole of Ukraine in violation of international law. The front line has remained virtually unchanged since fall 2022. Large parts of Ukraine are occupied by Russian troops. There is no end to the war in sight. This also has an impact on the world of sport.
For example, teams from Russia are excluded from European competitions such as the Champions League. The national team has also been curtailed and can only play test matches, although the choice of opponents is severely limited.
Players from Russia: Sion does what others don't do
Many clubs are also unwilling to negotiate with Russian teams, even if they were allowed to. In the summer, Russian first division club Kuban Krasnodar wanted to sign YB star Meschack Elia and would reportedly have been prepared to fork out eight million euros. A lot of money by Swiss standards. But YB blocked the offer. Head of sport Steve von Bergen explained to the "Berner Zeitung": "We have no intention of selling players to Russia."
YB made the decision of its own free will, as players from Russia are allowed to be signed in this country. And so, on September 9, Sion announced the transfer of Anton Miranchuk, a 28-year-old Russian international whose qualities should undoubtedly enrich the Valais attack. Nevertheless, it is a transfer with a stigma.
Christian Constantin plays on Switzerland's neutrality
Constantin admits that they also asked themselves whether they were allowed to sign a player from Russia and explains why they decided to do so anyway: "I think we can do it because we are a neutral country."
Logically, Miranchuk was brought in because of his qualities. "When he was in his prime, he was slowed down by the Covid pandemic and now by the war in Ukraine. He has lost three to four years. Now was the perfect moment to move away from Moscow."
Of course, a delegation from Sion could not simply travel to Moscow to observe the player and hold talks. But nowadays there are other ways anyway. "I did it via video call," says CC. The fact that the transfer worked out at all is certainly also thanks to Anton Mitryushkin.
Anton Mitryushkin and Anton Miranchuk know each other from their days with the junior national team and were team-mates for a short time at Lokomotiv Moscow. Mitryushkin stood between the posts 76 times for Sion from February 2016 to July 2020. "So Miranchuk had a few references. In the end, the only options were Ajax Amsterdam or Sion. We had feared that he might choose Ajax because they are such a big club. But he opted for us. Perhaps also because of the politics," Constantin speculates.
It was important for Sion to make it clear that no money had flowed to Lokomotiv Moscow. They would only have negotiated directly with the player. Although Sion would have been able to raise the money, this was not necessary. Constantin does not go into detail, however.
Comparisons with the Balotelli transfer are out of place
Many a fan may have been surprised that Sion signed a player of Miranchuk's stature despite their good start to the season, as it had been said after the Balotelli misunderstanding that they no longer wanted to lure big names to Valais. CC says: "We never said that the world would stop after Balotelli and that we wouldn't sign any more good players. You shouldn't exaggerate what has been said."
Balotelli simply did "Balotelli things". Or to put it another way: "Instead of having a huge career, which he should have done with his abilities, he only played to 10 percent of his potential." Comparisons with Miranchuk are therefore completely out of place. "Here we have a player who is still playing for the national team" and who has already played in the Champions League (13 games, 4 goals).
It was nice to talk to Balotelli, but it was also complicated. "Balotelli and Miranchuk are completely different stories," clarified the 67-year-old.
The track record of Anton Miranchuk
Anton Miranchuk made his debut for the national team in 2017 and was in Russia's squad for the 2018 World Cup at home, but did not make an appearance. Since the war of aggression, Russia have only played test matches and the 28-year-old has made a decent showing there. He scored against Iran, Iraq, Cuba and Serbia and provided the assist against Belarus.
Last season, he played in attacking midfield for Lokomotiv Moscow. The traditional club finished 4th in the league, with Miranchuk scoring six goals and setting up five others. He also added two goals and two assists in nine cup games. So the man is certainly not yet an obsolete model and has therefore been praised in some media as the "king transfer".
Miranchuk made his Super League debut against Lugano on Sunday, but remained pale until his substitution in the 60th minute. However, none of the players excelled in the zero number. After the game, the 28-year-old said that he still needed some time. "I'm not yet at 100 percent and still have to find my feet in the team until the chemistry is right." However, he likes it very much in Sion and is already looking forward to the next games.
The chance to do better than in his first appearance comes on Sunday, when Sion play FCZ away from home. Kick-off is at 2.15 pm and you can watch the game live on blue Sport.
