Lokomotiv’s former president Nikolai Naumov said that Werder wanted red-green midfielder Nair Tiknizyan to learn German in order to join the team. In a comment to socialbites.ca, the official emphasized the importance of this factor, comparing how naturalized Brazilians Guilherme and Mario Fernandez reacted to this in Russia.
“Knowing the language is already half the battle to get a place in the club. It’s hard when you come to a club and don’t understand a single word. I remember when the players came to Lokomotiv, we gave everyone a translator and forced the players to learn the language. Remember: goalkeeper Guilherme learned the language very quickly. And not like Mario Fernandez, who was asked to give citizenship, but like an ordinary person, after living in Russia for five years, he applied for citizenship and took the Russian language exam. I think it should be like this,” Naumov said.
Tiknizyan said that Werder representatives contacted him in the summer. The athlete did not specify how possible his transfer would be in the near future.
Previously Lokomotiv hit “Ural” in the Russian Premier League (RPL) match.