Football analyst Andrei Sozin weighed in on the potential recall of Artem Dziuba to the Russian national team after the Lokomotiv striker slammed a hat-trick against Rostov in the 18th week of the Russian Premier League, a match steered by national team boss Valery Karpin. The performance put Dziuba back in the spotlight and sparked renewed talk about how the national squad might shape its forward line in the near future.
Sozin suggested that Dziuba now holds all the initiative in his hands. The hat-trick creates a compelling argument in favor of including him in the national team setup. In a candid assessment, the analyst noted that Dziuba could tell the coaching staff that his three-goal haul demonstrates a level of form and impact that simply cannot be ignored. The assertion implies that if he continues to deliver at this pace, he will force the selectors to consider him for future fixtures, regardless of past omissions.
Given the presence of a head coach known for his practical approach to selection, Sozin argued that Karpin would have a straightforward reply if asked why Dziuba might be overlooked again: a blank look or a reminder of the broader pool of forwards would be less persuasive than a current run of goals. The point is not to diminish the achievement but to emphasize that the present form matters most when decisions are made for national duties. Dziuba’s three goals in that game against Rostov were powerful evidence of his readiness to contribute at a high level, according to Sozin, as reported by Vprognoze.ru.
These goals marked a comeback moment for Dziuba after his return to Russia. The striker began the season with Adana Demirspor in Turkey, a stint that ended with the termination of his contract a few months back. Returning to his home country as a free agent, he later signed with Lokomotiv, reinvigorating his club career and reviving the possibility that he could also bolster the national team’s attacking options. This arc—international experience followed by a successful return to Russian club football—adds another layer to the debate about his suitability for national duty, and it is being watched closely by fans and pundits alike.
The victory this week gave Lokomotiv a notable climb in the league standings. The win pushed the club from 14th to 13th place, lifting their points tally to 16. Rostov, on the other hand, continued their strong season trajectory and sit in third with 35 points, underscoring the competitiveness of the match and the level at which Dziuba demonstrated his capabilities. This outcome matters not only for club pride but for how the national team’s forward options are perceived in the context of domestic form and international readiness. In football parlance, a standout performance against a quality opponent can reshape the evaluation of a player’s fit for national responsibilities and invite more concrete consideration from the coaching staff.
Earlier commentary from Leonid Tufrin, known for his long association with Zenit, weighed in on a separate, sensational interview given by Lokomotiv’s Artem Dzyuba. In that exchange, Dzyuba described the club from the Gulf coast city of Saint Petersburg as unsympathetic toward him as a person and compared the club’s cultural environment unfavorably to his own expectations. The remarks intensified the conversation around his mood, motivation, and the psychological aspects of a player who has faced public scrutiny and criticism, while testing the boundaries between club allegiance and national service. Observers noted that such outspoken moments can influence public perception and, potentially, the selection calculus for national team decisions, even as form on the pitch remains the ultimate judge of eligibility and readiness.