The Lokomotiv Moscow captain, Dmitry Barinov, praised Artem Dzyuba for lending significant help to the club’s squad and the wider railway community. He shared his reflections with Championship, highlighting how Dzyuba’s presence has shaped the team’s atmosphere and morale on and off the field.
Barinov noted that Dzyuba brings more than just goal threat. He is quick with humor, a trait that lightens the mood in the dressing room and makes daily training sessions more enjoyable. Yet the veteran striker’s spirited personality can also create tension at times, particularly when the team experiences a rough spell or a stretch of difficult results. In those moments, some players may feel the pressure more acutely, and Barinov says he does his best to channel Dzyuba’s energy in a constructive way during training recess and in the moments before matches. He emphasizes the importance of balancing competitive drive with mutual respect within the squad so that the group grows stronger together.
Dzyuba joined Lokomotiv in February 2023, bringing a wealth of experience to a club that has long prided itself on resilience and teamwork. In May, he agreed to a new contract that keeps him at the club through the end of the 2023/24 season, with the option to extend for another year. The 35-year-old forward has continued to contribute on the field, having appeared in six matches in the current campaign and delivering two goals and two assists in those appearances, underscoring his ongoing value to the squad.
After seven rounds of the Russian Premier League, Lokomotiv sits sixth in the table with twelve points. The team now looks ahead to an upcoming clash with Orenburg, a match scheduled to kick off on September 17 at 19:00 Moscow time. The fixture will give Dzyuba and his teammates an opportunity to build on their recent performances and move higher in the standings as the season unfolds.
Earlier in the year, Dzyuba reacted with humor to a lighthearted moment involving a ball boy, responding in a playful manner that reflected his approachable demeanor with younger fans and staff members. This episode added a friendly anecdote to the season, illustrating Dzyuba’s ability to balance seriousness on the pitch with a relaxed, approachable attitude off it, something teammates have repeatedly cited as a beneficial influence on squad harmony [citation: Championship].