Former Spartak Moscow striker Valery Kechinov spoke about inviting his top three selections to the Russian national team ahead of friendly matches against Iran and Iraq, and the possibility of the team joining an international friendly tournament under the Central Asian Football Federation. He suggested that when official fixtures are scarce, the coaching staff should use those opportunities to test different players and build a clearer picture of the squad. The goal, he explained, is to widen the pool and evaluate both on the training field and in daily life, ensuring a well-rounded view of each candidate.
Now is the moment to broaden the horizon and assess players who may not be widely known to coaches, pundits, or supporters. With no competitive matches on the schedule, even a friendly event becomes a valuable setting to observe how a player adapts to camp routines, how he conducts himself in training, and how he interacts with teammates off the pitch. Kechinov emphasized that such evaluations are carried out with care, because the process should reveal character, consistency, and potential, not just raw talent. Every step is taken with due process and observation, from initial selection to the final integration of a player into the squad, if the fit is right.
Before this cycle, Ural’s Ilya Pomazun joined the national team as a goalkeeper option, alongside Spartak’s Daniil Denisov and Danil Prutsev, marking a new chapter in the team’s experimentation phase. The training camp kicked off on March 19 at the Novogorsk base near Moscow, a venue long used for preparing the national side. On March 23, the team was scheduled to face Iran in Tehran, followed by a test against Iraq on March 26 in St. Petersburg. Looking ahead, participation in an Asian tournament was tentatively slated for June, reflecting the broader strategy of testing and development during periods without official qualifiers. The aim is to balance preparation with real-time evaluation, ensuring that any breakthrough performers can step into the rhythm of international football.
The discussions around Prutsev’s inclusion highlighted a broader narrative: a player’s progress in club football matters, yet it is the growth shown in national-team environment—training discipline, communication with coaches, and the ability to adapt to different tactical demands—that truly warrants a call-up. Kechinov pointed to Prutsev’s ongoing development as a reason for the push to include him among the group, noting the importance of recognizing progress in a player’s game and trajectory. This reflects a philosophy where the national team acts as a proving ground for emerging talents while still maintaining the competitive edge expected at the international level.