Vladimir Ponomarev, once a member of CSKA and a figure in the USSR national team, offered his take on why Zenit St. Petersburg’s Brazilian players faced discipline issues during the training camp. The veteran shared his views in an interview with RB Sports, presenting a candid assessment of the situation.
According to him, the core challenge lay in the group’s size. There were ten Brazilian players in camp, and many had only recently returned from holidays. Their motivation to train hard could waver in the familiar sunshine of St. Petersburg, with places to visit after sessions. Ponomarev described how the players often communicated in Portuguese, which sometimes gave the impression that there was little need to push too hard, a mindset that can undermine collective discipline in a demanding training regime.
From his vantage point, the Brazilians were also benefiting from the club’s financial incentives. The perception existed that their presence and performance carried significant weight for the squad, making it harder to enforce strict discipline. The veteran wondered aloud whether Zenit might end up benching all the Brazilian players at once, given that many of the team’s stars come from that group.
On January 30, reports emerged about Wendel, a midfielder for the St. Petersburg club, arriving late to training on five occasions, while Claudinho was reportedly reluctant to train at maximum effort. These snippets fed into a broader narrative about discipline and commitment within the squad during the winter preparation period.
Zenit’s standing in the Russian Premier League at that time stood with 36 points after 18 rounds, placing the blue-white-blues two points behind league leaders Krasnodar. Dinamo Moscow trailed in third with 32 points, setting the stage for a competitive second half of the season. The dynamics within the squad, including disciplinary matters, were expected to influence results as the championship progressed.
The second phase of the Russian Championship was scheduled to begin in March, with Sergei Semak’s team set to host Spartak Moscow in the 19th round. This fixture loomed large as Zenit aimed to regain consistency and convert late-season opportunities into points during a crucial stretch of the campaign.
Reacting to the delayed training reports, Wendel himself issued a response through a public channel, emphasizing a need for accountability and professional conduct within the squad. The exchange underscored how off-pitch issues can ripple into on-field performance and the club’s broader objective of maintaining a competitive edge in a busy season.
Analysts noted that managing a diverse squad with players from different footballing cultures requires clear expectations and robust routines. The training camp period serves as a litmus test for cohesion, motivation, and the willingness of all players to adapt to the team’s strategic demands. Zenit’s leadership faced the task of aligning individual habits with collective goals, ensuring that every member of the squad, regardless of nationality, contributes to a consistent standard of work with the potential to impact league standings and future outcomes.
In the end, the club’s management balanced praise for the players’ talents with a reminder of the hard work needed to translate skill into consistent results. The discipline of preparation, together with a clear plan for accountability, remained central to Zenit’s ambitions as the season moved toward a decisive phase and the fight for silverware continued across Russia’s top tier.