«Astana» General Director Samson Arakelyan gave an interview with the Khabar agency, in which he answered questions about the club's development plans. We publish its text version.
- About the appointment to Astana and changes in the club.
- I hope that all the changes, even those that may not seem logical to someone now, will eventually lead to the result we want. To be honest, if at the beginning of the year, someone had told me that I would move to Astana and manage the country's leading club, I would not have believed this.
- In February, the Cup was held, the results of Astana were different from what we would like, and attendance fell. The last place in the VTB United League, the last place of Astana-2 in the Major League — it all overlapped; there was a need to look for a candidate who could come and at least try to fix something.
- I came to the interview with a plan: not just to tell about myself, but to propose what Astana needs to do. I think it also made a positive impression. Well, and, accordingly, I received an offer almost the next day.
- Can the CEO interfere in coaching?
- They consult with me very often, but I do not accept interference in a coach's work. I even try not to go into the locker room so often. Even if I come in, I can say just a few words and leave because my team is sitting in the office: this is a PR service, and so on. For basketball players, the head coach should be their authority. Therefore, I prefer to hold the coach accountable for the result; in his turn, he asks it from the players.
- About Oleg Kiselev.
- I've known him for a long time. 10 years ago, he was a rigorous coach, which not everyone could withstand, but his work yielded results. Now he seems softer in appearance, but it seems to me that he has become wiser and does not waste energy.
- Who is the leader in Astana now?
- I would like to create conditions under which the players would always know that someone is aiming at their place. To have healthy competition and for young players to have the opportunity to play at a different level. I'm pleased with what I see now. I want there to be a new leader for every new game. As a director of the club, it is better for me that we bring these talents to light.
- About rebranding.
- I have a dream that our logo will one day become associated with the city. To do this, I removed all elements related to basketball and sports. We put our promises there: this is an upward movement, an ornament, a bird; for some, it is an arrow. From afar, without even reading that this is a basketball club, you see the logo and understand that this is Astana.
- About criticism.
- I met with the main critics of Astana, who were still under Valery Tikhonenko. We discussed, and they made points I disagreed with; I told them my point of view. We agreed somewhere, they kept their opinions about other topics, but at the same time, they gave me a chance to express my vision.
- Is it possible to compare basketball Astana with some of the NBA clubs?
- Cool question. Well, not the Lakers. I really wish we were like the San Antonio Spurs. This is a team in which the main star has always been coach Gregg Popovich. There were no apparent stars in the team, but everyone who came there later left as superstars. That is, a whole team is working there, a system. There is no LeBron James or Stephen Curry. And my task is to build a system of traditions. No matter what coach or player comes, they understand that Astana is like that, plays its own basketball, and we have our own philosophy. I would like us to come to our own style, and I would really like the coaches to work with us for more than one year or two.
