Football Fetisov names three more Olympic players

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Head coach and general manager of the Russian Olympic team Vyacheslav Fetisov named three more players in the interview to SE correspondent Igor LARIN yesterday. These players are backs Vladimir Malakhov (Rangers), Boris Mironov (Chicago) and Daniil Markov (Finix).

Only seven places are left. When are you going to name the rest?

I'll abide by my plan: RHF president Alexander Steblin will name all the 23 players on the press conference on December, 22. I want to precise that there can be changes in the list of players already chosen. For example, if anybody gets a serious trauma.

Having chosen Vladimir Malakhov, Daniil Markov and Boris Mironov you eliminated all chances for other our backs from NHL - Alexey Zhitnik from Buffalo, Sergey Zubov from Dallas… There are already seven defense players in the team.

It's highly likely that there will be eight of them, so one place is still left.

Zhitnik and Zubov both deserve the place…

Let's make it clear: Zhitnik felt offended. He remembered that each summer he spent in Ukraine and thus was in doubt if he could play for Russia or not. We gave him time for consideration.

And Zubov?

In my previous interview to SE I said that I count on him. But he refused to participate in the Olympics. I won't persuade him or anybody else - one cannot change the psychology of a person who doesn't want to play for his own country.

When are you going to name forwards? There are five places left.

Initially it was planned that the public would know only the eight 'untouchables' but it turned now that they know twice as much. I'll go on with this schedule and several days later you'll know several other names. By the way, I've drawn up a list of 24 players for RHF, and it turns out that one of them is superfluous. I'm reflecting on this matter now.

Are you satisfied with the result of your talk to Steblin in New York?

It's too late now to be satisfied or discontented - Olympics is at hand. And we have what we have.