Beyond the Goal in Mother Russia

In Russia there is a saying: “Birds fly not into your mouth ready roasted.” While this has nothing to do with football, it does tell you that this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia is going to be different. Former South African international footballer, Matthew Booth, says you need to take your KGB hat off and ignore a lot of what you’ve seen in the movies, because there is more to Russia than Putin and large henchmen with thick accents saying da all the time. “Russia has its own stereotypes,” says Booth, who from 2002 to 2008 played in Russia for Rostov and Krylia Sovetov, amidst a career in which he also represented Bafana Bafana and played extensively in the PSL. “Everybody thinks of it as being cold, the people drink lots of vodka, and it has lots of bears. That’s all far from the truth. In certain areas that is the case. But despite their politics, they are very much Eurocentric, especially in Moscow and St Petersburg. From a player’s perspective, there’s nothing I’d really warn them about because it is much like a European country. “But Russia is complex. If you think that South Africa is complex, then you’re in for a surprise when you see Russia. You can fit South Africa into Russia 14 or 15 times – it’s just so vast. It does have a lot to offer in terms of tourism, and when you look at Siberia, quite a bit of adventure tourism as well.” According to Booth, this is a World Cup that will resonate with the local Russians who are passionate about the game. “Football is the number one sport in Russia, and they know how to run events and put on a show. The population there is fanatical about football. Football has competition from basketball and ice hockey, but it’s by far the number one sport, particularly in the smaller provincial towns. The clubs there have huge support. Russia has a bit of a history of racial incidents in football. But it’s a small minority, and the Russian authorities have stamped that out, and quite rightly so.” In his time over there, Booth says he was also impressed with the stadium infrastructure. “I played there between 2002 and 2008, and already the infrastructure and stadiums were fantastic. A number of the stadiums that were planned for the World Cup were up and running then, and the infrastructure was good. And in the cities where I played, they have built new stadiums.” The weather should also be quite welcoming for the players and fans alike. “The biggest issue for some of my African teammates was the cold. The clubs normally bring you out for trial in June or July when it’s nice and hot, you sign a contract, and then go into November and December when it’s really cold and you realise this is a different kettle of fish. The one city I lived in, it would get to -35°C, and not many people can cope with that weather. “But just like the country, the weather is also made up of extremes. The World Cup will be held in June and July, and in the middle of Russia it will get up to 35°C.” As for his early favourites, Booth thinks the African teams stand a good chance this year. “I think Egypt and Senegal can go a long way. They’ve got the names. Mohamed Salah will be an inspiration for Egypt, and the Senegalese team has huge names playing in top leagues in Europe. As for the rest of the world, it’s the usual candidates: Brazil, Germany, and England. It was so easy for England to qualify, I think they could be a dark horse, as they always seem to fail on the big stage. But I like the look of this young English team.” If you’re planning to take in a bit of football in the Federatsiya, Booth advises you definitely sample the good vodka – but don’t leave out a few other local Russian delights. “They bring out the vodka on special occasions, so if you want to treat yourself, find a good bottle of vodka. But they’re very much a beer-drinking nation. And try their traditional dish, borsch – a cabbage soup with cream in it. That’s good. They have strong spicy dishes from Uzbekistan and their food has quite a strong Asian influence from surrounding countries.” Dobro pozhalovat’ v Rossiyu, football fans. Welcome to a World Cup in a whole new world.