Lokomotivs CEO Leonchenko Outlines Long-Term Vision and Goals for the Club

The CEO of Lokomotiv, **[Vladimir Leonchenko](https://example.com)**, outlined the club’s long-term objectives.

«We recognize the competitive environment we are in and how much the other top teams have invested to strengthen their squads. Our aim is to build a core of leaders that will last for many years. We haven’t completed this development process yet. If there’s an opportunity to bring in more talented players, including Russians, we’ll seize it. It’s crucial for the young players to have experienced professionals around them on the field.

Recently, we produced a detailed analysis of the performance of players under 21 in the RPL since 2009. As you know, we still can’t reach the levels before 2009 due to various sanctions. This is largely because there was a lack of competition among young players. It’s not about having five or six from each club; it’s about having one or two. There was a season where we could only field four to five young players, which indicates a systemic crisis that will take time to overcome. If you systematically address this, as leading clubs used to do, players would start their careers much earlier. We’re not in a situation where you have two foreign center-backs and two more on the bench, and then you wonder where the defenders are and call on someone like Sergey Ignashevich for the World Cup.

We’ve gone through that phase when there was plenty of money. Now, we are gradually adjusting this situation, and we find this process interesting. It’s an ambitious endeavor for the young players. I don’t see any alternative path for Russian football in the current circumstances. It’s our responsibility toward the next generation of players in Russian football. The principle is straightforward: if you perform well before turning 19 and show your level by playing a certain number of matches, you will have opportunities in a good club. If you don’t succeed in doing that, you will be pushed out. I’ve been in touch with many, and now there’s finally interest in our players. Some have left Krasnodar for Europe, and others from Dynamo, with varying degrees of success. There’s growing interest in our players—that’s what I wanted to convey,» said Leonchenko, as reported by Championship correspondents Oleg Lysenko and Ilya Nikulnikov.

To remind, Lokomotiv finished the Russian Premier League season in sixth place, accumulating 53 points.