Kyrgyzstan captain Valery Kichin has opened up about his conflict with then-Dinamo Minsk head coach Sergei Gurenko, a former Roma and Parma defender, saying it began after the players were accused of deliberately underperforming.
Speaking in an interview with the NAKTA PODKAST YouTube channel, Kichin said the dispute followed a downturn in Dinamo’s results after an international break in 2019.
“At first, everything was going well and we were unbeaten. Then there was an international break. After we returned, things simply stopped working for us. We were blamed for everything — we were accused of doing it deliberately,” Kichin said.
The defender stressed that he could not accept statements that questioned his professionalism and reputation.
“I hate statements like that about me when there is no evidence. I did not shed so much blood and sweat for someone to tarnish my name with a single word. I could not accept that. That was what caused the conflict with the coach,” he added.
Kichin later received an offer from Torpedo Moscow and immediately began negotiations over a return to Russia.
“An offer came from Torpedo. I did not hesitate and started negotiating my return to Russia,” he said.
The Kyrgyz defender also delivered a critical assessment of Belarusian football, admitting that he had lost some of his sharpness during his spell in Minsk.
“I began to understand that I was dropping down to the level of Belarusian football. When I arrived from Russia, I could see that I was faster and stronger. But gradually I adjusted to that level and became slower. When I returned to Torpedo, I realised that I had slowed down noticeably,” Kichin said.
At the time of his departure, Gurenko offered a more restrained public explanation. The coach said he had questions about Kichin’s performances during the previous season, but added that the pair had discussed the situation and that the player initially wanted to stay and prove himself.
Gurenko also described Kichin as a relatively expensive foreign player for Dinamo Minsk and noted that other defenders at the club had made progress. After the Kyrgyzstan international received an offer from Russia, Dinamo agreed to let him leave.
Gurenko was one of Belarus’ leading players of his generation. The former national-team captain played for Lokomotiv Moscow, Roma, Parma, Real Zaragoza and Piacenza before moving into coaching.
Kichin joined Dinamo Minsk from Yenisey Krasnoyarsk in the summer of 2019. He left the Belarusian club in February 2020 and continued his career with Torpedo Moscow.
The defender has spent much of his career in Russia, representing Volga Nizhny Novgorod, Khimik Dzerzhinsk, Ufa, Anzhi Makhachkala, Tyumen, Yenisey and Torpedo. He helped Yenisey earn promotion to the Russian Premier League and currently plays for Bars in Kyrgyzstan.