Aleksandr Kokorin - The Future of Russian Football?

Belgorod Oblast is one of the less celebrated patches of Russia’s vast land mass. A small province on the border with Ukraine, it offers nothing of the glamour of modern Russian life. The region’s claim to rather lukewarm fame is its vegetation and wildlife. Other than its rare and protected animal species, fauna and streams, the area has little else to inspire.

It is also the birthplace of the young man at whose feet most spectators believe the future of Russian football lies – Dinamo Moscow number nine and Russian international forward Aleksandr Kokorin, born in the quiet fortress town of Valyuki.

It is rather surprising that Kokorin was born into such a mundane backdrop. His status today offers no hint of a connection with Valuyki. Although Kokorin’s roots are based here, the striker has grown into a rarer animal than any beast his home town offers refuge to - that of the prodigal son.

Kokorin began his career 700km north of Valuyki in the youth teams of Lokomotiv Moscow. Aged 17 he transferred to Dinamo where the first sign of his precocious talent ironically came against the club at which he had first shown promise. His goal in a 1-0 win against his old club Lokomotiv for Dinamo made him the latter’s youngest ever scorer in the RPL aged 17 years 199 days in November 2008.

Since then Kokorin has established himself as one of the top talents in Russia in the eyes of most spectators. He made his debut for the Russian national side aged 20 and has since gone on to notch 36 caps and 10 goals for the team. – including one in the World Cup 2014 finals when he rose emphatically to head home in a 1-1 draw against Algeria. That year he was named in the annual list of 33 top players of the Russian league as the best left forward.

Last summer Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal were all rumoured to be keenly interested in signing Kokorin with Arsenal reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ with the Dinamo winger.

Comparisons with Russians to have played in England were immediately made. Former Gunners star Andrei Arshavin was one as well as Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, another virtuoso young talent from a Muscovite club, who was Kokorin’s age when he moved to Everton. But it can be argued that neither man generated as much of a commotion as the languid yet abrasive Sashenka at this stage of their careers.

As a player, Kokorin is an inspiring forward with pace and deft close control. He is constantly involved in link up play, drifting to the wing and cutting inside when he receives the ball to create chances and his footballing intuition allows him to make measured and composed decisions in front of goal.

But Kokorin’s talent isn’t the only thing that has grabbed attention. His behaviour both on and off the field has given clubs reason to be apprehensive about any move for the 6ft striker.

Kokorin’s penchant for flaunting his luxurious lifestyle through his favoured medium Instagram has become as famous as his ability. His posing with celebrities, rappers and a collection of expensive cars underline his taste for the extravagant.

His most outlandish posts surfaced last year when he was snapped with bare-chested strippers sat on his lap, despite having a girlfriend.

On the pitch Russia’s shining star is also no angel. In May 2013, Dinamo were trailing Alania Vladikavkaz 1-0 away from home in the 83^rd minute. Kokorin lost the ball with a wayward pass and then vented his frustration by producing a two-footed tackle on its recipient, Alania’s Daniel Neco before slapping Neco’s protesting team mate Giorgi Chanturia. It sparked a mass fracas in which every on-field player plus dugouts from both sides were involved. Kokorin himself was slapped with a seven match ban as a result.

Kokorin’s posturing on and off the field has garnered him a reputation as something of a bad boy and is afforded by his $5m a season contract. Some professionals question whether he will sacrifice the ticket to his luscious life for a chance to play in the Premier league, therefore compromising his own development.

Krasnodar coach Andrey Tikhonov – who identified Kokorin as one of a handful of young Russian players who possess the skill to play in the Premier League - is one.

“I don’t know if Kokorin will go [to the Premier League] and take a paycut for the sake of playing in the Premier League, but I want to believe it. I think that it would help him to develop as a player,” Tikhonov said when interviewed recently.

Given that a compromise might have to be made in terms of wages, would clubs also be willing to gamble on talent that has only been fully

shown in the Russian league? Kokorin’s stats are not world-beating; he has only once scored more than ten goals in his seven seasons playing in Russia’s top division. Ten is also the exact number of assists Kokorin has made since 2013.

Kokorin has moved away from Dinamo once before, to Anzhi Makhachkala in August 2013. But his stay was as inflammatory as his persona, although it was no fault of his own. Anzhi triggered a $19m release clause in his contract but upon arrival Kokorin was injured and ruled out of action. Soon after, financial restructuring saw the entire squad put up for sale and Kokorin moved back to Dinamo without having kicked a ball for the side.

His next move will undoubtedly be more fruitful, possibly in the upcoming transfer windows.

Kokorin’s behaviour has shadows of the Russian nouveau riche, the fast lives of the young and wealthy made famous by the offspring of oligarchs or politicians.

But even with his flash, brash off field and online attitude there are hints that Kokorin still understands what got him where he is today.

“We were thrilled whenever we could get on the pitch. We were always getting chased off. Now, all that young guys think about are these endless gadgets, telephones, tablets,” he commented ironically on up-and-coming players today.

If he is to move to England, it seems Kokorin will have to remember the roots which made him grow into the player he is, to develop into the player many say he should become.

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