Sergeev's guide to the Russia squad

1 Sergei Zuev (MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg, goalkeeper)
A real professional who is exceptional in performing his duties. I think he is enjoying the best time of his goalkeeping career at the moment. But futsal is not the only thing in his life. A day before the final he was sharing his dream with the other players – to go fishing in two months' time when the fishing season starts. He is very smart and can talk about any subject.

2 Anatoli Badretdinov (MFK Dinamo Moskva, defender)
He is not enjoying a lot playing time at this EURO, although when he does play in our defence he is always solid. A very nice guy off the pitch.

3 Nikolai Pereverzev (MFK Tyumen, defender)
In the team of four where he usually plays, three players are very attack-minded. This means Pereversev has to concentrate on defence. It's rare that you see him coming forward although he is great in his role, being very solid at the back. He's not a stranger to having fun; he likes a laugh.

4 Dmitri Prudnikov (MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg, defender)
The most talented player Russia has produced recently. His work rate is exceptional and he scores a lot of goals. A very, versatile player with the qualities of a real leader. Very friendly off the pitch.

5 Sergei Sergeev (PFC CSKA Moskva, defender)
I am very calm and quiet off the pitch in my normal life; however you have to be angry during the game and that's the way I play. Also, being a captain, I need to lead the players. We have some young players who lack experience, so sometimes they need a good piece of advice.

7 Pula (MFK Dinamo Moskva, defender)
This guy is our team's heart. Definitely the biggest joker we have as he always charges us with a positive energy. He loves music and even performs as a drummer in a band. Has a lot of international caps under his belt as well as international goals. He was the top goalscorer at the last [FIFA Futsal] World Cup – that says it all.

8 Nikolai Maltsev (MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg, forward)
He is lacking playing time at the moment, but together with Pula, Cirilo and Batretdinov he formed our second team of four at the Grand Prix in Brazil. Scored a couple of decisive goals there. A technically gifted player capable of beating his defender in a one-on-one situation, he has a good finishing touch as well. A true member of a great and really friendly team – we are in the final largely because there is such a great atmosphere in the team.

9 Sergei Abramov (MFK Sinara Ekaterinburg, forward)
Abramov has got jokes in him as well. He's always in a good mood, very positive and likes to have fun. He is very open-minded and active in his daily life. One of the biggest rising stars in Russian futsal.

10 Konstantin Maevski (PFC CSKA Moskva, defender)
He has a great sense of humour and can really get things going. His huge experience helps a lot during the game. It's a real joy to play together with him; we play for the same club and our partnership is fantastic.

11 Cirilo (MFK Dinamo Moskva, pivot)
He is our pivot and we don't have a lot of pivots in Russia. He's a technically gifted player who scores a lot. Another huge fan of music, he is in the same band as Pula. He plays some strange instrument, which looks similar to a guitar.

12 Gustavo (Sibiryak, goalkeeper)
A recent addition to the squad. Gustavo has already begun to build a good reputation. Quiet and easy-going in daily life, he remains focused on the pitch and is always ready to lead by example.

13 Aleksandr Fukin (MFK Dinamo Moskva, forward)
Very kind and calm off the pitch, he is one of the best players at Dinamo and in the national team as well. He is not afraid to try to beat defenders in one-on-one situations. His dribbling is great, so he creates a lot of chances and gives all sorts of trouble to our opponents.

14 Ivan Milovanov (MFK Tyumen, defender)
Another really nice guy off the pitch. His dribbling and work rate is good and he is still young so we hope his best is yet to come. I think he, together with Aramov and Nugumanov, will be key players for Russia in future.

15 Ildar Nugumanov (MFK Tyumen, forward)
Aggressive on the pitch, but calm away from it, he has a very good shot, is very quick and can beat his opponents for pace. His movement off the ball is good as well.

Sergei Sergeev was speaking to Dmitri Slotin