Christian Noboa: I am like a son to Berdyev, but I needed to move on

Dynamo Moscow defender Christian Noboa in an interview to Moskovskie Novosti remembered his last few days in Rubin Kazan and his good-bye talk with their head coach Kurban Berdyev.

«You were in Kazan for five years. In that period you became Rubin’s key player, married a Russian girl and their coach Berdyev even called you his son. Why did you decided to swap Rubin for Dynamo?»

«I am eternally grateful to Rubin and to Berdyev, but you said it yourself: five years. That is a very long time for a footballer and it gets harder as time passes. The passion just isn’t there any more, everything is mundane. I realised that I need to move on and told Berdyev that. He understood me.»

«Was it the hardest conversation in your life?»

«Yes. He just kept calling me «son, son», remembering how I moved here as a teenager, and I had to tell him that I am leaving. It was so difficult, but he understood me, and for that I am even more grateful.»

«Don’t take it the wrong way, but Rubin’s playing style makes you fall asleep, while Dynamo last year was actually very exciting to watch. Do you feel a different approach yet?»

«People say that about Rubin, but did you fall asleep when we played Barcelona? It’s not like things we do here are any different from our routines in Kazan. Sometimes you have to focus more on attack, sometimes on defence. But in my position [in central midfield – Sports.ru], you have to challenge the opponent, get the ball, and play it forward quickly.