Penza, 30 March 2018. PenzaNews. Penza mayor Victor Kuvaytsev thinks that the fact that the club Zenit moved from the Professional Football League to the Amateur one is not a problem.

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He compared the situation with the state of affairs in the Penza rugby club Imperia, where players of the Russian national team are prepared from the school age.

"We are not ashamed to say that it is our municipal club. A football club must be the same," the head of the city administration said at the 43rd regular session of the City Duma on Friday, March 30.

Victor Kuvaytsev added that due to circumstances Zenit had left the Professional Football League in the year of 100th anniversary of Penza football.

"Once we lost the Penza football because of the international football players who are now spoken about. We have neither a result nor pride for our football. The most important is the following thing: we have a number of coaches who train our young football players. They are accepted to other clubs to play when they reach a certain age and skill, but there is nobody to take a place in our team if one or two players leave. That is why starting now everything will be under control of the municipality," the mayor added.

Victor Kuvaytsev reminded that the Penza budget makes provision for children's and youth sport as well as for the maintenance of the training facilities – the renewed Zenit stadium, and expressed the opinion that thereby all conditions for better results had been created.

"Yes, now we participate in the third division. Bur what did we have in the second division of the group Centre? We occupied the 13th place out of 14 teams, and the region was famous for our football players' salary – 90,000 roubles. Are these football players? Who do you think came to the stadium to support them? Nobody did because Penza residents do not know them, they are not proud for the city, they do not feel responsible," he said.