"Nizhny Novgorod residents have a high level of skill": Igonin on the future of FC "NN"

      Former Zenit captain, Russian Cup holder, and RFU ambassador Alexey Igonin believes that FC Nizhny Novgorod is capable of competing for a return to the Russian Premier League this season. He shared this with a correspondent from NIA Nizhny Novgorod.

      Recall that on July 12, the Nizhny Novgorod team defeated Volgograd's Rotor with a score of 4:2. After the first round, the team occupies the second position in the PARI League table.

      "From the first game, I saw the difference in the skill level of the teams. Nizhny Novgorod recently played in the Premier League, and it shows. Although Rotor also aims to get into the RPL, it was very clear from this match that the Nizhny Novgorod players have a higher skill level and more chances to return to the elite," noted Igonin.

      He also commented on the club's decision to change the head coach at the end of the 2025/2026 season. In the opinion of the former footballer, constant personnel changes do not benefit the team.

      "In my opinion, there are too many changes happening in Nizhny Novgorod, and many of them seem illogical from the outside. It would be better to find a specialist, believe in him, and give him time to work. Even for someone who doesn't know much about football, it's hard to understand such changes," added Igonin.

      Earlier, former Pari NN player Denis Glushakov also assessed the chances of Vadim Garanin's charges to return to the RPL.

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