“Monte” from Anapa — The Big Sensation of the Russian Beach Soccer Cup

In their debut season at nationwide competitions, the Anapa-based club Monte, named after the legendary Monte Melkonian, made a loud statement and caught the attention of the entire beach soccer community. Founded just a year ago, the team managed to challenge the giants of the Russian Super League and achieve sensational results.

Group Stage Surprises

September in Anapa marked the end of the beach soccer season — the city hosted the Russian Cup, bringing together the strongest teams in the country and some of the top players in the world.

Monte started brightly: the team secured sensational victories over Super League representatives CSKA and Krasnodar-YuMR. In the decisive match of the first group stage, the Anapa side confidently defeated the Tyumen team KST-72, completing the group with a 100% record and advancing to the next round in first place.

In the second group stage, Monte faced much stronger opponents — Krylya Sovetov (Samara), Kristall (St. Petersburg), one of the best beach soccer clubs in the world, and the local club Olimp. Despite the elite level of competition, the team from Anapa showed character and fought every match until the final whistle.

Sportaran spoke with team director Karen Khachatryan and goalkeeper Artyom Cherezov to discuss the team’s performance.

Interview with Karen Khachatryan

— Karen, congratulations to you and your team on your debut at such a high-level tournament. It’s well known that Russian beach soccer is among the strongest in the world and features some of the best players on the planet. Were you not afraid to throw the team into such a “fire”?

— Thank you for the kind words!
Yes, it may sound surprising, but beach soccer in a northern country like Russia is incredibly strong. There was no fear — on the contrary, we were excited and eager to test ourselves at the highest level. And I believe we succeeded.

— The match against CSKA drew a lot of attention and impressed many. What was the key to such a successful performance?

— Before the tournament, we discussed strengthening the squad. Artyom Cherezov, being an experienced and decorated player, has many strong connections in the beach soccer community. He suggested looking at players from Lokomotiv and some experienced veterans. We chose players from Lokomotiv, and we definitely made the right decision. We also managed to bring in a promising coach, Arseny Leonov, which played a major role in the result.

As for the game itself — it’s better to watch it. It’s hard to describe those emotions in words. And I’ll note: Artyom himself was confident we would beat CSKA — and we did.

— Next came the match against Krasnodar-YuMR, another strong team with experienced players.

— Yes, it was an important match for advancing from the group. It was an intense and entertaining game that brought joy to both the players and the fans. I especially want to thank the stands — the support was unforgettable!

— The match with KST-72?

— A good game. We were no longer under pressure result-wise, and the coach gave more playing time to those who had less earlier. The guys did not disappoint, and we won — finishing the group in first place.

— The reaction to the second stage draw?

— We took it with a smile. We wanted to compete and fought until the end in every match. It was an honor to play against some of the world’s strongest players. We’re grateful for the opportunity.

— Plans for next season? Will Monte strengthen the squad?

— Yes. Even before the Cup, Artyom and I discussed the goal: to take part in the Russian First Division next year. It’s a prestigious tournament where we aim to make a big impact.

Interview with Artyom Cherezov

— Artyom, Karen said you played a key role in assembling the team and mentioned your titles. Tell us briefly about that.

— Hello and thank you. I don’t like talking about myself much, but I’ll try. Karen handled most of the financial and organizational work this season, while I helped where needed. As for my background, I have won the Russian Cup and repeatedly earned top places in tournaments in Krasnodar Krai and the Southern Federal District. Now, I want to help Monte succeed at a higher level.

— Karen mentioned your impact on transfers. Why did you choose young Lokomotiv players?

— Our idea was to create the right balance. We had experienced players, like myself and Kirill Anikeyev, and we also had players who had never played at this level. So we needed young, hungry players, and that worked perfectly. Their energy combined with our leadership brought results. I’m especially happy that we helped Khorkov and Korotin make a name for themselves. Also, goalkeeper Vova Zozulya used his playing time excellently — even scoring important goals.

— Which matches stood out the most?

— Every game was special, but of course the match against CSKA stands out — we won confidently. Also the match against Kristall, where I blocked two shots with my face. And of course the match against Krylya Sovetov, coached by my former teammate Andrey Bukhlitskiy — I really wanted to beat him!

Final Words

Karen:
I want to thank the players and fans who supported us throughout the tournament — including those cheering online from Armenia, as many of our players are Armenian. And of course, we hope to one day see the Armenian national beach soccer team — the potential is there. Especially since Artyom has Armenian citizenship (smiles).

Artyom:
I also want to thank the fans. I remember how they supported us even in stormy weather against CSKA — that meant a lot. Thanks to Karen for trusting me and allowing me to take part in building the squad. And yes — Armenia should have a beach soccer national team. It would be great to play on the shores of Lake Sevan or in the heart of Yerevan. We are ready to help!