SOCHI, February 19 (R-Sport) – The coach of Russia’s men’s hockey team, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, has said that he wants to continue in his job despite the host nation crashing out in the quarterfinals of the Olympics on Wednesday.
Russia’s 3-1 loss to Finland was a shock for a team that had been under intense pressure to win a gold medal on home ice. It means a third straight Olympic Games without a medal for the Russians.
“I’ve got the desire, but that question isn’t for me,” Bilyaletdinov said when asked if he would stay, adding that Russian Hockey Federation officials would decide his fate.
“Something clearly hasn’t worked out for me. I didn’t feel pressure, but I did understand the responsibility,” he said.
“I can’t criticize the guys for not being prepared,” he added of the players. “They wanted it, but unfortunately we were let down by individual mistakes. You’ve got to score. One goal in a game like this isn’t enough. Something got in the way.”
Bilyaletdinov won the 2012 world championship title in his first major competition in charge of the Russian national team, but oversaw a quarterfinal exit at last year’s tournament.
