5 months at Spartak Vladikavkaz
Ex-Real Madrid player Drenthe on his time in Russia: “Even on the team bus there was vodka”
©IMAGO
In the summer of 2007, Real Madrid spent €14 million to acquire the services of Royston Drenthe from Feyenoord Rotterdam. Five years later, the Dutchman was left without a club. In February 2013, the midfielder finally signed with Russian first division club Spartak Vladikavkaz after almost six months away from football. A time that has remained in Drenthe’s mind forever, as he revealed in an interview with RTV Rijnmond ahead of Feyenoord’s Europa League match at CSKA Moscow (0-0) on Thursday evening.
Stats
R. Drenthe
Left Midfield
Spartak Vladikavkaz (-2020)
Career stats–
All competitions
Games
6
Goals
3
Assists
0
“These guys wanted me so much that they came to my clothing store especially for me. I had already put on a few kilos and said to them, ‘We’re not going to do that. Leave it.’ But they came back five times,” the 33-year-old said, looking back at the time. “Finally, I told them at the Marriott Hotel opposite the main train station that we would do it. Then I signed the contract with them.”
It was simply a broken city, so to speak.
Due to injury, Drenthe was only used six times in Russia, but still scored three goals. But the midfielder could not prevent relegation. “Look where I stand now. Life is not always roses and moonlight. Vladikavkaz was simply not the perfect place,” Drenthe summed up. “It was simply (…) a broken city, so to speak. You couldn’t make much good out of it. Even if you had a lot of money or so.”
Drenthe on time in Russia: “Good in view of my life experience”
In summer 2013 Drenthe, who previously had a loan spell at Everton, moved from Russia to Reading. However, the contact was made in Vladikavkaz. “At that time, we often ate in the restaurant Maradona. The owner of the store was also the owner of Reading, and so I ended up at Reading. Very astonishing. Crazy, huh? The pasta there was great,” Drenthe said and added: “The vodka too? Yes, we used to drink that, too. Vodka was a staple. That wasn’t difficult. Even on the team bus there was vodka. This is Russia, anything is possible.”
Six countries
Drenthe’s stats at each club
Click here for overview
After his adventure in Russia, Drenthe stayed in England for a year and a half before he decided to give up professional football for the time being after stops in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Since the beginning of 2018, the former player has been lacing his football boots in his home country again. Currently, Drenthe plays for third division team Kozakken Boys. “In view of my life experience, it did me good to take this step,” Drenthe is sure about his time in Russia.