Maksim Rudakov is playing his third season in Finland.
Maksim Rudakov has liked Finland. Jaakko Stenroos/AOP
Veikkausliga club representing Honka Maxim Rudakov says Championat magazine in the interviewthat people’s attitude towards him has not changed with the Russian war of aggression.
– Not at all. As great as it has been, it hasn’t changed anything. No problems, says the 27-year-old Russian goalkeeper.
Rudakov brings up one encounter before the war, which initially caused astonishment, but turned out to be good-natured teasing.
– I had already moved to Honka and applied for a work visa. The employee of the Immigration Office looked at me intently and then said, “I will not give you a visa. I’m a fan of HJK, and you moved to Honka. What is your problem?” We both laughed, Rudakov muses.
Revealed the tax rate
The student of the big club Zenit St. Petersburg arrived in Finland for the first time in 2018. After two seasons at HJK, Rudakov headed back to Russia and Rostov, but took Honga’s bait a brisk year ago.
Rudakov boasts that he is satisfied with his life in Finland and the conditions here. The goalkeeper says that he already noticed while playing at HJK that life goes well even without a car, because public transport and cycling infrastructure work in the capital region.
Rudakov is horrified by the high level of taxation in Finland, but reminds that the system is based on income level.
– I pay 30 percent, he announces.
Games start in the heart of winter
The journalist of Championat wonders to Rudakov that the season in Finland starts so early. This year, the first Liigacup matches were played on January 14.
– We have degrees from zero minus one. Light rain. About British football, Rudakov laughs.
– The climate is warming all over the world. But I agree it’s weird. In previous winters, it was really cold here with heaps of snow. Now when you look out the window, the grass is green and absolutely clean. The natural grass is already in decent condition and you can play there, but we mainly play the Liigacup in halls. Every club here has one.