On July 10, Spartak Moscow announced the transfer of Paraguayan midfielder Jesus Medina from CSKA. According to Sports.ru, Medina became the first player in 29 years to move directly from CSKA to the camp of its principal rival, Spartak.
The transfer cost Spartak €6 million, and the army team can receive another €1 million as bonus payments. CSKA fans have already called Medina a traitor, and Spartak presented the football player in an original way — recreating a scene from Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen”.
How did Spartak present Medina?
The 40-second spot for “Spartacus” was a reference to the film “Gentlemen” by Guy Ritchie. This scene is known as “The Russians Are Cleaning Up” and features Jesus as Mickey Pearson, who is played by Matthew McConaughey in the film.
McConaughey’s character receives a warning from an assistant: “Don’t get in the car, boss.” But it’s too late, because he reads the message already in the back seat, when the Russians are driving the car.
The message for Medina is similar: “Don’t get in the car, Jesus.”
In the film, McConaughey tries to hail the driver and says, “Dave?” But instead he sees a Russian bandit who, with a characteristic accent, answers: “No Dave.”
In the Spartak version, Medina hesitantly asks: “VEB Arena”? (CSKA stadium). Artem Rebrov, the former Spartak goalkeeper and now technical coordinator, turns to him and answers: “No VEB Arena.”
The Spartak car is driven by Nikita Bazhenov (former player, now responsible for players on loan at the club) — his eyes are visible in the rearview mirror. Like the man behind the wheel in The Gentlemen:
Guy Ritchie’s episode ends with a van blocking the car’s path, from which they open fire on the windshield. Spartak has a softer ending — the car stops at Otkritie Bank Arena, the new stadium in Medina.