Every Simpals employee is a multi-faceted universe. We are passionate about both our great work and a wide variety of hobbies. To demonstrate this versatility, we are launching a new series – Simpals-hobby. Watch it to discover your colleagues from a new perspective. Be surprised, admire, be proud and talk about what sparks the passion in your heart!

Sergey Konovalov: “You must win nicely” 

Our first hero is IT Project manager Sergey Konovalov. He is able to keep the goal, is not afraid of collisions and knows how to win. Where do such abilities come from?

– Football. It’s one of my hobbies. I’ve been playing for a long time, as a child I was even in the local team from Hincesti, I played in the Petrocub team – first as a left back, but then I became a goalkeeper.

It was this position on the field that allowed Sergey to make the most of his skills:

– I love to play in goal. From the very beginning I did well – my reaction helped me, I wasn’t afraid of getting hit or of collisions.

These qualities also help him in his work, because audacity is a Simpals value. Sergey continues to play almost every week:

– We have a group of people who are passionate about football. At one point we even thought about trying out for the Moldovan Championship in the amateur category, but in the end we decided to play just for ourselves. As before, my position is in goal. I like it when opponents get nervous because they can’t “bypass” me.

One of Sergey’s favorite part in the game is the first minutes before the match:

– You get into the locker room, start changing, put on your shorts and boots. There’s a palpable tension in the air when you know you’re about to face your opponents. This is a special state of maximum concentration.

Sergey says football offers him a lot:

– It’s about new people, socializing with like-minded people. It’s a chance to recharge your batteries. You’re focused on the game, you look at the ball, the team. The goalkeeper sees everyone on the pitch and tells you who should be in which position. During the game you don’t think about car problems, unpaid bills or urgent problems at work. For an hour and a half, you’re all about the game. You’re excited, you’re eager to win and you try to do it nicely. Because everything in life has to be done nicely.