Vyacheslav "Slava" Kolotilov (Konstantin Khabensky) is a natural science teacher from a coastal Caspian Sea called Palchiki (diminutive of fingers) who is passing through Moscow seeking luck as a novelist without much success. Lost in thoughts he crosses a street and a car strikes him at high speed. Nadezhda (Milla Jovovich) is at the wheel with her fiancé Danil (Ivan Urgant). Vyacheslav escapes from the collision with just a broken leg. A crush develops between Slava and Nadezhda. Vyacheslav convinces her to cut off her engagement and they pledge to marry each other instead. The teacher, in addition to leaving his work must move to Moscow where the wedding will take place. However he hits a snag, on the same day that he must take the train the preparations for the Russian Youth Soccer Cup are taking place. He gets mistaken for a coach by the Tournament Supervisor (Vladimir Menshov), a Duma deputy, who takes his passport so that he is not able to escape.