Andrey Arshavin - Russian wizard
Today's post is dedicated to our football genius - Andrei Arshavin!
“Outdo Arshavin? Such a football player has not yet appeared in Russia. At the moment, Andrey is the best Russian football player of the last 10-20 years. Therefore, Arshavin is very far from me and everyone else,” said Oleg Shatov.
“When Andryusha went to school, the teachers said that he had to go straight to second grade. From the age of 4 he could read and knew many poems by heart, especially by Korney Chukovsky. I also loved Russian folk tales, but my favorites were “Doctor Aibolit” and “Uncle Styopa the Policeman.” For some time I even dreamed of becoming a policeman.”
“Andrey enthusiastically played checkers in kindergarten and even received a youth rank. A teacher from the House of Pioneers of the Vasileostrovsky district convinced him to take checkers seriously and was worried that Andrei had gone into football.”
“Another hobby of Andrey in childhood was tin soldiers. At home, we had battles of hundreds of soldiers, which he lined up and rearranged.”
@ Tatyana Arshavina
“When I was seven, I went to the Smena Sports and Youth Sports School, my dad brought me there. I then lived on Vasilyevsky Island and from the second grade I began to travel across the city on my own to Smena. As my mother later told me, I thought I was going alone, but in fact my mother was following me, but then I didn’t know that,” said Arshavin.
In 1997, Andrei began playing for the Smena adult team. The following year he graduated from school and entered the St. Petersburg University of Technology and Design, Faculty of Chemical Technology.
“When I turned 17, I had to choose an institute, and my friends and I decided to go to the Institute of Technology and Design, because there are a lot of girls there, and it’s probably easy to study. In addition, my mother worked in textiles, and I thought that, as a last resort, she could go through everything she knows for me one more time,” said Arshavin.
In his second year, Andrei began playing for the Zenit reserve team. In the third, he made his debut in the main team of the “blue-white-blues”. In order not to fly out of the institute due to frequent absenteeism, I switched to the Faculty of Fashion Design, where it was much easier to study.
In 2000, Arshavin became a player in the main team of Zenit. He easily joined the team and became one of its leaders. With Zenit, Andrey won gold medals at the Russian Championship in 2007. And in 2008, for the first time in its history, the club won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
“Arshavin means a lot to Zenit: he is a true team leader, one of the best players in the Russian Championship. Andrey's best quality: he is always in the right place at the right time. He is constantly on the move and can adapt to any situation. Plus, he is individually a very strong and versatile player. Sometimes Arshavin is called either a forward or a playmaker, but I believe that he is a symbiosis of both. Andrey is a unique case!” - said Dick Lawyer.
Several opinions about Andrey from Zenit fans on sports.ru
Para Sol Ka: “Shava is the god of football! For me, more valuable than all Andrei’s awards are his tears at Euro 2008, after the enchanting match he played with the Dutch.”
zhirov: “Arshavin is a fantasy, it’s a surprise, it’s unpredictability on the field. This is a man who turns the sometimes very boring football action on the field into a performance, into art. Arshavin is the Cinderella of St. Petersburg football, short in stature, from the difficult 90s, whom an angry Morozov kicked out of the team, an example for many others that not the best field in Udelnaya can become a stepping stone to European Championship bronze and triumphant four goals against Liverpool! He will have something to remember in his old age from his turbulent life, and we will also tell the young people - I even saw Arshavin himself live on the field! He was lucky with time, coaches, partners - it is in such troubled times that life brings former non-commissioned officers and warrant officers to marshal's stars on shoulder straps, and glider designers to chief missile designers. He is the Chief Designer of the game on the field, that’s why the fans perk up when he appears - he’ll come up with something and amaze them. And words that are offensive to fans come from the same place - from creativity, which is rarely ordered, but comes on a whim, when you are no longer expecting it.”
Zhorzhik: “Shava is a Zenit legend, he is a player who has not yet exhausted himself and can benefit the team, but he should be allowed to play in the first team!”
After the resounding success of Zenit and the Russian National Team at Euro 2008, Andrei became a real star. It’s hard to imagine now, but after the Euro, Zenit responded to Barcelona’s offer to buy Arshavin for 15 million euros with a return fax - with an offer to buy the Messiah for 20 million. And then it surprised few people.
But in the winter, a whole epic began with Andrei’s transfer to London Arsenal. He packed and unpacked his suitcases several times, then finally flew to London on the last day of the transfer window. The clubs reached an agreement so late that the FA commission took another day to decide whether to confirm the transfer.
Andrei's first year and a half in England were wonderful. What were they doing with Fabregas on the field?!
Here are some comments from Arsenal fans:
“In my opinion, he is simply a god!”
“It seems that I am seriously in love with Arshavin”
“I can’t believe that we have a player of such a high level on our team...”
“This is how I see the lineup for the next game: Almunya - MP, MP, MP, MP-MP, MP, MP, Arshavin - MP, MP, where MP means “I don’t care”!”
The most important event in Andrei’s career was Euro 2008, at which the whole of Europe learned that Russians also know how to play football, and that St. Petersburg has its own little genius.
Here's what they said about Arshavin's performance in Europe:
“The Russian with the face of a child played and teased the well-known Dutchmen” - Ske Sport
“What pleasantly surprises me most is Arshavin’s performance - it is truly grandiose!” — Z. Zidane
“I know Arshavin. He is a rising European star..." - Edwin van der Sar
In recent years, fans have become accustomed to throwing a lot of criticism and insults at Arshavin, but few can remember how much this football player has done to help children.
Andrey is a FIFA charity ambassador. As part of this role, he supports the organization SOS Children's Villages of Russia. Arshavin helps children and families in difficult situations not only financially, from his own pocket, but also by attracting funds and attention to this problem. Andrey can often be seen at the SOS Children's Village in the city of Pushkin, where he plays football matches with children.
Andrei Arshavin at the presentation of Russia's bid for the 2018 World Cup.
Andrey Arshavin and Vitaly Petrov at the presentation of Nike Mercurial Vapor boots.
Andrei Arshavin and world football stars in an advertisement for one of the sponsors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Arshavin as a conductor in the theater
Andrei's family life is in complete disarray. In 2013, he separated from his common-law wife Yulia. With whom they are raising beautiful children: sons Artyom and Arseny, and daughter Yana.
For those who missed previous posts about our Zenit players:
Danny is a crowd favorite
Hulk - comic book hero on the field
Esquiel Garay - Wall Defender
Sergei Semak - a legend of Russian football
Javi Garcia - “Murcian tank” of the support zone
Axel Witsel
Thank you everyone for stopping by! I would be glad to see your comments! And don't forget to subscribe to the blog!
Andrey Arshavin. Fun ABC
Arshavin became a Zenit legend and was a hero throughout Russia, then he moved to Arsenal, charmed with his play and disappointed with his behavior. “Sokker.ru” is about the complex Andrey.
English language. Arshavin played for Arsenal for four years and lived in London. He had to master English; Andrei had no fear of speaking a foreign language, but his pronunciation became the object of ridicule . Let's not be too hard on the English: when someone speaks your native language with a funny accent, it's really hard to resist.
"Barcelona". Nine years ago, a Russian football player could not only dream of moving to a famous club - Arshavin actually had such an opportunity. And in 2008, after a successful performance at the European Championship (it came down to offering a specific amount, but Zenit refused Barcelona in a form that did not imply further negotiations), and later, when he was already playing for Arsenal.
Age. By football standards, Andrei is already advanced in age: today he turns 36 years old, for which we congratulate him!
Holland. Against the national team of the country, which is more correctly called the Netherlands, Arshavin played perhaps his best match on the international stage . And in general, that game in the quarterfinals of Euro 2008 is probably the most important in the history of the Russian national team.
Fight. The story gained wide publicity when Arshavin tried to get into one of the nightclubs in London, clearly in high spirits. The attempt failed, and the fight never took place , although the Russian was definitely ready to move from dialogue to action.
Gesture. Arshavin’s signature gesture after scoring a goal is a call for silence, a finger raised to her lips. Andrey even patented this gesture along with other attributes of his image and created the ARSHAVIN brand management company.
Star fever. Arshavin does not know the cure for star fever: “I don’t know how to deal with star fever. They say I haven't changed at all in my life. This means that I have had star fever since birth.”
Yossi. Arshavin and Benayoun played in that famous match at Anfield, which ended with a score of 4:4. Andrey then made a “poker”, and Yossi scored twice. Who would have thought that seven years later these players would meet in a Europa League qualifying match and exchange goals again. Arshavin represented Kazakhstan's Kairat, and Benayoun played for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"Kairat". Fans of Arshavin’s current club initially received the Russian with hostility and were indignant because a football player with a big name, but in bad shape, receives 40 million tenge a month (about 115 thousand euros). Andrey managed to prove his comrades wrong, who poisoned him with jokes and angry tirades, becoming the best newcomer of the Kazakhstan championship at the end of 2020.
Mat. Like any self-respecting Russian football player, Andrei Arshavin can not only swear, but also speak fluently this obscene version of the Russian language.
Tax office. So affectionately Andrei Sergeich can call his first wife Yulia Baranovskaya behind his back. Property disputes will tire anyone
Expectations and problems. The phrase that Arshavin remembered for a long time was said after an unsuccessful performance at Euro 2012. One way or another, these words in relation to football are strongly associated with Andrei Sergeevich : “The fact that we did not live up to your expectations is not our problem. It's your problems".
Poker. Not only a card game, but also four goals scored by a football player in one match. Arshavin was noted in both categories: the match with Liverpool, in which Andrei upset Pepe Reina four times, is impossible to forget, and the football player simply respects the card game and even participates in PokerStars tournaments.
Trainer? No, Andrei Sergeevich believes that he will not make a coach. Why? Arshavin himself answers: “I will be a bad coach because I’m crazy...”
Laughter. A few years ago, Andrei Arshavin's laughter became a meme. His laughter has been compared to the sounds made by seals, and a ten-hour version awaits its viewer on YouTube.
Barber. Arshavin mastered a new profession after he won an argument with a video blogger who did not believe in Andrei Sergeevich’s success in the Kazakhstan Championship. The journalist promised to shave his head if Arshavin scored 8 or more goals for Kairat . The Russian prevailed in this bet and helped the skeptic who lost the bet part with his hair.
Chips. Arshavin advertised Lace brand chips, and when his career began to decline, they were also considered one of the reasons. For some time Andrey was pejoratively called “Chipseater”.
Shava. A well-known and generally applicable nickname for Arshavin. Derived from a surname.
“This is powerful!” Arshavin and Hulk are two of the brightest Zenit players in the 21st century. During Andrey’s second coming to the St. Petersburg club, the Brazilian became the main character in a series of powerful videos that demonstrated his “superpowers.” Arshavin also regularly appeared on camera and laughed infectiously in his unique style.
"YouTube". He knows a lot, a lot of interesting things about Arshavin. Ups and downs, goals and feints, scandals and good deeds.
“I want to remain Andrei Arshavin, regardless of whether the public likes it or not.”
