ANDRI SHEVCHENKO
- Ukrainian Footballer of the 1997 Year
- 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Ukrainian Champion
- 1996, 1998 Ukrainian Cup Winner
- Scored 60 goals in 117 Ukrainian Premier League games.
- Scored 6 goals in 24 games for the Ukrainian National Team.
- Scored 20 goals in European Cups, 14 in the Champions League.
- Andri was born on on Sept 29 1976 in the village of Dvirkivshchyna near
Yahotyn in Kyiv province.
- Height : 183 cm, weight: 73 kg.
- When he was 9 years old he got spotted by the Dynamo youth coach Olexandr
Shpakov during the tournament "Leather Ball". Under the guidance of Shpakov
young Shevchenko has won many tropheys. Very interesting fact -- 7 years ago
Dynamo (under 14) played in Wales at the Ian Rush Cup. Shevchenko became the
best goaleador of the tournament and Ian Rush made him a present --
his football shoes. And this year they met again -- Rush is finishing his
career in Newcastle.
-
Shevchenko's first appearance in BIG football happened in the winter of 1993.
He became the best scorer for Dynamo-2 (farm club of DK) with 12
goals.
Then he was invited to Ukrainian Olympic team and appeared in the
main DK roster. His first European Cup goal was vs Bayern Munich at the age
of 18.
He played his first game for Dynamo in Ukrainian League 28.10.94
in Donetsk (Shakhtar - Dynamo 1:3),
first goal in Ukrainian League - 1.12.94 in Kyiv
(Dynamo - Dnipro 4:2).
First game for National Team - 25.03.1995 in Zagreb (Croatia - Ukraine 4:0),
first goal - 1.05.96 in Samsun (Turkey - Ukraine 3:2).
In 1997 he established Dynamo Kyiv record -- hat-trick in the European Cup
game (Barcelona - Dynamo Kyiv 0:4).
His carrier 100th goal came on Apr 28 1999 in the Ukrainian Cup game vs Zirka
Kirovohrad.
- He likes pool, tennis, cars (his father is a car-engineer).
- His idols: all DK-86, Pele, Zico, Platini, Romario.
- His (favorite) singer: Freddie Mercury and Laima Vaikule.
- His actor: Alexander Abdulov and Julia Roberts.
- His movie: "The goalkeeper"
- His drink: orange and pineapple juice
- His food: barbacued chicken
- He is unmarried and tired of women calling his home, DK training camp, etc "Don't make an idol of me. I haven't achieved anything yet."
***** King of Kyiv *****
(Cover-page story in World Soccer, May 1999)
*****
Unstoppable Shevchenko
*****
(Spectacular Shevchenko dribbling in Ukraine-Croatia game)
*****
Spring 1999 interview *****
Andri Shevchenko: ... I count only on myself ...
By Yevhen Kraws (with translation by Taras Hordienko)
The first time we have seen Andri Shevchenko was in spring,
1994. It was a game between Ukraine and Netherlands U-18 National teams.
Youngsters from the country of tulips came to Ukraine lead by the Dutch
National team headcoach Dick Advokaat. After the game that ended with
the draw 2:2 I've turned to known coach with the trite question:
"What is your opinion about Ukrainians?".
The answer was: "I liked the play of goalkeeper Kernozenko
(present second goalkeeper of Dynamo - T.H.),
left defender Pavliukh (played
for Dnipro and U-21 National team last year - T.H.) and Andri Shevchenko.
Especially Shevchenko: he is an inborn forward, perchaps 5 years later
he'll play for Ukrainian National team".
This foretelling of the famous football expert have become true only
partially. Andri is playing for National team. But mistake was in timing:
the lad needed twice shorter time to become the leader of the team.
The present Advokaat's squad Eindhoven experienced Shevchenko's skills
in Champions League. Being only 21 he is wanted by the known European clubs
that are ready to pay big money.
The participants of all polls in Ukraine have acknowledged Andri
Shevchenko the best player of Ukraine in 1997.
And who is "the star" in real life?
Cor.: Shevchenko's star has come out very bright and powerful.
Year after year defenders guard you more and more but you continue
to cause troubles to goalkeepers. Moreover, the ball after your shots
finds the net even more often. How do you succeed in?
A.Sh.: It's difficult to explain. I have no secrets. It is all Nature which
endowed me with good physical characteristics.
And I maintain and develop them with great desire to be the best.
Moreover, I have no other skills so I devote all my time to football.
Very often I hear accusations of being stingy for pass. It's not true.
Actually I can hold the ball more than it's necessary, but I understand,
that the most important thing for the team is victory and three points.
And it doesn't matter who will score. But these are the forwards whose
job is to score.
The next mistake is that allegedly
footballers distinguish beautiful goals and ugly ones.
Certainly, the fans want to see only sighty goals, but players are more
pragmatic. And sometimes "crooked" goal is worthy not less than bright
"beautiful" one.
What's more, Dynamo pays premiums only for victories - so ...
Last times I feel more and more that opponents play against me personally or
pay higher attention to me at least. The best evidence is the number of
bruises on my legs. But I'm sure that I can grow. And these are the constant
good physical conditions which are the grounds of any serious achievements
in football. No tactics or strategy will help
if you don't run on the field fulltime. Due to high speed I have
moany scoring moments in almost every match. If I manage to convert
some of them - it's good. It's a pity but my technique stumbles so far.
Cor: Your feet are very expensive. As well as your footwear. They say that
"Adidas" manufactures personal boots for You... Is it true?
A.Sh.: Nothing strange. The companies producing sport equipment are
interested in advertisement of their production. Half of the Europe is
playing in personally manufactured boots. More importantly, it is convenient
for players too. I have a personal contract with "Adidas".
Now, as soon as it is necessary, technicians make moulds from my feet and
two weeks later new boots that ideally fit me are in Kyiv.
What is worse, an old football rule works in my case: the more expensive
feet become - the stronger is the will to hit them.
Cor.: Dynamo has no competitors in the Championship of Ukraine and you have a
secured place in the attacking line of the team.
Is it difficult to be a leader?
A.Sh: No doubts - if I decline in my performance I'll be sitting on the
bench. Lobanovsky
cherishes nobody. He is never lenient too.
It is clear that in every team there is a group of players who compose
it's "back-bone". But in the case of any failure they hear the twice as many
reproaches. If you take into account that
Valeri Lobanovsky
in Dynamo as well as Jozhef Szabo in the National team are
rarely satisfied completely with team's actions it will become clear that
I'm in the range of players who are under scrutiny in the first turn.
But there exists "the second side of the medal". After the successful match,
when everybody worked much on the field or we've got the victory with big
goal difference leaders are praised more often.
I don't know how e.g. "oldies" Luzhny or Kalitvintsev cope with fame but
for me it is not a problem, neither to live nor to play. I like to see
my photos in sport mass media, even more - I collect them. But popularity
is the medal with both sides too. I like speed driving. My "Mercedes" is
known to every traffic inspector in Kyiv. And every of them wants to stop
it and to ask autograph. They think up multivarious reasons. Before I was
constantly fined "for safety belts": minimal fine of 3-5 hr -
and I was forced to put autograph on the receipt. As a rule inspectors
didn't take the money but the receipt with my signature travelled
to their pockets as a memory.
There were occasions when I was "fined" in such a way several times per day.
Should I repaint my car or change its registration plates?
The same problem is with my home telephone. Girls pester without any
interruption - I have an impression that no bachelors are left in Kyiv
except Shevchenko.
Cor.: The girls and the cars always interested footballers. So is it strange?
A.Sh.: As for cars everything is clear - this is the order of the time,
prestige, comfort at last. But I have no any desire to know how carburettor or
ignition work. Everything I can do myself is to change a tire.
If there is something wrong with my car I go to a mechanic. Now
about girls - this case is more complicated. There are many of them around -
beautiful, interesting, efficacious. But they don't interest me meanwhile:
I don't want in the course of closest 5-6 years to take family burdens upon
myself. All my time is filled by football and such situation suits me.
I'm not against spending some time in a merry company, but often I prefer
calm activities. For example, I like to play pool.
There is a beautiful billiard hall on the "Dynamo" stadium.
Valentyn Belkevych is the my frequent partner.
We don't play for money. In general, gambling is strictly forbidden in our
team. Moreover, the contracts signed by all players forbid to announce the
financial relations in the club. So if I'm asked about my pay or premium the
answer is - I earn enough. God, grant all Ukrainian
sportsmen to earn so much.
Cor.: Very often one may hear scepticism about footballers: "When all
children were studying he was kicking the ball in the yard".
What's about You?
A.Sh.: It's just about me. I never dreamed to be an astronaut or a physician.
The grade 3 (C) was quite enough for me at school.
Cor.: You are playing on the different "fronts" now. Matches of Ukrainian
Championship are take turns with games in Eurocups and for National team.
So it must be more easy for you to compare the level of Ukrainian football.
Some say that it is growing. Is it true?
A.Sh.: There is no doubts - our football makes progress. The successful
representation of our National team is the best proof.
The level of internal championship have grown up too, but the main trouble -
the narrow circle of contenders for medals remains the same.
The leveling of the teams of premier league lasts but very slowly.
As well as 2-3 years ago the Champion can be named unmistakely after 10
rounds, but maybe no one will risk to forecast the Ukraine's representatives
in the next UEFA Cup now. The fact is that in present Ukraine there
is only one club fit to fight with European grands for Eurocups.
According to it's financial state of matters. I don't believe that it is
possible to reach high and stable results without big money now.
Certainly, we can play for free - but not for a long time.
I want to believe that shameful Dnipro's double loss against Alania is
rather misunderstanding than real correlation of forces on Euroarena.
Cor.: Not so long ago, especially after an invitation to the World squad
for the game against Russia, the information began to appear that some
known European clubs are interested in you. Don't you want to try
yourself in Bayern or Barcelona?
A.Sh.: Footballers are dependant men: contracts tie them to their clubs. If
Dynamo management wanted to sell me they could have made huge profit a year
ago already. I constantly get a lot of proposals. But nobody looks for good
having good at present. The club fulfills all the financial obligations of
the contract. I have a chic apartments in Kyiv and "Mercedes". And now in
the Champions League we have possibilities not only to earn more but to
show our abilities. But what is the most important - the club sets up
the highest goals and Dynamo players have shown already that we do not only
want but are ready to face Barcelona, Eindhoven, Newcastle and others.
About representation in the World squad everybody must understand that
I could neither refuse nor show all my best.
Jozhef Sabo let me go to Moscow under
condition that I'll play only halftime and without any risking: we had to play
super-important match with Albania two days later.
Cor.: They say, that having free time at the training base Dynamo players use
to play cards. Is that so?
A.Sh.: The players have free time only at the base or on the road. And joker
game is the most favourite not only among Dynamo players. I think that players
of all Ukrainian clubs play this game. All the players who came to Dynamo
know it, at least. It doesn't matter where they are from: Karpaty Lviv or
Metalist Kharkiv. But as I already said we don't play for money.
We play on... gifts.
Cor.: And what gift do you want to get on your birthday?
A.Sh.: I don't like holidays. So I don't like gifts. There is one
exception - New Year. I make gifts to myself as a rule. Well,
I have scored two goals in our championship not so long ago.
And only after the game I've learned that Kyivan journalists tied this
"double" with my nameday. I prefer to make presents. And my chief
aim is to make
more and more "presents" to our opponents in Champions League...
People about Shevchenko
- Valeri Lobanovsky:
- The Times (Oct 25, 1998):
With all deference to Brazil's Ronaldo, who had an unexceptional game in
midweek on his return to the Inter attack against Spartak Moscow, Shevchenko
looks the best centre-forward in the world. Even Tony Adams found it hard to
contain him; and Shevchenko scored a perfectly good goal which was inexplicably
disallowed.
Shevchenko looked the complete footballer in a Dynamo team that scorned
negative methods. He is strong, possesses deft ball control, a blazing
change of pace and the courage to go it alone, to take risks, take on
opponents, go for gaps and for goal."
- Vuiadin Boshkov (the headcoach of Sampdoria Italy):
"He is a phenomenal forward. In spite of being young, he is well prepared
tactically, not mentioning physical conditions. We are dealing with a real
talent. Can we compare him with Ronaldo? I think they are different players.
Ronaldo is a celebrity and everybody plays for him. He works more for himself.
Shevchenko is a team player. He scores himself by helps others. I don't know
if he will be as famous as Ronaldo, but his potentials are great."
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