Under Abramovich's wing
By "some", as you've already guessed, we mean, of course, Andriy Shevchenko. His transfer from Milan to Chelsea became, perhaps, the most high-profile transfer of the summer. However, after the World Cup in Germany, the buying and selling process will become more active. Many are counting on showing themselves at the World Cup and receiving a more favorable offer. So in July-August one should expect a real flood of news, among which there may be some that will overshadow Shevchenko's move from Italy to England.
But for us Ukrainians, the only thing better than mountains is mountains. That is, only Shevchenko is better than Shevchenko. Full stop. The number of domestic Milan fans has already begun to decrease, and with the arrival of the new European season it may even return to the original level from which Milan mania began in 1999. It was then, seven years ago, that 23-year-old Andriy made his debut for the Italian giant. Who could have thought then that the Ukrainian striker would become a legendary figure in the history of Milan? Shevchenko, of course, in 1999 was already a well-known forward. His collection included the scalps of Barcelona and Real Madrid, Arsenal and Lens, and various European national teams. But it was in Italy that the Ukrainian turned into a world-class star. He trained without being distracted by dubious temptations, played, scored – and in the end earned the love of hundreds of thousands of fans. He won the Golden Ball, which is awarded to the best football player in Europe, triumphed in the Italian championship and the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Italian Cup. Shevchenko scored so many goals that he became the second top scorer in Milan's history. Many hoped that within two or three seasons Andriy would also overtake the Swede Gunnar Nordahl, who played for Milan in the post-war years and banged in 221 goals, but the Ukrainian stopped at the 173-goal mark. Behind him remained legendary figures – Gianni Rivera and Jose Altafini, Aldo Boffi and Marco van Basten, Giuseppe Santagostino and Pierino Prati, Alberto Bigon and Nils Liedholm, as well as Filippo Inzaghi, Marco Simone, Daniele Massaro, George Weah and many others.
Rumor often linked Shevchenko to one club or another. And the leaders of several clubs from time to time said that they would gladly include the Ukrainian sharpshooter in their lineup. But Andriy himself, his entourage, and Milan's bosses categorically denied any rumors: "Shevchenko is not for sale!" But spring 2006 arrived, and a miracle happened. The No. 7 of the Italian giant himself spoke about a possible move to London. You don't need to have the gift of Pavel Globa to understand which club Shevchenko was heading to. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, endlessly in love with the Ukrainian's game, had spent two years unsuccessfully courting Milan's leadership to strengthen his club Chelsea, but all in vain. And apparently he made an indirect maneuver – through the footballer's wife, American Kristen Pazik. It was not for nothing that Andriy cited the interests of his nearest and dearest as the main argument. True, with his explanation of the language problem in his family, Shevchenko overcomplicated things a bit. Like, I don't speak English, and Kristen doesn't speak Italian, so let our son Jordan speak English. Well, never mind, let's not delve into the nuances, because it's clear that the main ideologist of the move to England is Andriy's wife.
British tabloids claim that Roman Abramovich's wife, Irina, quite thoroughly prepared Kristen for this step. Shevchenko himself claims that he made the decision on his own. He can be understood – a forward of such magnitude would somehow be indecent to be a henpecked husband. But, on the other hand, Andriy did not sin against the truth: Kristen prepared the ground so that the Ukrainian could not make any other decision. Moreover, the financial side of the issue can excite anyone: under Shevchenko's contract with Chelsea, the Ukrainian's weekly salary will be about 120 thousand pounds (about one million hryvnias). Would you refuse such a weekly salary? After all, this is not counting bonuses, incentives, and money from advertising contracts…
In short, Milan's management agreed to let their best striker go to Chelsea. And on the first day of summer, the news swept the world: Shevchenko signed a four-year contract with the Londoners. The amount of compensation was not officially announced. One authoritative source cites the amount of €65 million (in which case the Ukrainian becomes the second most valuable footballer on the planet after Frenchman Zinedine Zidane), another no less authoritative – €45 million. In any case, this is not only a club record for Chelsea, but also the most expensive transfer in British football.
"From one great club I am moving to another, joining a team of champions," Andriy said. "Now is probably the most opportune time to join Chelsea. The team has clear goals – to win the Champions League and win a third consecutive Premier League title. I like that the mentality of this club involves winning every match and that Mr. Mourinho values team spirit above individualism. That is how great teams are created. I am glad that Chelsea's leaders managed to sort out all the details before the World Cup. Now I can go to Germany with a clear conscience, proud that I am a player of the London club."
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea's head coach, also commented on the acquisition: "Dreams become reality. Since I took charge of the team, acquiring Shevchenko has been my transfer priority. He has excellent playing qualities, is ambitious, disciplined, and tactically savvy. And, of course, he is a great scorer. Without a doubt, he will fit into Chelsea's tactical schemes. I have spoken with several of my players, and they are eagerly waiting to share the pitch with Andriy. Great players want to play with their like."
The official presentation of Shevchenko as a Chelsea player will take place after the World Cup. Meanwhile, it has become known that Andriy will play for his new club under his customary number seven. With the "seven" on his back, our compatriot played for Milan and the Ukraine national team, and at Chelsea this number belonged to the Portuguese Maniche, who was on loan but has already left the Londoners.
And what do the Chelsea players themselves think about Sheva's transfer? "Our team has acquired a fantastic footballer," says the leader of the Blues' midfield, Frank Lampard. "In the last five years Shevchenko has been one of the best strikers in Europe, if not the best and most consistent. This is a sign to our fans: Chelsea is moving in the right direction. We are still hungry for victories, and to achieve them we need players exactly like Shevchenko!"
Pills for the 'pharmacists'
After the World Cup, Shevchenko's partner in the Ukraine attack, Andriy Voronin, may also change his surroundings. Next summer his contract with Bayer, where the product of Odesa football plays, expires. The managers of the German club perfectly understand that in 2007 the Ukrainian will leave completely free, and Leverkusen will not receive a single euro cent. And even in the winter of 2006/07 selling Andriy will not be an easy task, because any sensible manager would agree to wait six months to invite a footballer without extra costs. Better to promise part of that money to the player himself, so that he does not change his mind about going somewhere else.
In short, if Voronin cannot be sold after the World Cup, the management of the 'pharmacists' will have to persuade the Ukrainian to extend his contract with the club in every possible way, which he does not agree to. Or sell Andriy to the club that he likes. True, the 27-year-old Odesite is not yet eager to show his cards. He does not even say in which country he would like to continue his career. His manager Andriy Holovash is also silent, who only stated that six months ago there was concrete interest in Voronin, but Bayer refused, demanding a very large sum for the Ukrainian. And then... offered to extend the contract.
Naturally, Voronin refused and now intends to dictate his terms. Although he went through a difficult six months, when the coaching staff, at the prompting of the club management, kept Andriy on the bench. They thought that the recalcitrant footballer would come to his senses and ask for mercy, but he did not even think of backing down. In the last six months Voronin has signed two lucrative personal endorsement contracts – with the world-famous companies Coca-Cola and Adidas – and now hopes to show his best qualities at the World Cup. Who knows, he may even move to a stronger club than Bayer.
Belgians go their separate ways
The most impressive diaspora of Ukrainian footballers is in Belgium. Four play in the top division, one more – Serhiy Omelyanovich – in the first. True, the number of our compatriots in Belgian football may shrink. Leaving Anderlecht, where he spent 10 seasons, is striker Oleh Yashchuk. The native of Ternopil region has been plagued by injuries; because of them almost the entire career of the Ukrainian passed without significant success. Nevertheless, in the Brussels club they loved Oleh and always offered him a contract extension. But this time Yashchuk decided to leave. Where? Not known yet. He was invited to Russia and Ukraine, but the 29-year-old striker is not eager to go so far from Belgium. In Brussels he has a Belgian wife and a child born in Belgium. They might not like it in the countries of the former Union. Besides, he needs to find a school, to be sure of stability, and no one can promise him that. Oleh says that the furthest he can move is to the championship of neighboring Holland.
But big prospects are opening up for Oleksandr Yakovenko. The son of the famous former Dynamo Kyiv and USSR national team midfielder Pavlo Yakovenko spent one season at Belgian Lierse. The team is so-so, although at the end of the 90s it became the country's champion. But for an 18-year-old guy it's an excellent option. Yakovenko was guaranteed playing practice, and at Lierse they were satisfied with him. Only the club's future is in question, and for further progress it would not hurt to find a team of a higher class. There are offers, and from the leaders of Belgian football, but Yakovenko together with his manager Andriy Holovash is still thinking it over. They are choosing the most advantageous option. Not from the point of view of finances, but so that the guy does not stop developing and progresses.
For playing practice, 22-year-old native of Chernihiv Serhiy Kovalenko is moving from Liege's Standard to FC Brussels. The first season at Standard turned out very well for our striker, but the second one did not work out. He played little and scored even less. Meanwhile, the Liege team almost became champions of the country and earned a spot in the qualifying round of the Champions League. But Kovalenko should prepare for something else – playing for FC Brussels, which experienced football fans should remember by the name 'Molenbeek'. Belgian mass media claim that the Ukrainian will play for the Brussels club for one year on loan.
It is possible that the loan of another Ukrainian, Serhiy Serebrennikov, to Charleroi will end early. His club Brugge, where the 29-year-old midfielder lost his place in the starting lineup, will undergo significant personnel changes in the summer. Many leading players are leaving, and no replacements are visible yet. So the appearance of Serebrennikov in Brugge's training camp should not surprise anyone. Who knows, he might change his mind about finally moving to Charleroi, which Serhiy had stated several months ago.
Ukrainians with Dutch passports?
And in Holland there are its own nuances. Ruslan Valeev, a midfielder for the first division club "Emmen", has submitted documents for a Dutch passport. As the footballer's manager Andrei Golovash explained, the 25-year-old Odesite had long waited for an invitation to the national team, but never got one. And since he is not of interest to the national team, he sees no point in remaining Ukrainian. With a Dutch passport, of course, life is much easier in the West, but the same Valeev a few years ago claimed that he is a patriot of Ukraine. And he does not intend to lose Ukrainian citizenship (according to our Constitution, dual citizenship is prohibited).
True, to obtain a passport of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, one must go through many mandatory procedures. Including an exam on the Dutch language and culture. There are known cases when footballers "failed" these exams. How it will be for Valeev is hard to say. But if he gets a Dutch passport, he will not only be joining another Ukrainian with a similar document, Yevgeny Levchenko ("Groningen"), but will also be lost to the national team.