Oleksandr Zinchenko: “When I come from Manchester City to the national team, there is no need to rebuild”

02.05.2020 12:28

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Another guest of the #GOnline project on UAF's Instagram page became "Manchester City" and the national team of Ukraine player Oleksandr Zinchenko, who answered the questions of fans.

- Alexander, who inspired you to play football? Who was your idol as a child?

- Andriy Shevchenko was an idol for boys of any age in those years. For me too. I remember not sleeping and waiting for the Milan match ... Another of my favorite players was Ronaldinho. I had his T-shirts. So I had two football idols.

- Is it often possible to see your children's coach - Sergei Boretsky?

- It often doesn't work out. Because when I come from England to Ukraine, I immediately go to the location of the national team. There is very little time. But if there is an opportunity to visit the homeland in Radomyshl, I try to visit everyone. Another important role in my football formation in the Black Sea was played by my stepfather, my first coach Viktor Karpenko.

- What was the most difficult period in your career for you?

- The period when I was without a club. When I left Shakhtar, I did not play football at a professional level for six months. There were serious injuries, but this time was the most difficult. So there were circumstances that I could not play, kept fit as I could, participated in amateur tournaments.

- Which of the Ukrainians, in your opinion, could strengthen the "City"?

- Mykola Matvienko. Of course, he still needs to work, develop and progress. A competitor to my position? Yes, I want to invite a competitor (laughs). There are other talented guys in Ukraine - Tsygankov, Mykolenko. I do not want to ignore anyone. The most important thing is to get into good hands, to your coach, to be in your team and develop.

- Are Guardiola and Shevchenko similar?

- They both understand tactics very well. As an example, we have studied Portugal very well. Yes, somewhere we were lucky, the Portuguese had moments, a crossbar, but we squeezed the maximum, performed the installation of coaches and achieved the result. The philosophy of the game, the placement of the players, the control of the ball, the distance, the cohesion on the field - all these requirements and indicators of Shevchenko and Guardiola are very similar. Therefore, when I come from Manchester City to the national team of Ukraine, I do not need to restructure.

- Name the top team of all time according to Alexander Zinchenko.

- I will have a tactical scheme 4-4-2. Andriy Pyatov is in the goal. In defense - Alves, Marcelo, Ramos and Company. In the midfield - Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho. In the attack - Henry and Shevchenko. The coach of this team would be Josep Guardiola.