[Sport] The player who fled the war is in Bucharest. The Manchester City defender is the captain of Ukraine at Euro 2020 and has a movie story

[Mindsphere.]

 

The Ukrainian national team arrived in Bucharest to participate in Euro 2020, led by captain Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The left defender, who can also play as a midfielder, has a story worthy of movies. Zinchenko fled the Donbas region as a teenager because of the war, and has now become a team captain in the national team coached by the legendary Shevchenko.

Oleksandr Zinchenko fled the war in Ukraine and is now one of the stars of Manchester City and the Ukrainian national team
Pep Guardiola's student at Manchester City has just played the Champions League final against Chelsea, lost 0-1. 7 years ago, he had no team and played football on the streets of Moscow. His national teammate, Mykola Matviyenko, knows Zinchenko perfectly.

"I remember Oleksandr when he arrived at Shakhtar's academy when he was about 15. At first, he was a little shy and even restrained, but then he opened up more. It was clear what he wanted from football from day one. Oleksandr "He showed perseverance and determination on the field. Even then it was clear that he would become a top footballer," said Matviyenko.
When he was 13, Zinchenko left his hometown of Radomyshl for 800 kilometers to Shakhtar Donetsk's academy.
After changing several positions, Zinchenko came to play very well as an offensive midfielder, with enormous potential.

He was then captain of the U19 national team of Ukraine, and at Shakhtar he played alongside Douglas Costa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Fernandinho.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is Ukraine's captain at Euro 2020. The Russians tried to stop him from playing for his home country
In 2014, when the war broke out in the Donbas region, Oleksandr Zinchenko's mother decided that it was better for the family to flee to Russia. But once there, his career was abruptly interrupted. He had to play on the streets of Moscow and then on amateur teams, on concrete pitches, until he signed with Ufa in February 2015.

It had been 18 months since he had been identified with any team. He immediately impressed and received the first call-up to the big national team of Ukraine, just a few days before turning 19, in October 2015, in a defeat with Spain, 0-1.

But it was a problem at the time, because Russia wanted to persuade him not to play for Ukraine. But Zinchenko always said he wanted to represent his homeland and not another nation.

"Oleksandr is very important for the team, both on the pitch and in the locker room. He always asks us to talk to each other. He has seen the whole process in England and he always tells us that good communication on the pitch is essential.

He has the qualities of a leader and greatly influences the team. He told us: 'In England you just can't have a bad attitude as a player'. So he is trying to introduce the same principles at the national level, "Matviyenko said.

Journalist Andrew Todos, from the Ukrainian publication Zorya Londonsk, also characterized Zinchenko.

"Most people tend to put Oleksandr's past aside and cherish him as the star of the national team and Manchester City, which he is today. while celebrating and promoting the country through many means, such as visits to Manchester of the Manchester Cultural Center.

The fact that he married a remarkable journalist, Vlada Sedan, also led to their becoming a super couple in sports in Ukraine, "said journalist Andrew Todos of the Ukrainian publication Zorya Londonsk.

Vlada Sedan is pregnant and will give birth soon, and this explains how Zinchenko celebrates after scoring a goal.

Zinchenko (24 years old) has just scored the sixth goal in the 39 selections for the Ukrainian national team, on June 7, in the 4-0 victory in the friendly with Cyprus.

Oleksandr Zinchenko is quoted at 25 million euros
In the summer of 2016, his transfer to Manchester City cost only 2 million euros. Interestingly, Zinchenko is the only player of "more modest" background who has become a key player in the gear of Guardiola's team, full of stars.

Zinchenko is the second player in the Ukrainian team in terms of value. According to the specialized publication Transfermarkt, Zinchenko is quoted at 25 million euros. Only Ruslan Malinovskyi has a better share, 30 million euros.

Zinchenko has 100 appearances for Manchester City.
Ukraine, which has its established camp in Bucharest, will debut at Euro 2020 in the company of the Netherlands, on Sunday.