Legends of International Football - Andriy Shevchenko

Shevchenko though, in all his humility and positivity, said about the game -

“This was an important moment to face. Life is not made up just of victories, but also losses. When you are down, you rise up and go ahead. This was a beautiful moment; I would never change it. Even if we lost, we also learnt. These famous six minutes completely changed the destiny of Milan. It’s not true what was written that we thought we’d win. We continued to play; we even played very well. For us, that is football and that is why I would not change this moment. Liverpool did what they had to do in those six minutes, you recognize that.”

After the season ended, Shevchenko agreed a switch to Chelsea for 30.8 million GBP, which was then a record for the highest sum paid by any British club. This move materialized after a 3-year long chase in which Roman Abrahimovic personally intervened to sign him in 2003.

Shevchenko states that he met Abrahimovic in Milan’s 4 Seasons Hotel, where the Russian billionaire had come to take a look at a couple of players from Inter Milan. Roman directly approached Shevchenko, asking him if he was interested in playing for the Blues.

Shevchenko though, fresh from Milan’s Champions League triumph, rejected the offer straight away. His eventual arrival at Stamford Bridge was the stuff of ‘dreams’, as Jose Mourinho put it: “Today is a day when the dream became reality. Andriy has always been my first choice for Chelsea since I arrived. He has great qualities, ambition, discipline, tactical awareness and of course he is a great goalscorer.”

Shevchenko started his Chelsea career in fine fashion, scoring a goal in a 2-1 loss against Liverpool in the Community Shield. But as time went on, Shevchenko endured a tough time at the Bridge, scoring only 22 times in 77 appearances. Constant criticism coupled with playing second fiddle to a complete forward in Didier Drogba, Shevchenko spent most of his time on the bench.

He did occasionally conjure up moments of magic, like a brace in a 3-3 draw against Aston Villa, and a screamer of a goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup a few seasons ago. But in spite of being relegated to the bench, Shevchenko maintained a dignified presence, never openly criticizing anyone or venting his frustrations to the media.

In arguably the worst phase of his footballing career, Shevchenko remained a consummate professional. He scored his last goal for Chelsea in a 1-1 draw against Bolton on the final day of the season, before he was loaned back to AC Milan.

His indifferent form continued in his second spell back at Milan, as he failed to score in any of his 18 league appearances. Milan then announced that Shevchenko would return to Chelsea for the final year of his 4-year contract. Once back at the Bridge, his former Milan and current Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to sell him in the transfer window.

Life came full circle for Sheva as he signed a 2-year contract with Dynamo Kyiv. He again scored on his debut game, slotting a penalty in a 3-1 win against Metalurh Donetsk. He rediscovered his scoring touch in Kyiv, scoring 16 goals in 32 matches in his second season there.

Shevchenko’s immaculate technique, fantastic goal sense, instinctive positioning and discipline had not only made him a legend in the club football arena, but also a national hero for Ukraine football to idolize. He earned his first cap in 1995, but had to wait a year before he scored his first goal in an international friendly against Turkey.

As was a feature of his life, Shevchenko went through many heartbreaks on the international stage, falling just short of fulfilling his nation’s objectives on multiple occasions. He scored thrice during Ukraine’s 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign, as they finished second in their group, earning a shot at a play-off to progress to the World Cup.

Shevchenko scored the consolation goal in Ukraine’s 3-1 loss at the hands of Croatia, who finished third in the World Cup. Ukraine caught the eye again in Euro 2000 qualifying, playing well to finish just a point adrift of group toppers France. But once again, they were beaten at the play-off stage, this time by unfancied Slovenia.

In 2000, Shevchenko and Ukraine both received a massive boost with the news that Valeri Lobanovsky would be taking over the national team in a bid to boost their World Cup 2002 qualification. Shevchenko was unstoppable in the qualifiers, adding 10 goals to his tally in the qualification rounds. This earned them yet another play-off spot, which Ukraine blew again by losing to Germany.

A couple of years later, Ukraine choked yet again in the Euro 2004 qualification rounds, Shevchenko’s 3 goals proving ineffective as they lost to Spain and eventual Euro 2004 champions Greece.

In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers though, the tide seemed to have changed. Led by another Ukrainian legend in Oleg Blokhin, Shevchenko finished as the top scorer in the qualifiers as Ukraine and their squad realized their long-standing dream of qualifying for the World Cup.

Befittingly, he captained the side at the tournament, as they achieved a respectable quarterfinal finish, losing to eventual champions Italy. And like the stories of many legends, Shevchenko’s story went on. After losing out on World Cup 2010 qualification, Sheva’s age and playing credentials came under question.

Shevchenko had admitted in an interview with UEFA that it would be a dream come true if he could play in Euro 2012 in front of his home crowd, and promised he would do everything to achieve that. True to his word, Shevchenko was named in the squad for the Euro 2012 tournament, at the age of 35.

He inspired a relatively young and inexperienced side throughout their short stint in the tournament, scoring a brace in a 2-1 game against Sweden. After Ukraine were eliminated in the final group game, Shevchenko announced his international retirement.

Sheva’s list of individual honours and achievements are as staggering as his performances over the years. He won 6 domestic titles (20 trophies overall), 6 Ukrainian Footballer of the Year awards and the Ballon D’Or. He is Ukraine’s all time top scorer with 48 goals in 111 appearances, 19 of them coming in 29 World Cup qualifiers, an outstanding feat by itself. He is also the third highest scorer in the Champions League, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raul.

Andriy Shevchenko’s legacy is that of one of the finest forwards to have ever graced the European stage. Not only are his footballing attributes an asset to have in any team, but Shevchenko is a role model off the field as well.

The Andriy Shevchenko Foundation is his brainchild, an initiative to reach out to the numerous victims of the Chernobyl disaster, whose effects are seen even today in parts of Ukraine. His foundation also raises money for children suffering from leukemia and other genetic disorders, raises funds for ambulances, boarding schools for orphans, modern hospital equipment and more.

Everything considered, Andriy Shevchenko truly is a legend of the highest order.